During certain types of emergencies, such as a large-scale fire or industrial accident, authorities may ask you to shelter in place. Shelter in place means staying inside and protecting yourself from the outside air. The purpose is to reduce the movement of air into and out of the building until the hazard passes or other emergency actions can be taken.
If required, authorities will issue a shelter-in-place advisory through emergency notification systems, such as Alertable, as well as social and mainstream media. Typically, these advisories only last a few hours.
select a room to shelter in place
- Select an interior room with the fewest windows or vents, such as a storage room or hallway.
- Avoid rooms with mechanical equipment, such as ventilation blowers or pipes.
- Ensure the room has adequate space for everyone to be able to sit down.
- Avoid overcrowding by selecting several rooms.
- Ideally, select a room with an adjoining bathroom.
If you receive a shelter-in-place advisory
- Go inside immediately and bring your pets
- Close all doors and windows
- Shut down furnace, air conditioner, exhaust fans, and vents
- Close fireplace dampers
- Take your emergency kit*, go into an interior room (ideally, a room without windows), and close the door
- Seal any doors, windows, and vents with plastic sheeting and tape
- Place wet towels at base of door(s)
- Monitor local media — radio, TV, cell phone, social media — for updates
- Remain in the room until emergency officials say it is safe to leave
- If you must travel outside, cover your nose and mouth with a wet towel
*If you live near an industrial area, you are encouraged to have plastic sheets and duct tape in your home emergency kit. This will help you more thoroughly protect you from the outside air if needed.
After a shelter-in-place emergency
Once it is safe to do so, authorities will lift the shelter-in-place advisory. At that time, you can:
- leave the interior room
- open doors and windows to ventilate
- turn on your ventilation system
- open your fireplace dampers and vents
- restock and put away your emergency kit
Stay informed
During an emergency, you will want to ensure you are sourcing information and receiving direction from official sources:
