Emergency Response Procedures

• Emergency Contacts
• Evacuation Plan for Foothills UU Campus 2024
• Procedure: Active Shooter/Violent Person
• Procedure: Bomb Threat
• Procedure: Fire
• Procedure: Medical Emergency
• Procedure: Non-Violent Disruptive Person
• Procedure: Severe Weather
• Procedure: Suspicious Package

Emergency Contacts

Emergency Contacts  

Definitions 

Trained Person  

Any person working in a paid or unpaid capacity for Foothills Unitarian Church who has successfully completed  Security and Emergencies training. Includes, but is not limited to, ministers, full-time and part-time support staff  members, volunteers, friends, and members of the congregation.  

Applicable Volunteer  

Any person serving in an unpaid capacity for Foothills Unitarian Church, including, but not limited to, adult  leader, child care provider, nursery care provider, teacher, family ministry program volunteer (Children’s Small  Group Leader, Youth Advisor, OWL Leader), worship host, greeter, usher, member of the A/V Team, member of  the Radical Welcoming Team, and member of the Safe Space Team.  

Policies 

Who Must Successfully Complete Security and Emergencies Training  

Any person working in a paid or unpaid capacity for Foothills Unitarian Church shall successfully complete  Security and Emergencies training. Includes, but is not limited to, ministers, full-time and part-time support staff  members, and applicable volunteers.  

Who is in Charge at Each Location of a Security or Emergency Event  

The Trained Person with the highest organizational rank is in charge at each location of a security or emergency  event. They must be (1) physically at the location and (2) able and willing to do the job. They are authorized to  direct all persons at the location to minimize confusion and maximize response. All persons must listen closely  to and comply with their instructions.  

 

Evacuation Plan for Foothills UU Campus 2024

Main Floor - Main Lobby 

2 Exits: 

1. Exit out the Main entrance doors, onto the patio, and then through the East parking lot to the far East part of it to the Garden shed. It is marked as an Emergency meeting spot.
2. Exit out the West Entrance doors and head to the far West end of the West parking lot to the marked Emergency spot.

Main Floor - Unity Hall

2 exits: 

1. Exit the side door in Unity Hall out towards the West parking lot to the meeting area in the far west corner. 
2. Exit Unity Hall’s entrance doors into the main lobby, then exit out the Main entrance doors, onto the patio, and then through the East parking lot to the far East part of it to the Garden shed. It is marked as an Emergency meeting spot.
   

Main Floor - Kitchen

2 Exits: 

1. Exit the service door in the kitchen to the patio, and continue out through the East parking lot to the far East part of it to the Garden shed. It is marked as an Emergency meeting spot. 
2. Exit out the Kitchen into the Main lobby and exit out the Main entrance doors, onto the patio, and then through the East parking lot to the far East part of it to the Garden shed. It is marked as an Emergency meeting spot.

Main Floor - Sanctuary

2 Exits:

1. Exit out the Sanctuary’s entrance doors. Once out of the Sanctuary we direct people to leave through the main entrance doors, through the East parking lot to the far East part of it to the Garden shed. It is marked as an Emergency meeting spot. 
2. OR exit the door backstage on the same side of the room as the Sanctuary entrance doors, take you outside to the West entrance patio, go to the far west side of the West Parking lot to the marked Emergency meeting spot.

Main Floor - Church Offices

Exit the offices through the admin entrance doors out the east parking lot to the garden shed. The other immediate exit is down the admin. Hallway and out the rear of the utility closet. Once outside, head to the far west parking lot.

Downstairs Chalice Wing

To go pack for each classroom for children.

Locks on all playground gates

• Rooms 111,112, 113, 114, 115 & 116: Exit classroom and go to the gate at the far edge of the playground and take them to the meet up area by the garden shed.
• Rooms 117: Exit treat door, go out through the gate and head east to go to the meet up area by the garden shed.
• Basement: Exit main basement door to sidewalk on Drake. Follow the sidewalk west to the meeting area in the West parking lot.

