Boca Raton Police Services Department Communications Center Evacuation Procedure PDF

BOCA RATON POLICE SERVICES DEPARTMENT Standard Operating Procedure 81.10 COMMUNICATIONS CENTER EVACUATION Revised: new II. PURPOSE: The purpose of this standard operating procedure is to provide guidance to Communications Center (Center) employees if the primary Center becomes unsafe to occupy due t...

BOCA RATON POLICE SERVICES DEPARTMENT Standard Operating Procedure 81.10 COMMUNICATIONS CENTER EVACUATION Revised: new II. PURPOSE: The purpose of this standard operating procedure is to provide guidance to Communications Center (Center) employees if the primary Center becomes unsafe to occupy due to fire, hurricane, or other threat, and evacuation becomes necessary. III. PROCEDURE: A. DECISION TO EVACUATE 1. The decision to evacuate shall be made at the discretion of the on-duty Communications Supervisor when an event occurs that threatens the physical safety of the Center employees. 2. The safety of the Center employees will be the primary factor in making this decision. B. EVACUATION PROCEDURE: 1. SUPERVISOR: a. After issuing the order to evacuate, the Public Safety Dispatch Supervisor (PSDS) shall: i. Ensure that the Police Main public safety dispatcher (PSD) notifies the Watch Commander that the Center is being evacuated over the radio. ii. Ensure that the Fire Main PSD notifies the Battalion Chief that the Center is being evacuated over the radio. iii. Log off the phone at the PSDS’ console. iv. Take the portable radio assigned to the PSDS’ console. v. Take the three (3) cellular phones kept at the PSDS’ console. vi. If possible, go to the PSDS’ office and retrieve the key for the department vehicle assigned to the Center. Effective: November 1, 2022 Revised: Communications Center Evacuation SOP No. 81.10 Page 1 of 5 vii. Assess the threat to employees and choose the most appropriate route for all to use. 2. viii. Ensure that all Center employees exit via the emergency route. ix. As soon as safely possible, notify the chain of command. POLICE MAIN CHANNEL: a. The police main PSD shall immediately multi-select the radio console, issue an alert tone, and notify the Watch Commander that we are evacuating the Center. i. “Attention ____ (watch commander call sign): Communications is evacuating the Center due to ___________________(reason). We will be relocating to 2500 NW 1st Ave. We are on portable radios and need units to respond Code 3 for transport. The pick-up location will be ______________ (front of 6500 – rear of 6500 – Congress Ave)” ii. The watch commander shall immediately assign units to respond to the pick-up location with a vehicle(s) equipped to transport Communications employees and the necessary equipment. b. The police main PSD shall: i. Log off the phone at the police main position. ii. Turn on and take the portable radio assigned to police main console. 3. iii. Print a CAD snapshot and retrieve it from the printer. iv. Retrieve one of the carts that contains the card racks and cards. v. Exit via the designated emergency route. FIRE MAIN CHANNEL: a. The fire main PSD shall immediately multi-select the radio console, issue an alert tone, and notify the Battalion Chief that we are evacuating the Center. i. “Attention BAT1: Communications is evacuating the Center due to ___________________(reason). We will be relocating to 2500 NW 1st Ave. We are on portable radios and need units to respond code 3 for transport. The pick-up location will be ______________ (front of 6500 – rear of 6500 – Congress Ave)” Effective: November 1, 2022 Revised: Communications Center Evacuation SOP No. 81.10 Page 2 of 5 ii. The Battalion Chief will immediately assign units to respond to the pick-up location with a vehicle(s) equipped to transport Communications employees and the mandated equipment. b. The fire main channel PSD shall: i. Contact Boynton Beach dispatch (561-732-8116) and notify them that we are evacuating the Center and they will be receiving our 911 calls until we are safely relocated to 2500 NW 1st Ave. ii. Log off the fire console phone iii. Turn on and take the portable radio assigned to fire main console. 4. iv. Grab the cellular phone assigned to the fire main position. v. Retrieve one of carts that contains the card rack and cards. vi. Exit via the designated emergency route. TELETYPE: a. The teletype PSD shall immediately request a statewide Florida Administrative Message (FAM) to terminal mnemonic D37010023 (Florida Department of Law Enforcement) stating: i. “Boca Raton Police Department is evacuating our Communications Center due to _________ (Reason); please re-route messages to FL0500249 (new mnemonic). Authority ___________ (Last name of supervisor ordering evacuation)” b. The Teletype PSD shall: i. Log off the teletype console phone. ii. Turn on and take the portable radio assigned to the teletype console. 5. iii. Retrieve the bags containing the CAD laptops. iv. Exit via the designated emergency route. CALL TAKERS: a. All public safety call takers (PSCTs) or PSD sitting in a backup radio or call taking positions shall log off his/her phones. b. Effective: November 1, 2022 Revised: The PSDs and PSCTs at the backup radio or call taking positions shall then: Communications Center Evacuation SOP No. 81.10 Page 3 of 5 i. Make sure all the other phones at the call taking positions, backup radio positions, and the IDT position in the Center are logged off. This will temporarily force a re-route of the 911 calls to Boynton Beach Police Department Dispatch. ii. Grab the portable radios assigned to two backup radio positions and IDT. 6. iii. Retrieve the cart containing the 911 laptop backpacks. iv. Exit via the designated emergency route. GUIDELINES: a. All employees should attempt to remain together. b. No one should be left behind in the Center. c. Personal belongings or other non-essential items will be abandoned. d. The preferred rendezvous point for transport will be to the rear of 6500 in the parking lot, as far from the building as is safe, while remaining in the parking lot. e. The on-duty Watch Commander and the Battalion Chief shall coordinate a Code 3 response of all units closest to the primary Center to respond for transport to the alternate site. f. Transportation to the alternate site should be done under Police and /or Fire escort, not personally owned vehicles. g. The preferred alternate site will be the warm center at the Municipal Services Complex, 2500 NW 1st Ave Building A 2nd Floor. h. Station set up in the warm center is as follows: i. Police Main – PD1 ii. Fire Main – FD1 iii. Teletype – SS1 iv. One or two call takers shall be at the tables surrounding PD1 and FD1. Additional call takers can be stationed at the Police Department with one of the 911 laptop backpacks and CAD laptop or respond to Boynton Beach Dispatch. The on-duty supervisor shall make the determination based on the circumstances. Effective: November 1, 2022 Revised: Communications Center Evacuation SOP No. 81.10 Page 4 of 5 7. STAND DOWN: a. When the threat has passed, and the primary Center is deemed safe to re-occupy, Center employees shall operate in dual-mode until appropriate relief staff and resources are in place and available to fully provide services from the primary Center. 8. TRAINING: a. All employees will receive training on this procedure annually and it will be documented through roll call training or in the document management system. Effective: November 1, 2022 Revised: Communications Center Evacuation SOP No. 81.10 Page 5 of 5