First Things First -- Establish Emergency Guidelines

Be Prepared BEFORE you go onsite. Take precautions and set up a crisis management plan well in advance of going onsite. Establish a lead person and a calling tree for staff, leadership, facility and vendors. Vendors -- Decorator, A/V and Security in particular -- are important as they know the facility and the back of the house well.

If an event occurs while on-site at the meeting, implement your course of action. When you have been made aware of an emergency, it is important to remain calm. Meet at the pre-determined crisis meeting location and perform a roll call. Begin implementing crisis management team assigments.

All emergency calls should be directed to Security within the facility -- the extension was given to you during your Pre-Con. Be calm and be brief; identify yourself and your location. Do not contact the media. Identify one single point-of-contact to handle the media.

If a medical emergency, do NOT administer First Aid techniques you are not trained in and do not move the person and do not give them anything to drink. Report the emergency immeidately, along with location -- be prepared to answer questions as to the condition of the injured.

Power Outages ARE DANGEROUS: Do not attempt to proceed if you are not sure of your path or obstackles in front of you. Most likely, the facility is equipped with an emergency generator that is designed to star within seconds after a power failure. Take stairs -- generators generally cannot power elevators.

Social Disturbances (people arguing to many angry protesters in our out of the facility): Do not loiter. Leave the area immediately. Alert hotel or convention center security immediately. Do not attempt to enter into, defend a position, or subdue anyone involved in a disturbance.

In the event of a Hurricane:
Evacuate only if you are directed by local authorities and follow their instructions. If unable to evacuate, stay indoors and away from glass windows and doors. Close all interior doors and curtains and blinds. Do not be fooled if there is a lull; it could be the eye of the storm - winds will pick up again. Take refuge in a small interior room, closet, or hallway on the lowest level and lie on the floor under a table or other sturdy object.

In the event of a Tornado:
Go to lowest building level -- use the stairs. Stay aways from corners, windows, doors and outside walls. Put as many walls between you and the outside.