Bomb Threat

ALL BOMB THREATS MUST BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY

TELEPHONE BOMB THREAT – Click here to download a Bomb Threat Information Form

1. Be CALM and courteous.
2. If possible, WITHOUT letting the caller know, enlist the aid of fellow employees to notify the Gaithersburg Police Department at 911 and then the Property Management Office at 202-503-1800, and supply the following initial information:
   • Company Name
   • Suite Number/Floor
   • Name and telephone number of employee making the call
3. Obtain as much information as possible; refer to the Bomb Threat Information Form at the end of this section. At a minimum, try to find out:
   • Exact location of the device
   • Time set for the explosion
   • Description of the device
   • Reason the caller has placed the bomb
   • Exact words used by the caller
4. After getting as much key information as possible from the caller, you should provide this information to: FIRST, Gaithersburg Police Department at 911; and SECOND, the Property Management Office at 202-503-1800.
5. REMAIN CALM, DO NOT SCARE FELLOW EMPLOYEES AND WAIT FOR INSTRUCTIONS FROM YOUR MANAGER, FIRE/SAFETY WARDEN OR POLICE OFFICER.
   Once the Property Management Office has been notified of a bomb threat, it is our policy to notify each tenant contact. The decision to vacate is made at the discretion of each individual tenant, except when specifically ordered to do so by the Police.
   In the event that you are asked to evacuate the building: (a) take your most critical personal belongings (such as purses, handbags, wallets, keys, briefcases), lock your own desk and files and exit your suite promptly; (b) do NOT use the elevator; (c) when you emerge from the building, please move away from the entrances to allow access by emergency personnel. All employees should meet with the designated Fire/Safety Warden and/or Assistant Safety Warden.
6. Do NOT re-enter the building until clearance has been given by the Engineer or the Property Manager.

IF YOU DISCOVER A SUSPICIOUS LOOKING PACKAGE OR ENVELOPE

1. DO NOT MOVE OR TOUCH THE QUESTIONABLE PACKAGE OR ENVELOPE.
2. REMAIN CALM.
3. Clear the immediate area where the package or envelope has been discovered.
4. Notify the Gaithersburg Police Department at 911 with the following key information:
   • Company Name
   • Suite Number/Floor and building address
   • Name and telephone number of employee making this call
   • Details of the suspicious looking package or envelope
   • Location of the suspicious looking package or envelope
5. Notify the Property Management Office at (202) 503-1800 with the same information.
6. REMAIN CALM, DO NOT SCARE FELLOW EMPLOYEES, AND WAIT FOR INSTRUCTIONS FROM YOUR MANAGER, FIRE/SAFETY WARDEN, OR POLICE OFFICER.

The Property Management Office will notify your firm’s tenant contact in addition to taking other steps. It is our policy that each tenant make their own decision as to whether it is appropriate to evacuate the office, except when specifically ordered to do so by the Police.

In the event that you are asked to evacuate the building, follow the procedures above.

WHAT NOT TO DO UPON RECEIVING A BOMB THREAT OR DISCOVERING A SUSPICIOUS LOOKING PACKAGE OR ENVELOPE: (from area Bomb Squad)

• DON’T ignore bomb threats.
• DON’T touch suspected explosives.
• DON’T move the object.
• DON’T open the object.
• DON’T place object in water.
• DON’T shake the object.
• DON’T cut wires.
• DON’T pull wires.
• DON’T cut string.
• DON’T pull fuses.
• DON’T stamp out fuses.
• DON’T open glued packages.
• DON’T pass metallic tools near suspected bomb.
• DON’T move switches.
• DON’T release hooks.
• DON’T smoke near suspected bombs.
• DON’T carry bomb outside.
• DON’T carry bombs period.
• DON’T place near heat.
• DON’T place near vital equipment.
• DON’T investigate too closely.
• DON’T use insulating materials (bomb blankets or sandbags).
• DON’T move the bomb away from the people—move the people away from the bomb.
• DON’T get near bomb.

STAY AWAY FROM BOMBS!

