Shelter-In-Place

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Shelter-In-Place Preparedness

Whether you are at home, work or anywhere else you frequent regularly, there may be situations when it's best to stay where you are and avoid any uncertainty outside. Shelter-In-Place preparedness focuses on protecting you household while remaining safely inside your home or another secure location during an emergency, rather than evacuating or responding on the move.

Unlike a Family Readiness Guide, which covers a wide range of planning topics such as evacuation routes, communication plans, and family-specific needs, Shelter-In-Place preparedness zeroes in on the resources and actions needed to maintain safety, comfort, and functionality within a single location. This type of planning is especially important for emergencies like hazardous material releases, severe storms, or civil disturbances, where leaving your home could expose you to greater danger.

Effective Shelter-In-Place preparedness starts with identifying a safe room or area in your home, preferably one that can be closed off from outside air and hazards. Stocking this space with essential supplies is key – water, non-perishable food, medications, flashlights, batteries, first aid items, hygiene products, and communication devices like a battery-powered radio or fully charged cell phones. It’s also important to include items that support long-term comfort, such as blankets, clothing, and entertainment or comfort items for children and adults.

Practicing and reviewing your Shelter-In-Place plan regularly can help your household respond calmly and efficiently if an actual event occurs. This includes knowing how to seal doors and windows, understanding when to turn off heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to prevent contamination, and having a plan for checking in with family or emergency services. By focusing on these details, Shelter-In-Place preparedness complements your broader Family Readiness Guide and strengthens your overall ability to keep everyone safe during emergencies.

What Shelter-in-Place Means

One of the instructions you may be given in an emergency where hazardous materials may have been released into the atmosphere is to Shelter-In-Place. This is a precaution aimed to keep you safe while remaining indoors. (This is not the same thing as going to a shelter in case of a storm.) Shelter-In-Place means selecting a small, interior room, with no or few windows, and taking refuge there. It does not mean sealing off your entire home or office building. If you are told to Shelter-In-Place, follow the instructions provided in this Fact Sheet .

Why & When You Might Need to Shelter-in-Place

Whether due to an accident or an intentional release, chemical, biological, or radiological contaminants can severely impact the environment. In such an emergency, local officials may instruct you to seek safe shelter or "Shelter-In-Place," broadcasting critical protective instructions on television and radio stations. Because of this, it is vital to keep a TV or radio on for updates, even during the workday. However, because official information can take time to become available, you must use common sense and your own observations to judge immediate danger. If you see large amounts of debris in the air, or if local authorities confirm the air is badly contaminated, you should know what to do if they advise you to Shelter-In-Place.

How to Shelter-in-Place

At Home:

Bring pets inside.
Close and lock all windows and exterior doors.
If you are told there is danger of explosion, close the window shades, blinds, or curtains.
Turn off all fans, heating and air conditioning systems.
Close the fireplace damper.
Get your family disaster supplies kit and make sure the radio is working.
Go to an interior room without windows that's above ground level. In the case of a chemical threat, an above-ground location is preferable because some chemicals are heavier than air, and may seep into basements even if the windows are closed.
Bring your pets with you, and be sure to bring additional food and water supplies for them.
It is ideal to have a hard-wired telephone in the room you select. Call your emergency contact and have the phone available if you need to report a life-threatening condition. Cellular telephone equipment may be overwhelmed or damaged during an emergency.
Use duct tape and plastic sheeting (heavier than food wrap) to seal all cracks around the door and any vents into the room.
Keep listening to your radio or television until you are told all is safe or you are told to evacuate.
Local officials may call for evacuation in specific areas at greatest risk in your community.

At Work:

Close the business.
If there are customers, clients, or visitors in the building, provide for their safety by asking them to stay - not leave. When authorities provide directions to Shelter-In-Place, they want everyone to take those steps now, where they are, and not drive or walk outdoors.
Unless there is an imminent threat, ask employees, customers, clients, and visitors to call their emergency contact to let them know where they are and that they are safe.
Turn on call-forwarding or alternative telephone answering systems or services. If the business has voice mail or an automated attendant, change the recording to indicate that the business is closed, and that staff and visitors are remaining in the building until authorities advise it is safe to leave.
Close and lock all windows, exterior doors, and any other openings to the outside.
If you are told there is danger of explosion, close the window shades, blinds, or curtains.
Have employees familiar with your building's mechanical systems turn off all fans, heating and air conditioning systems. Some systems automatically provide for exchange of inside air with outside air - these systems, in particular, need to be turned off, sealed, or disabled.
Gather essential disaster supplies, such as nonperishable food, bottled water, battery-powered radios, first aid supplies, flashlights, batteries, duct tape, plastic sheeting, and plastic garbage bags.
Select interior room(s) above the ground floor, with the fewest windows or vents. The room(s) should have adequate space for everyone to be able to sit in. Avoid overcrowding by selecting several rooms if necessary. Large storage closets, utility rooms, pantries, copy and conference rooms without exterior windows will work well. Avoid selecting a room with mechanical equipment like ventilation blowers or pipes, because this equipment may not be able to be sealed from the outdoors.
It is ideal to have a hard-wired telephone in the room(s) you select. Call emergency contacts and have the phone available if you need to report a life-threatening condition. Cellular telephone equipment may be overwhelmed or damaged during an emergency.
Use duct tape and plastic sheeting (heavier than food wrap) to seal all cracks around the door(s) and any vents into the room.
Bring everyone into the room(s). Shut and lock the door(s).
Write down the names of everyone in the room, and call your business' designated emergency contact to report who is in the room with you, and their affiliation with your business (employee, visitor, client, customer.)
Keep listening to the radio or television until you are told all is safe or you are told to evacuate. Local officials may call for evacuation in specific areas at greatest risk in your community.