Upstairs Chalice Wing

• Rooms 227 & 226: exit new double patio doors.  Head North to the parking lot and east to the garden shed.
• Rooms 225, 224, 223, 222, 221: Exit old Chalice Wing double doors, head North to the parking lot and east to the garden shed.

Shed needs repair, brightening up - possible fun paint.

Possible location of first side kits and even procedures.

Procedure: Active Shooter/Violent Person

Information  

1. An active shooter is attempting murder. They may use guns, explosive devices, chemical or biological agents.  A. Shooters select a person or a group at random.  

B. The event is unpredictable and changes fast.  

C. You must decide quickly what to do.  

2. When an active shooting starts, you have three choices.  

A. Run (Best Choice)  

B. Hide (Temporary Choice)  

C. Fight (Last Choice)  

Procedure Steps: Run (Best Choice)  

1. All Persons—  

A. DO NOT activate the fire alarm. Other people may leave the building(s) into the path of the shooter. 

B. DO NOT get your personal items.  

C. DO NOT give first aid to or move wounded people.  

D. Immediately leave the shooting scene. Run fast and far. Stay aware of the situation. Think about a good  escape route, out of the building, away from the shooter. Trust your instincts. Don't delay.  

E. Help other UNWOUNDED people escape.  

F. As soon as possible, call 911. Use any operational phone. Give the 911 dispatcher this information. Be as  accurate as possible.  

(1) Location of the active shooter(s).  

(2) Number of shooters.  

(3) Physical description of the shooter(s).  

(4) Number and type of weapons held by the shooter(s).  

(5) Number of potential victims at your location.  

G. Immediately stop people from entering an area where the shooter may be.  

H. Immediately raise your hands and spread your fingers when you find the police and/or other first responders. Listen closely to and obey their commands exactly.   

Procedure Steps: Hide (Temporary Choice)  

Hiding is temporary. When you can safely do it, run, per the procedures in this section. 

1. All Persons—Immediately  

A. Close/lock, and barricade all entry doors.  

B. Close/lock windows and blinds.  

C. Extinguish all lights, including candles.  

D. Move to a corner of the hiding place, far away from doors and windows. The best corner is on the same  wall as the entry door.  

E. Silence all cell phones, including vibrate mode.  

F. Stay out of the shooter’s view.  

G. Stay still and quiet.  

Best Practices: Fight (Last Choice)  

There are no step-by-step procedures, only best practices.  

1. All Persons—  

A. Fight only when your life is in imminent danger. Work as a group with others.  

B. Commit to your actions. Be as physically aggressive as possible.  

C. Try to incapacitate the shooter. Scream, kick, improvise weapons, throw items. Target eyes, shins, and genitals. Do whatever you can.  

Best Practices: When the Police Arrive  

The first police officers to arrive will not help the injured. Other first responders will treat and move the injured.  After you reach a safe area, the police will keep you there until the situation is under control and all witnesses have been identified and questioned. Do not leave the area until the police release you.  

1. All Persons—  

A. Remain calm. Listen closely to and obey their commands exactly.  

B. Drop items in your hands (e.g., bags, jackets).  

C. Raise your hands and spread your fingers. Keep your hands visible at all times.  

D. Avoid quick movements toward officers.  

E. Avoid pointing, screaming or yelling.  

F. Do not ask questions. 

Procedure: Bomb Threat

Information 

The majority of bomb threats are benign. Take all of them seriously. The 911 dispatcher will tell you if you need  to leave the building.  

Procedure Steps: Bomb Threat Received by Handwritten Note  

1. Any Person—  

A. If required, immediately tell a person to find and bring the Event and Operations Manager or lead staff  member onsite.  

B. Immediately make a decision about the threat. If the threat is serious, immediately call 911. If the threat  is NOT serious, immediately call the police. Use any operational phone.  