Click here to download a Bomb Threat Information Form

Civil Disturbance

Should a riot or civil disturbance start outside the building, notify the Gaithersburg Police Department at 911 and notify the Management Office (202) 503-1800. The Property Management Team will work to secure all entrances to the building. We will keep you advised of the situation.

Elevator Malfunction

Should an elevator malfunction prevent you from reaching the floor you have selected, please follow the following procedures:

1. REMAIN CALM.
2. Do NOT attempt to force the elevator doors.
3. Use the communication intercom located in each cab to communicate with Datawatch Systems at any time, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, including Holidays. When you are IN the elevator cab and facing the doors to exit, the phone button is located under the Floor Selection and Control Panel on the LEFT side, identified by a phone receiver symbol, and is activated by pushing the button. Press and release the button and wait for a Datawatch operator to respond. Please note that it may take a few moments for the connection to be established.
4. Provide the Datawatch operator with the following information:
   • You are in Elevator # ____ (the Cab number is on the RIGHT side above the Floor Selection and Control Panel)
   • You are located at Floor # ____ (the Floor number is shown in the Floor Indicator display above the Floor Selector and Control Panel near the top of the Cab)
   • Your name and company
5. Datawatch will notify the Property Management office during normal hours and during security after hours. The Elevator Maintenance Company will be promptly contacted for an Emergency-Priority dispatch of a mechanic to the Building, regardless of the time of day.
6. Assistance will reach you as rapidly as possible.
7. You can communicate with the Datawatch personnel as frequently and as much as you need to during the time you are temporarily stopped by using the “EMERGENCY” intercom.

Emergency Contacts

• All Emergencies 911
• Building Management Office (202) 503-1800
• After Hours Emergencies (202) 503-1800
• Fire Department (Non-Emergency) (301) 948-0660
• Police Department (Non-Emergency) (301) 258-6400
• Shady Grove Adventist Hospital (240) 826-6000

Important notes

If the audible alarm within the building sounds, please do not call the Management Office, unless you have something specific to report. Building Management is aware of the noise, as well but not immediately aware of the source of the alarm, or whether it’s false or a legitimate emergency. Please keep the telephone lines clear so that Management may to attend to the situation as quickly and efficiently as possible. Treat all alarms as real unless advised that there is no need to evacuate

Evacuation

VITAL EMERGENCY EVACUATION TIPS

ALWAYS

1. Keep CALM
2. Close doors
3. Walk to exit
4. Use stairs, not elevators
5. Stay to the right in stairs going down
6. Do not go back

SAFETY TIPS

1. If there is smoke, keep low to the floor where the air will be cleaner and cooler.
2. Feel doors before opening; if hot, do NOT open.
3. Close doors to contain the fire.

Fire and life safety

• Click here to download a complete copy of the Emergency Procedures Manual
• Click here to download a Fire Warden Info Form

Flooding

In the event of a flood that may cause damage to tenant property or affect the normal operation of the building, designated tenant representatives will be contacted by Building Management personnel, regardless of the time of day.

The first priority is to ensure that no personal injury occurs as the result of a flood. The second priority is to discover the cause and prevent or minimize additional flooding.

Once the flooding has been contained, clean-up operations will be commenced. Tenants will need to contact their insurance carrier for any damage to their property.

Homeland Security

Montgomery Executive Center recommends that each Tenant have an emergency action plan in place to help their employees prepare for and react quickly to a regional emergency, including terrorist attacks. Click on the links below to access a variety of resources that aid in preparing for a regional emergency.

Department of Homeland Security
http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic

Federal Emergency Management Association
http://fema.gov/

American Red Cross
http://www.redcross.org/

Center for Diseases Control and Prevention Emergency Preparedness and Response
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/

Local media outlets will provide important information during an emergency situation.

