The presence of smoke or fire is always considered an emergency. Do not attempt to discover the source of the smoke or fire.

What to do when smoke or fire are in the building:

1. Immediately evacuate yourself and all crew members from the building.

2. Gather your crew a safe distance from the building and verify you have accounted for each person.

3. Call 911.

4. Call the emergency contact person listed on your work order.

5. Call The Verity Partners Group after-hours pager, 314-731-0071, dial #, and follow the verbal prompts.

6. Do NOT attempt to reenter the building for any reason.

The smell of gas in a building is always considered an emergency. Do not attempt to find source of the gas odor.

What to do when you smell gas in a building:

1. Do not turn lights or other devices on or off including garage door openers and alarms.

2. Evacuate your crew to a spot outside and a safe distance away from the building where you do not smell gas. Make sure you've accounted for each crew member.

3. In Missouri: Call the Spire emergency hotline at 1-800-887-4713 or call 911. In Illinois: Call 911.

4. Call the emergency contact person listed on your work order.

5. Call The Verity Partners Group after-hours pager, 314-731-0071, dial #, and follow the verbal prompts.

6. Do NOT attempt to reenter the building for any reason and remain a safe distance away until given the all clear by a Spire employee, the police, fireman, or other first responder.

Additional guidelines can be found at the Spire emergency center.

Evidence that a client's facility has been vandalized, or that burglary has been attempted is always an emergency.

What to do when a building has been vandalized or burglarized:

1. Remain in your vehicle.

2. Do not enter the facility.

3. If the doors are open, do not attempt to close them.

4. Drive to the nearest safe area such as a gas station, police station, or other well lit public place.

5. Call 911 and report the situation.

6. Call the client's designated emergency contact(s) listed on your work order.

7. Call The Verity Partners Group after-hours paging system: 314.731.0071; dial # and follow the verbal prompts.

8. Please remain at the designated safe area until given further directions by emergency personnel or The Verity Partners Group.

Unknown persons in a building, or attempting to gain access to a building is always an emergency.

What to do when unauthorized or unknown people are attempting to get into a building or are in the building:

1. Do not open the door or allow access to any person for any reason. Even if the person is familiar or you have seen them before, do not let them into the building.

2. Get yourself and your crew to a safe area in the building; preferably a room without windows that can be locked from the inside such as an office, storage area, or closet. Turn off the lights and close the blinds.

3. If an unauthorized person is already inside the building, put a heavy object such as a desk, table, or bookshelf against the door.

4. Have one person call 911 and provide the known information.

5. Call the emergency contact person(s) listed on your work order.

6. Call The Verity Partners Group after-hours pager: 314-731-0071, dial # and follow the verbal prompts.

7. Do not leave the safe area in the building until given the all clear by law enforcement.

An active shooter is always an emergency.

The Department of Homeland Security defines an active shooter as an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area, typically through the use of firearms. Victims are typically selected at random, and, most often, law enforcement is required to end an active shooter situation.

What to do when an active shooter is in the area:

1. Do not open the door or allow access to any unknown person for any reason.

2. Confirm that all of your crewmembers are inside and that all exterior doors are locked.

3. Get yourself and your crew to a safe area in the building; preferably a room without windows that can be locked from the inside such as an office, storage area, or closet.

4. Have one person call 9-1-1.

5. Call the emergency contact person(s) listed on your work order.

6. Call The Verity Partners Group emergency pager: 314-731-0071, dial # and follow the verbal prompts.

7. Do not leave the safe area in the building until given the all clear by law enforcement.

What to do when an active shooter is in the building:

The following guidance has been established by The Department of Homeland Security.

1. RUN: If possible, attempt to evacuate the building. Do not gather your cleaning equipment or any personal belongings. Leave these items behind. When exiting, your hands should be fully visible at all times.

2. HIDE: Hide safely and silently in an area out of the shooter's view. If possible, lock and barricade the door with a large object such as a desk or bookshelf. turn off the lights, and close any window shades of blinds. Remain hidden until given the all clear by law enforcement.

3. TAKE ACTION: As a last resort when evacuation or hiding is not possible, attempt to incapacitate the shooter. Act with physical aggression towards the shooter, and throw large objects such as chairs or fire extinguishers at the shooter.

When it is safe to do so, have one person call 9-1-1. The dispatcher may ask for the following information: a) location of the shooter; b) number of shooters; c) physical description of the shooter(s); d) number and type of weapons being used by the shooter(s); and e) number of potential victims.

When law enforcement arrives, remain calm and follow all instructions. Raise hands, and spread fingers, keeping your hands visible to law enforcement at all times. Avoid quick movements as well as pointing, yelling or screaming.