C. Immediately stop handling the note to preserve any evidence (DNA, fingerprints, Etc.). 

D. Immediately alert other persons in the area. As required, use the church paging system (HOW?).  

Procedure Steps: Bomb Threat Received by Email  

1. Any Person—  

A. If required, immediately tell a person to find and bring the Event and Operations Manager or lead staff  member onsite.  

B. Immediately make a decision about the threat. If the threat is serious, immediately call 911. If the threat  is NOT serious, immediately call the police. Use any operational phone.  

C. Do not delete the message.  

D. Immediately alert other persons in the area. As required, use the church paging system (HOW?).  

Procedure Steps: Bomb Threat Received by Phone Call  

1. Call Receiver—Try to keep the caller on the phone, and ask a lot of questions. Use the checklists below.  
2. Call Receiver—  

A. If required, immediately tell a person to find and bring the Event and Operations Manager or lead staff  member onsite.  

B. Immediately tell a person to call 911. Use any operational phone.  

C. Immediately tell a person to alert other persons in the area. As required, use the church paging system found in the Fire panel in the Office Wing lobby.

3. Call Receiver—Ask the caller these questions. Legibly print the answers on paper.  

4. Call Receiver— Legibly print this information on paper.  

5. Call Receiver—Circle any of these characteristics that apply to the threat caller’s voice:

Female	Male	Accent
Angry	Calm	Clearing Throat
Coughing	Cracking Voice	Crying
Deep Voice	Deep Breathing	Disguised
Distinct	Excited Laughing	Lisp
Loud	Nasal	Stutter
Ragged	Rapid	Raspy
Slow	Slurred	Soft

6. Call Receiver—Circle any of these characteristics that apply to the threat caller’s background sounds. 

Animal Noises	House Noises	Kitchen Noises
Street Noises	Street Noises	Booth PA System
Crowd	Music	Motor
Static	Office Sounds	Factory Sounds
Local Number	Long Distance Number

7. Call Receiver—Circle any of these characteristics that apply to the threat caller’s language. 

Incoherent	Irrational	Profane
Pre-recorded	Well-spoken

 

Procedure: Fire

Emergency Equipment Locations  

Fire Alarm Control Panel | Office Wing Fire Alarm Graphic Map | Office Wing

Typical Evacuation Map Typical Fire Alarm Pull Station 

Typical Cabinet-Mounted Fire Extinguisher Typical Wall-Mounted Fire Extinguisher  

Procedure Steps  

1. Trained Person—If it is immediately available, get the device with PCO installed and take it with you.  

2. All Persons—DO NOT get personal items. Stay together. Immediately leave the building. Use the route  shown on the Evacuation Map (on the back of the door or near the door) in your location.  

A. Sanctuary, Social Hall, and church office, go to and gather at the far edge of a parking lot.  B. Chalice Wing upper rooms, go to and gather at the far edge of the north/east parking lot.  

C. Chalice Wing lower rooms, go to and gather at the far edge of the playground. If you have a key (usually  a support staff member), unlock the playground gates. After the playground gates are unlocked, go to  and gather in the field outside the playground fence.  

3. Trained Person—  

A. If it is safe to do, and it applies to you, close the door(s) to the hall as you leave the building.  B. If it is safe to do, immediately activate the fire alarm.  

C. Immediately call 911. Use any operational cell phone.  

D. After you reach the gathering area, immediately take attendance. If you have it, use the device with PCO  installed.  

 

E. If a missing child cannot be found in 15 minutes, immediately tell the first responders.  

Procedure: Medical Emergency

Emergency Equipment Locations  

Typical First Aid Kit Location | Chalice Wing 

Procedure Steps  

1. Trained Person—If the medical condition and/or injury is severe (example: stopped breathing, heart attack,  stroke, broken bone, heavy bleeding, burns, etc.):  

A. Immediately tell a person to call 911 and to meet and bring the first responders. Use any operational  phone.  

B. Immediately decide:  

(1) What emergency equipment do I need?  

