This document outlines an emergency action plan for Hampton Roads Psychological Associates. It includes: - Employee responsibilities before, during, and after an emergency like assisting emergency responders, following evacuation routes, and reporting to designated meeting locations. - Procedures for reporting emergencies including contact information for coordinators and ordering of notification. - Plans for identifying and de-escalating potentially dangerous behavior from patients or other employees. - Protocols for active shooter situations including use of an emergency alarm, locking doors, barricading offices, and how to respond when law enforcement arrives.

1. Hampton Roads Psychological Associates
Emergency Action Plan

2. • The success of this Emergency Action Plan in times of
emergencies hinges on employees knowing the
procedures outlined in this plan and acting upon them in
an appropriate manner
Employee Responsibilities

3. • Before an emergency
• Become familiar with the content of this plan to include who to report
emergencies to, the assigned evacuation routes, and designated
meeting locations
• Actively participate in emergency drills and treat them as if they are
real
• During an emergency
• Assist an Emergency Response Team member if ask
• Listen and wait for direction on how and when to evacuate the facility
from emergency response team members, police, security or fire
personnel, if safe evacuation is not immediately available
• Follow assigned escape route procedures to avoid crowding at exits
• Report immediately to your designated meeting location
• Never go back into the facility to retrieve personal belongings
Employee Responsibilities

4. Emergency Information to Report
• Facility – Hampton Roads
Psychological Associates
• Address – 3101 American
Legion Rd Ste 12
• Major Cross St – Taylor Rd and
Western Branch Blvd, behind
711
• Phone Number – 757-484-0616
• Notify the Emergency
Coordinator : Laura Lanoue
• Notify the Floor Monitors:
• Primary: Greg Griffin
• Secondary: Front office staff
When able, call 911
Order of Notification
Reporting Emergencies

5. Evacuation Route
Office 4 Office 3 Office 2
Office 1
Break Room
Waiting Area
Storage/
office
Admin. Area
Office 5
Hallway
EXIT

6. Once you evacuate the building,
everyone is to meet BEHIND the
building. Call 911 if previously
unable
Do not return for any personal
items
After 2 minutes from the
evacuation, take attendance
Report any missing persons to
Emergency Personnel
Meeting Place
EXIT

7. • Unfortunately, in today’s society this plan is very important.
Working directly with the public in the field of mental
health puts our practice at higher risk. Please pay close
attention to the plans, as well as ways to identify
potentially dangerous behavior. These plans of actions
may save lives, and they are EVERYONES responsibility.
Potential for Violence

8. • While ALL staff, administrative and clinical, should remain alert to cues, violent
behavior may indeed erupt without warning (especially in patients with acute
medical illness). Clinicians should not feel overly confident in his or her ability to
sense impending danger. In one study, psychiatrists were only 60% sensitive and
58% specific in their ability to predict violence overall, and were even less
accurate regarding violence by women. Still, many authorities suggest that the
clinicians and staff “listen to their gut” regarding a potentially dangerous situation
• Patient observation is the first step in predicting potential violence. An angry
patient should be considered potentially violent. Increased motor activity is one of
the most consistent signs of an impending attack. Provocative behavior, an angry
demeanor, pacing, loud speech, tense posture, frequently changing body
position, pounding walls, or throwing things are all signs of impending violence.
• Anyone who is suspected to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol needs to
be immediately reported to management regardless of demeanor
Identifying Potentially Dangerous
Behavior From Our Patients

9. • Remove the angry patient from contact with other patients. If
identified in the waiting room, bring them directly to a
treatment room
• The potentially violent patient requires urgent intervention to
prevent escalation. Often, preferential treatment will defuse
patient anger.
• Make the patient aware that you understand; attempt to
establish communication. Tell the patient that you are going to
get your manager in order to better help the patient
• Notify the manager of the situation, as well as any indications
of violence including potential intoxication, violent history,
verbal or physical threats, and identification or threat of a
weapon
Interventions and De-escalation
Techniques

