Sheltering in Place
What does Shelter in Place mean?
To Shelter-in-Place means to remain in your home or workplace during an emergency, and protect yourself there.
While Sheltering-in-Place, you should listen to your local radio or TV stations for the latest updates. Emergency management officials may use radio broadcasts to give you further instructions. They will also let you know when the emergency has passed.
Sheltering-in-Place is the first action you should take during most types of emergency.
If an emergency is occurring and you’re unsure what to do, Shelter-in-Place first. Then, listen to your radio for guidance from emergency management officials.
How will I know if it is time to Shelter-in-Place?
Local, county, or state emergency management officials will notify your community if you need to Shelter-in-Place or take other protective actions.
These notifications may come through:
- Emergency Alert System messages on local radio and TV
- Community notification systems (such as Reverse 911), which send alerts to landline phones
- Public announcements using bullhorns or loudspeakers in affected neighborhoods
Remember: Your most reliable source of information before, during, and after an emergency is a battery-powered radio.
If an emergency is occurring and you’re unsure what to do, Shelter-in-Place first. Then, listen to your radio for guidance from emergency management officials.
If you are unable to monitor radio alerts or think you may miss messages, make arrangements in advance with a neighbor, friend, or family member. Ensure someone will contact you and help keep you informed.
Prepare at Home
Before it’s Time to Shelter-in-Place: Prepare Ahead
- Identify a Safe Room
Choose an interior room in your home without windows and above ground level. This room should be easily accessible and large enough for your household.
- Avoid Basements – Unless it’s a Tornado
- Do not use the basement during emergencies involving flooding or hazardous chemicals (like chlorine gas), which can seep into lower areas even with windows closed.
- Use the basement only during tornadoes, as it offers the best protection from high winds and structural damage.
- Communication
- If possible, choose a safe room with a hard-wired landline telephone, which may work even when cell phones or cordless phones do not.
- Emergency Kit and Action Plan
Ensure you have access to:
- Your Emergency Supply Kit (food, water, flashlight, radio, medications, etc.)
- Your Emergency Action Plan, including contact information and evacuation routes. Learn more about assembling these items under the Your Kit/Your Plan
When it’s Time to Shelter-in-Place: Take These Actions
- Secure Your Home
- Close and lock all windows and exterior doors.
- If there’s a risk of explosion, close window blinds, shades, or curtains.
- Turn off all fans, heating, air conditioning, and ventilation systems.
- Close the fireplace damper.
- Prepare for a Power Outage
- Set your refrigerator and freezer to the coldest settings.
- Open refrigerator/freezer doors only when necessary and close them quickly.
- Unplug major appliances to avoid damage from a power surge when electricity returns.
- Use flashlights with extra batteries. Avoid open flames (like candles or kerosene lamps) for safety.
- Water Supply
- Store clean drinking water in sterilized bathtubs, sinks, bottles, and containers.
- Sterilize first with bleach, then rinse thoroughly before filling.
- Take Care of Pets
- Bring pets into the safe room with you.
- Ensure you have food, water, and necessary supplies for them.
- Stay Informed and Connected
- Call your designated emergency contact to inform them you are sheltering in place.
- Keep your phone nearby in case you need to report a life-threatening condition.
- Listen continuously to your battery-powered radio or TV until you are told things are safe, or until you are told to Evacuate or take other Protective Actions.
- Depending on the emergency, local officials may call for Evacuation or Health-Related Protective Actions in specific areas at the greatest risk in your community.
Prepare at Work
Before it’s Time to Shelter-in-Place: Prepare Ahead
- Identify a Safe Room (or Rooms)
- Choose an interior room located above ground level with few or no windows or vents.
- Ensure the space can comfortably fit everyone. Avoid overcrowding by selecting multiple rooms if needed.
- Suitable rooms may include:
- Conference rooms without exterior windows
- Copy rooms, pantries, utility rooms, and large storage closets
- Avoid rooms with mechanical equipment such as ventilation blowers or exposed pipes, as these may not be sealable from outside air.
- Prefer Landline Communication
- If possible, select rooms with a hard-wired telephone.
- Cell phone networks may become overloaded or fail during an emergency.
- Basements
- Avoid basements unless the emergency is a tornado.
- In other scenarios, such as flooding or chemical incidents (especially with heavier-than-air gases like chlorine), basements can be hazardous.
- Use the basement for tornado emergencies only, when the threat is high winds that can damage above-ground structures.
- Review Your Business’s Emergency Plan
- Understand your workplace’s Emergency Action Plan, which may include communication protocols for notifying family members, evacuation and Shelter-in-Place procedures, as well as access to up-to-date emergency information.
- To create or improve your business’s plan, visit our “Business & Industry”
When it’s Time to Shelter-in-Place: Take These Actions
- Secure the Building
- Close the business and bring everyone into the designated safe room(s).