(2) Can the victim be moved?  

(3) To turn the victim on their side if they vomited.  

C. Immediately tell a person to get and bring applicable emergency equipment (example: First Aid Kit, AED,  etc.).  

D. If the victim needs warmth and comfort, immediately tell persons to find and bring appropriate  materials.  

E. As soon as possible, give emergency first aid, including CPR, until first responders arrive. As required, tell  people to help you.  

F. If the victim is under 18 years old, immediately tell a person to find the parents.  

G. If help is needed to calm persons at the scene, immediately tell calm persons to move distressed persons  away from the scene.  

H. If required, immediately tell a person to find and bring the Event and Operations Manager or lead staff  member onsite.  

2. Trained Person—If the medical condition and/or injury is NOT severe:  

A. Immediately tell a person to get and bring applicable emergency equipment (example: First Aid Kit).  B. As soon as possible, give emergency first aid. As required, tell people to help you.  C. If the victim is under 18 years old, immediately tell a person to find the parents.  

D. If help is needed to calm persons at the scene, immediately tell calm persons to move distressed persons  away from the scene.  

E. If required, immediately tell a person to find and bring the Event and Operations Manager or lead staff  member onsite.  

3. Trained Person—As soon as possible, report the medical condition and/or injury on a Foothills Incident  Report. Go to https://foothillsuu.wufoo.com/forms/foothills-incident-report.

Procedure: Non-Violent Disruptive Person

Policies  

Non-Violent Disruptive behavior of a person in the past caused concerns about one or more of these things. 

1. Perceived threats to the safety of any adult or child.  

2. The disruption of church activities.  

3. Diminishment of the appeal of the church to its existing and potential members.  

When any person's physical and/or emotional well-being or freedom to safely express their beliefs or opinions is threatened, Foothills Unitarian Church addresses the source of the threat firmly and promptly. Actions to stop the disruptive person, but are not limited to, expulsion, and civil and criminal law enforcement.  

Procedure Steps  

1. Trained Person—If the Event and Operations Manager and/or support staff are at church, immediately tell  a person to find and bring them.  

2. Trained Person(s)—  

A. If required, immediately stop the church activity until it is safe to restart.  

B. Immediately use “De-escalation Techniques for the Upset Member/Visitor” in this section.  

C. As soon as possible after starting “De-escalation Techniques for the Upset Member/Visitor,” ask the disruptive person to leave.  

D. If the disruptive person does not leave, immediately tell a person to call 911 and to meet and bring the police. Use any operational phone.  

E. If the disruptive person becomes violent, refer to Procedures Active Shooter/Violent Person in this section.  

3. Event and Operations Manager—As soon as possible after the event, report it to the Board of Trustees on a  Foothills Incident Report. Go to https://foothillsuu.wufoo.com/forms/foothills-incident-report.  

4. Event and Operations Manager—If the person is a member, volunteer, or friend, refer to Procedures: Non Violent Disruptive Member, Volunteer, or Friend in this handbook.  

De-Escalation steps for the upset member or visitor:

There are times when members or visitors can escalate disruptive behaviors.  We all struggle with these situations. Some members/visitors lack the skill set to effectively communicate their needs or frustrations and may resort to speaking loudly, cursing, slamming doors, pacing, sometimes barely  taking a breath to pause, and various other disruptive behaviors.  

Techniques you can use to de-escalate upset members/visitors:  

•  Keep your tone of voice, facial expression and body language calm and neutral.  
•  DO NOT tell the member/visitor to calm down (think of how you feel if you think you have a legitimate complaint and someone says this to you).  
•  Listen without interruption and allow the member/visitor to vent. Responding before you have heard what  they have to say may agitate them further.  
•  DO NOT judge or be dismissive of their complaint or concern (NOTE: their concern may be valid even if  communicating it poorly or it is valid to them.)  
•  DO NOT take the communication personally, their frustration/anger is not about you.  
•  DO NOT get emotionally "hooked" or drawn into their agitation. If you feel your muscles tensing and pulse  increasing, slow down your breathing.  
•  You do not have to have an answer for every question or respond to every statement.  
• Respect personal space (it shows respect and keeps you safer). If you must enter their personal space, inform  them you are doing so to avoid frightening them.  
• Use positive or helpful statements: “Please tell me more so I can better understand how to help you.” 