Once you are out of harm's way, please call The Verity Partners Group after-hours paging system at 314-731-0071. Dial the pound sign (#), and follow the verbal prompts.

For more information from the Department of Homeland Security on responding to an active shooter, click here.

Someone in medical distress is always an emergency.

This blog post written by Laura Newcomer for Quill.com provides an excellent guide to preparing and responding to a medical emergency. You can read the entire blog post here.

**Every medical emergency is different, so different protocols may be required for different situations. That said, by definition, most medical emergencies require immediate professional attention. For this reason, the first course of action should be to call 911.

Beyond that, here are some additional guidelines that should apply in the case of most medical emergencies.

• Call 911 It bears repeating: In the case of most medical emergencies, the sooner you call 911, the better. Make sure someone is responsible for dialing 911 before taking any other steps. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

• Take a few deep breaths It may seem counterintuitive to pause (as opposed to flying into action), but taking a few moments to gather yourself will help you think more clearly and act more effectively. Before you start to act, make sure you breathe and center. It may be helpful to count to 10 and/or remind yourself that you are capable of responding to the situation at hand.

• Assess the situation Are there any potential hazards that could be dangerous to the injured party or onlookers? (For example, if a person is having a seizure, check to see if they’re surrounded by hard objects that could cause damage.) If you notice any hazards, do your best to neutralize them. Be extremely cautious about moving the injured person, especially if you think there’s any chance they have a spinal injury. Only move the injured person if not moving them would prove life-threatening.

• Assess the injured person Check to see if they’re alert, coherent, and breathing, and also confirm that you’re able to find their pulse. If they’re breathing and have a pulse, keep them as comfortable as possible and stay with them until emergency professionals arrive.

• Be prepared to administer CPR until professionals arrive If the injured person isn’t breathing and/or you can’t find a pulse, be prepared to begin CPR. This is where the training outlined above becomes critically important.

• Address the most life-threatening issue In some cases, an injured person might present with multiple issues. As much as you’re able, attempt to address the most life-threatening issue first. For example, severe bleeding or stopped breathing is likely a greater priority than a broken bone.

• Assist professionals once they arrive Follow instructions closely and provide as much information as possible so they’re equipped to respond appropriately.

• Notify the injured person’s emergency contacts They’ll want to know what’s going on and will be able to keep the victim company at the hospital or medical center. You should also notify The Verity Partners Group using the after-hours emergency paging system .

• Make a record Once the emergency is over, write down as accurately as possible your memory of the events that transpired. (It might be helpful to collaborate with a few observers.) This will be useful if anyone needs to review what happened. It will also assist in planning for future emergencies.

Before leaving the facility, make sure that all doors and secure and that the alarm has been set. If you are not able to complete the scheduled service, please complete this form and follow the regular procedure for reporting a missed service.

**Newcomer, Laura (2019, February 12) What To Do When There's A Medical Emergency on The Job, Quill.com

A malfunctioning alarm is always an emergency.

If a security alarm is not functioning properly, the subcontractor should attempt to call the alarm company, if this number is available. The alarm company may be able to remotely diagnose the issue and reset the alarm. Normally, the subcontractor will be asked to provide their security code or other identifying information.

If the contact information for the alarm company is not available, please contact the after-hours emergency contacts listed on your work order.

If you are not able to speak to one of the emergency contacts voice to voice, please call The Verity Partners Group after-hours pager by dialing 314-731-0071, hitting the pound key (#), and following the verbal prompts. A staff member from The Verity Partners Group will return your call.

Please DO NOT leave the facility until you have spoken voice to voice to either one of the emergency contact people or a staff member from The Verity Partners Group.

If the alarm is tripped or goes off, please DO NOT leave the facility. Please wait for the responding police department to arrive and identify yourself as the cleaning team. If you need assistance establishing your reason for being at the facility, please contact the Verity Partners Group after-hours paging system at 314-731-0071, dial pound (#), and follow the verbal prompts.

A door that will not lock is always an emergency.

If you are unable to lock the door, please call the emergency contact(s) listed on your work order.

If you are unable to speak to the emergency contact(s) voice to voice, please contact The Verity Partners Group using the after-hours paging system. To access the paging system, call 314-731-0071, dial the pound sign (#), and follow the verbal prompts. A staff member from The Verity Partners Group will return your call.

Please DO NOT leave the building until you have spoken voice to voice to either an emergency contact person from the facility, or a staff member from The Verity Partners Group, and have been given further instructions on how to proceed.