In Your Vehicle: If you are driving a vehicle and hear advice to "Shelter-In-Place" on the radio, take these steps:

If you are very close to home, your office, or a public building, go there immediately and go inside. Follow the Shelter-In-Place recommendations for the place you pick described above.
If you are unable to get to a home or building quickly and safely, then pull over to the side of the road. Stop your vehicle in the safest place possible. If it is sunny outside, it is preferable to stop under a bridge or in a shady spot, to avoid being overheated.
Turn off the engine. Close windows and vents.
If possible, seal the heating/air conditioning vents with duct tape.
Listen to the radio regularly for updated advice and instructions.
Stay where you are until you are told it is safe to get back on the road. Be aware that some roads may be closed or traffic detoured. Follow the directions of law enforcement officials.

Emergency-Specific Considerations:

Chemical

A chemical emergency can happen anywhere harmful materials are manufactured, stored, or shipped including chemical plants, highways, railways, and storage containers at local swimming pools. Examples of chemical emergencies could include chlorine, mustard gas, ricin, sarin gas or arsenic.
In the case of a chemical emergency, an above-ground Shelter-In-Place is better because some chemicals are heavier than air and may seep into basements even if the windows are closed.
If your eyes are watering, your skin is stinging and you are having trouble breathing, you may have been exposed to a chemical. If possible, take a shower with warm water and soap, change your clothes and put what you were wearing in a plastic bag.
Any clothing that needs to be pulled over the head should be cut off instead.
After a chemical emergency, open all doors and windows, turn on your heater or air conditioner to ventilate the house and go outside.

Biological

A biological emergency involves the release of germs or other substances that can make you sick. Examples of biological emergencies could include smallpox, salmonella or anthrax.
Many biological agents must be breathed in or eaten while others can enter through a cut on the skin. Some, like smallpox, can be spread from person to person while others, such as anthrax, cannot.
If you think you have been exposed to smallpox, stay away from others and call your county Health Department, your local doctor or health clinic immediately.
If you see a package or envelope that you believe may contain anthrax, do not open it. Leave the area, close any doors and take actions to prevent others from entering the area. Immediately wash your hands with soap and water. Call 911 or local law enforcement for additional instructions.

Radiological

In a radiological emergency, you may be told to Shelter-In-Place or leave the area. Examples of radiological emergencies could include bombs that contain radioactive materials (called a "dirty bomb"), and explosion at a nuclear plant or of a small nuclear device.
In the case of a radiological emergency, the safest place is a centrally-located room or basement.
If you think you have been exposed to radiation, take a shower with warm water and soap, change your clothes and put what you were wearing in a plastic bag. Pets should also be brought inside and washed with warm water and soap.
Only take Potassium Iodide (KI) if local officials tell you to do so. KI only protects the thyroid gland and does not protect from any other radiation exposure. It should only be taken in an emergency that involves the release of radioactive iodine, such as an accident at a nuclear power plant or the explosion of a nuclear bomb. A "dirty bomb" most likely will not contain radioactive iodine.

Things to Keep in Mind During Shelter-In-Place:

Most likely you will only need to Shelter-In-Place for a few hours, not days or weeks.
Choose a room with a hard-wired telephone in addition to any cellular phones you may have. Cellular telephone equipment may be overwhelmed or damaged during an emergency.
Gather essential disaster supplies ahead of time including canned food, a hand-operated can opener, bottled water, battery-powered radios, a first aid kit, flashlights, batteries, duct tape, plastic sheeting and plastic garbage bags. Remember not to drink water from the tap as it may make you sick.
Make sure all necessary medicine is convenient. Ask your doctor about storing prescription drugs such as heart and high blood pressure medication, insulin and others.
If your children are at school, they will be sheltered there. Unless you are told to do so, do not try to get the school to bring your children home. Taking them from the school will put them, and you, at increased risk.

Things to Keep in Mind for Those with Special Needs:

Make sure you have all the supplies that a baby or child will need. Remember to include formula, diapers, bottles, medication and diaper rash ointment.
Seniors and people with disabilities should include extra eyeglasses, hearing aid and/or wheelchair batteries, oxygen tanks, or other special equipment in their disaster kits. Also include a list of style and serial numbers of medical devices such as pacemakers. Make sure that others know how to operate equipment such as wheelchairs.
People with disabilities should create a support network to help them in an emergency. Make sure someone knows where your disaster supplies are and can get into your house or apartment in an emergency.

Other Reasons to Shelter-In-Place:

Active Shooter
Earthquake
Flood/Flash Flooding
Hurricane or High Winds
Pandemic
Thunderstorm
Tornado
Winter Storm

Regardless of the reason to Shelter-In-Place, you should be prepared and know what to do. Click here for more information.

Local officials on the scene are the best source of information for your particular situation. Following their instructions during and after emergencies regarding sheltering, food, water, and clean up methods is your safest choice.

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