10. • Decreased productivity
• Inconsistent work patterns
• Lingering depression
• Poor on-the-job relationships
• Safety concerns
• Inability to concentrate
• Poor concentration
• Fascination with weapons
• Poor hygiene and health
• Chronic excuses or blaming
• Evidence of Substance abuse
• Issues requiring increased
supervision
• Evidence of chronic stress in
employee’s personal life
• Poor Attendance
Identifying Potentially Dangerous
Behaviors in Other Employees
Employees who are at risk for workplace violence may
exhibit one or more of the following behaviors:

11. • An Active Shooter is an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill
people in a confined and populated area; in most cases, active shooters use
firearms(s) and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims.
• Active shooter situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly. Typically, the
immediate deployment of law enforcement is required to stop the shooting and
mitigate harm to victims.
• Because active shooter situations are often over within 10 to 15 minutes, before
law enforcement arrives on the scene, individuals must be prepared both mentally
and physically to deal with an active shooter situation.
Profile of an Active Shooter

12. • Front Office Staff
• If you are able, evacuate and
dial 911. Follow evacuation
plan
• Lock Office Door
• Retreat to the back storage
room/manager office
• Lock office door
• Pull the EMINENT DANGER
CORD
• Barricade yourself in office
(move heavy furniture against
the door)
• Dial 911
• Clinical Staff:
• LOCK YOUR DOORS
IMMEDIATLY
• Do Not Open Your Doors to
check on other staff, or release
patients
• If able, barricade yourself in
your office (move heavy
furniture against your door)
• If you are able, break your
windows to escape
• Help anyone who is disabled or
trapped, if you can do so
safely
• If you are trapped, hide
behind heavy furniture to
avoid any shots potentially
coming through the walls
• Call 911
Active Shooter Protocol

13. • The EMINENT Danger Alarm is the RED PULL string cord
located in the storage/managerial office area
• During a situation of EMINENT danger, or POTENTIALLY
EMINENT danger, the cord will be pulled and the alarm will
sound
• Once you hear the alarm, every one must follow the
Active Shooter protocol – Do Not Follow Evacuation Plan
• LOCK YOUR DOORS and Dial 911
• Alert the operator that the EMINENT Danger Alarm has
been activated in the office. Identify the potential for an
active shooter, whether you hear shots or not
EMINENT Danger Alarm

14. • If you are in a EMINENT danger, and are unable to leave
your office, push the panic button located under your
desk
• This button will emit a signal to the interior lobby, flashing a
light and chiming
• The Office Manager, or acting staff member, will be
“THE RESPONDER”
EMINENT Danger Alarm- Hostage Clinician

15. • Once the interior lobby alert is noticed, every clinician will be paged
on their office phone
• If you ARE the hostage, DO NOT PICK UP YOUR PHONE
• An intercom conversation will continue as to not alert your patient.
DO NOT PICK UP YOUR PHONE IF YOU ARE IN DANGER
• The responder will ask “[Clinician] Do you have Mrs. Psych.’s chart?”
• Clinician will respond, “I’m in session right now- I will look when I
break.”
• Responder will apologize
• Responder will call 911 – alert operator of potential hostage situation
• Responder will manually EVACUATE each treatment room, and
waiting room immediately
• The EMINENT DANGER ALARM WILL NOT BE ACTIVATED
EMINENT Danger Alarm- Hostage Clinical
COMMUNICATION CODE

16. • Remain calm, and follow officers’ instructions
• Put down any items in your hands (i.e., bags, jackets)
• Immediately raise hands and spread fingers
• Keep hands visible at all times
• Avoid making quick movements toward officers such as
holding on to them for safety
• Avoid pointing, screaming and/or yelling
• Do not stop to ask officers for help or direction when
evacuating, just proceed in the direction from which
officers are entering the premises
How to React When Law Enforcement
Arrives

17. • All drills will be held after each staff member has received
CLEAR notification of the exact time of the drill and all
staff has clear expectations
• All Emergency Action Plan Drills will be loudly
accompanied by continuous announcements from the
Emergency Coordinator - “This is a Drill!”
• Any alarm activation, or established hostage
communication is NEVER to be treated as a drill if you
• Have not been notified of a drill
• Do not hear continuous “This is a drill” announcements
Drills