- Shut and lock all doors to the outside.
- If customers, clients, or visitors are present, ask them to stay, not leave.
- When authorities order shelter-in-place, it is crucial for everyone to remain indoors immediately.
- Communicate Safely
- Ask everyone to call their emergency contact (if there is no immediate threat) to inform them of their location and safety.
- Activate call-forwarding or alternative answering systems.
- Update the business’s voicemail or automated message to indicate that the business is temporarily closed, staff and visitors are sheltering in place, and that updates will follow when it is safe to leave.
- Prepare the Space
- If there is a danger of explosion, close window shades, blinds, or curtains.
- Employees familiar with the building’s mechanical systems should turn off all HVAC systems, including fans and any air systems that exchange air with the outside
- Seal any systems that may allow outside air to enter the room.
- Gather Emergency Supplies
- Bring essential items into the shelter room(s), including:
- Bottled water and non-perishable food
- Battery-powered radio and extra batteries
- Flashlights
- First aid kit
- Duct tape and heavy plastic sheeting
- Plastic garbage bags
- In the event of a chemical, biological, or radiological emergency, use duct tape and plastic sheeting to seal doors, vents, and any cracks in the room to prevent outside air from entering.
- Account for Everyone
- Write down the names of all individuals in the room.
- Call your business’s designated emergency contact and report who is present (names and roles: employee, visitor, customer, etc.)
- Stay Informed
- Continue listening to your battery-powered radio or TV for official updates.
- Do not leave the shelter until:
- You are told it is safe, or
- You are instructed to Evacuate or take specific Health-Related Protective Actions.
Prepare at School
Before it’s Time to Shelter-in-Place: Prepare Ahead
- Identify Safe Room(s)
- Select interior rooms, preferably above ground level, with minimal windows or vents.
- Ensure the room(s) have enough space for everyone to sit comfortably. Use multiple rooms if needed to prevent overcrowding.
- Suitable rooms include:
- Classrooms with no windows or sealed windows
- Gymnasiums or meeting rooms without exterior windows
- Utility rooms or large storage closets
- Avoid rooms with mechanical equipment (ventilation blowers, exposed pipes), as these may not be sealed from outdoor air.
- Communication
- Safe rooms should have a hard-wired landline phone, as cell networks may be disrupted during emergencies.
- Ensure a system exists to communicate among all shelter rooms.
- Confirm that school administrators can make public announcements from their shelter location.
- Basements
- Avoid basements, unless the emergency is a tornado.
- In other scenarios, such as flooding or chemical incidents (especially with heavier-than-air gases like chlorine), basements can be hazardous.
- Use the basement for tornado emergencies only, when the threat is high winds that can damage above-ground structures.
- Know Your School’s Emergency Plan
- Review your school’s plan for:
- Family notification procedures
- Evacuation and Shelter-in-Place protocols
- Emergency communication systems
When it is time to Shelter-in-Place:
- Secure the School
- Close the school and activate the emergency plan.
- Follow reverse evacuation procedures to bring students, faculty, and staff indoors.
- Provide for the safety of visitors – ask them to remain in the building.
Authorities issue Shelter-in-Place orders when they want everyone to take immediate action where they are – not to travel.
- Manage Communication
- Provide a designated phone (with the school’s listed number) and staff it to answer parent’s questions.
- If possible, update the school’s voicemail or automated message to explain that:
- The school is closed
- Students and staff are sheltering in place
- Further updates will follow when it is safe
- Allow students with cell phones to call parents or guardians to reassure them they are safe and staying at the school until further notice.
- Secure the Facility
- Close and lock all exterior doors, windows, and other openings to the outside.
- If there is a risk of explosion, close window blinds, curtains, or shades.
- Have staff familiar with the building’s mechanical systems turn off all heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
- Especially disable systems that bring in outside air.
- Gather Emergency Supplies
Ensure each sheltering room has access to:
- Bottled water and non-perishable food
- Battery-powered radio with extra batteries
- First aid supplies
- Flashlights and additional batteries
- Duct tape and heavy plastic sheeting
- Plastic garbage bags
If the emergency involves chemical, biological, or radiological release, use duct tape and plastic sheeting to seal doors, vents, and cracks.
- Account for Everyone
- Bring all students, staff, and visitors into the sheltering rooms. Lock the doors.
- Document the names of everyone present in each room.
- Contact your school’s designated emergency contact to report the names and affiliations (student, staff, visitor) of those sheltering.
Remain in Place Until Given Official Instructions
- Listen for instructions from school officials via the PA system or designated communications.
- Do not leave the sheltering area until an official “all clear” is given or you are instructed to Evacuate or take specific Health-Related Protective Actions.
- When possible, keep a radio or TV on for updates from emergency management officials.
Local authorities may issue additional evacuation instructions for specific high-risk areas.