Daily Archives: February 3, 2007

A shelter in place explained

The other morning a fire broke out at a Chevron oil refinery less than 10 miles from where I live. An hour after the fire started, residents in the neighborhood of the refinery received automated phone calls calling for a shelter in place due to the fumes and smoke in the air.

It made me wonder how many other people would know how to handle a shelter in place if it happened to them or what a shelter in place is. I’ve included a few links at the end of this post with reference to more information.

A shelter in place is an instruction given when there is an emergency where potentially hazardous materials might have been released into the atmosphere. It’s meant to keep you safe while staying where you are, be it indoors, at work or school, or in your car.

When a shelter in place is issued you should select a small (preferably centrally located) interior room with no windows if at all possible.

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