WTOP Radio – 103.5 FM
http://www.wtop.com

The Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com

NBC4 Channel 4
http://www.nbc4.com/index.html

WJLA Channel 7
http://www.wjla.com

WUSATV Channel 9
http://www.wusatv9.com

Medical Emergency

In the event that someone in your office should have a heart attack or stroke, do the following:

1. Call 911 and tell the emergency operator to send an ambulance to 6 Montgomery Village Avenue, Gaithersburg, MD. Please remember to give the emergency operator your suite number.
2. Notify the Property Management Office at 202-503-1800.

A tenant representative should meet the ambulance crew in the lobby and direct them to a waiting elevator. From there the crew will be taken to the victim’s location.

Power Failure

If the building power supply is interrupted, the emergency generator will activate within a matter of seconds. The generator will provide sufficient electricity to operate the Life Safety Systems, including Fire and Smoke detection systems, limited elevator operation, and all emergency lighting.

You do NOT have to close your business for the day or evacuate the building unless you are instructed to do so by the Property Management Staff through your designated tenant contact or Fire/Safety Warden.

If a power interruption occurs AFTER Business Hours, the Property Management Staff will notify your designated Tenant Contact.

Severe Weather

TORNADOES

Although the occurrence of tornadoes in the Washington Metropolitan Area is rare, it can happen. Please follow the instructions given below:

1. Move away from the perimeter of the building.
2. Close the door to all exterior offices.
3. Go to the center of the building.
4. Sit down and protect your head with your arms.
5. Do not evacuate the building.
6. Do not use the elevators.
7. If you are caught in an outside office, seek protection under a desk, as far away from the glass as possible.
8. REMAIN CALM, and encourage those around you to do the same.
9. Wait for further instructions from the Property Management Office or Emergency Personnel.

Stairs

Stairwells are designed for emergency use and unlock for the purpose of egress in an emergency situation. Please do not prop stairwell fire doors open; doing so defeats a major safety system. Access into the stairwells is always available; however, once inside, exit can only be made on the ground floor, except by limited key card access. There are 2 stairwells serving each floor.

Terrorism

The response to a terrorism event will depend on the nature of the event. We will follow the direction of the authorities and will either evacuate or Shelter-in-Place.

Evacuation – in this situation, we will evacuate floor by floor to minimize congestion in the stairwells and expedite egress from the garage. Employees should be prepared for this option by keeping a comfortable pair of shoes and any other items they may need should they need to evacuate the area on foot.

Shelter-in-Place – in this situation, employees should exit exterior offices (closing window blinds and office doors behind them) and report to the suite’s designated safe area. Employees should be prepared for this option by having an overnight bag with any items they may need to stay in place for an extended period of time. These would include:

1. Change of clothes
2. Pillow, blanket, etc
3. Food
4. Toiletries
5. Medications
6. Flashlight

Please note that in a Shelter-in-Place scenario, the building will be locked down and no one will be permitted to enter the building! Those employees who wish to leave will have to leave on foot – the garage will remain closed for everyone’s safety – through a designated emergency exit.

We strongly recommend that each tenant create an internal Shelter-in-Place program designating safe areas, a communication plan and other contingencies in the event we must stay on site for an extended period of time.

Tests and Inspections

Fire/Life Safety Systems will be tested on a regularly scheduled basis, as required by applicable legal requirements. Tenants will be notified in advance when their participation is required or when building services will be impacted.

Fire alarm drills will be conducted semi-annually between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Tenants will be notified of approximate testing dates and times in advance. All tenants are expected to participate in the fire drills.

Inspections of office spaces for fire code violations will be performed on a random basis. The Engineering staff is available to all tenants with questions on fire code requirements.

Inspection of building fire extinguishers is performed on an annual basis and recharged when needed. Tenants that wish to have their suite fire extinguishers and fire safety systems inspected at the time of the buildings inspection may do so and be billed separately for the service. You will receive advance notification for scheduling this service. Tenants are required to have their own fire extinguishers and fire safety systems checked annually.

Toxic Hazards

If there is a toxic spill or exposure, proceed immediately to an area where you are no longer exposed. Call 911. Provide the building’s address, your floor and phone number, and also what type of spill has occurred. Take appropriate action to contain the hazard; close doors behind you, and always follow all safety procedures when working with toxic materials.