 Helpful statements you can use to de-escalate upset members/visitors: 

•  “You are frustrated (upset/etc.), I can understand why that was so frustrating for you.” 
•  “I can hear how frustrated you are” or “that must be/have been scary.”  
•  “I understand why….” (This does NOT mean you agree, it only means you are empathetic.) 
•  “I want to be able to help.”  
•  “That sounds tough.”  
•  For Phone Calls: “I'm going to do my best to help with this situation. I am asking you to refrain from (or stop)  using profanity (or yelling, etc.).”  

If there is an immediate safety threat, immediately tell a person to call 911. Use any operational phone. 

Procedure: Severe Weather

1. Trained Person—Monitor https://www.larimer.gov/roads/real-time-weather of real-time weather information. If you decide people must find shelter in the church, immediately announce your decision on the church paging system located in the Fire Panel in the Office Wing Lobby. 

2. Trained Person in the Sanctuary, Unity Hall, and church office—  

A. Immediately move persons  

(1) Inside.  

(2) When possible, to church spaces without outside doors and windows, like a hallway or basement. 

(3) If it applies to an interior corner of the space, away from outside doors and windows. 

B. Immediately close doors to hallways and outside windows and blinds.  

C. Keep children calm and quiet.  

3. Trained Person in the Chalice Wing upper rooms—  

A. If it is immediately available, get the device with PCO installed and take it with you. 

B. Immediately move persons  

(1) Inside.  

(2) To the lower rooms in the Chalice Wing.  

(3) To an interior corner of the room, away from outside doors and windows.  

C. Immediately close doors to hallways and outside windows and blinds.  

D. Immediately take attendance. If you have it, use the device with PCO installed.  

E. Keep children calm and quiet.  

4. Trained Person in the Chalice Wing lower rooms—  

A. If it is immediately available, get the device with PCO installed and take it with you. 

B. Immediately move persons  

(1) Inside.  

(2) To an interior corner of the room, away from outside doors and windows.  

C. Immediately close doors to hallways and outside windows and blinds.  

D. Immediately take attendance. If you have it, use the device with PCO installed.  

E. Keep children calm and quiet.  

5. Trained Person—Monitor https://www.larimer.gov/roads/real-time-weather 

 

Procedure: Suspicious Package

Information  

Look for these signs of a suspicious package—a letter or parcel bomb—delivered to the church.  

Procedure Steps: Handle a Suspicious Package  

1. All Persons—If a suspicious package is delivered to the church:  

A. DO NOT open or shake it.  

B. DO NOT carry it or show it to other persons.  

C. DO NOT bring it to the police.  

D. DO NOT sniff, touch, or taste it.  

E. Immediately try to recall which company delivered the package.  

F. Immediately alert other persons in the area. As required, use the church paging system (HOW?). 

G. Immediately leave the building. Close doors as you leave.  

(1) Sanctuary, Social Hall, and church office, go to and gather at the far edge of a parking lot. 

(2) Chalice Wing upper rooms, go to and gather at the far edge of the north/east parking lot.  

(3) Chalice Wing lower rooms, go to and gather at the far edge of the playground. If you have a key  (usually a support staff member), unlock the playground gates. After the playground gates are unlocked, go to and gather in the field outside the playground fence.  

H. Immediately call 911. Use any operational cell phone. 

I. Immediately prevent other persons from entering the building.  

J. As soon as possible, wash your hands with soap and water.  

K. As soon as possible, make a list of persons in the room where the package was received.