Emergency Plan

Approved by Session July 2025

• Familiarize yourself with emergency signage posted around campus, as well as alarms, fire extinguishers, first aid kits, and other emergency equipment.

• Always be aware of possible exits for emergency evacuation.

• Familiarize yourself with the schedule of classes and events, including their times and locations. 

• Make sure egress paths, corridors, and exits are clear and in good working order. An intentional walk-through will be completed by the sextons on a weekly basis, but all should keep an eye out for this.

  • Report any potential problems with exit routes or other hazardous conditions to the facilities staff immediately.

• Always be aware of possible exit routes. Most areas of the campus have at least two independent exits.

• In the event of a fire, trigger the fire alarm from any nearby pull station and call 911.

• When an alarm sounds, evacuate immediately (don’t try to figure out if it’s “real” first).

  • If the alarm isn’t sounding in a particular area, that area does not need to evacuate. (A fire alarm in the main building will not cause an alarm in the Carriage House or 1710 but may cause the alarm control panels in those buildings to indicate trouble.)

  • Help those who need assistance evacuating.

  • When leaving an area, close the door and turn off the lights. Always close doors behind you.

  • Do not attempt to use elevators (they won’t work normally anyway).  An evacuation chair for Fellowship Hall is available in the stairway at the northeast corner of Fellowship Hall.

  • Parents should evacuate and meet their children at the meeting place rather than going to the nursery or their child’s classroom.

• Meet at 18th & Spruce Streets. 

• Children’s leaders will double-check that they have everyone.

• If appropriate, parents can check-out their kids with the teacher from the meeting place at 18th and Spruce.

• Tenth Preschool (during the week) only may have an alternate location on Delancey Street.

• Facilities Staff: responsible for directing emergency personnel to the location of the emergency and to one of the alarm panels.  Also responsible for resetting the alarm after the building is fully evacuated, AND the emergency condition ends, AND the fire department gives the all-clear.

  • DO NOT silence or reset the alarm until the fire department gives the all-clear.

• Leaders speaking to groups (for example, pastor on the platform, adult class teacher, etc.): Instruct the congregation/audience to proceed to the nearest safe exit, evacuate the building, and proceed towards 18th and Spruce Streets.  Announce that parents should not go to classrooms for their children.

• Head Usher: Encourage and assist, as necessary, all officers and others serving in their roles listed here.

• Ushers: open all narthex doors, both to sanctuary and outside.  Move oak boxes and other obstructions.  Once the path is clear, guide the congregation along the way toward the meeting place.  Block traffic at the corner of 17th and Spruce if necessary. 

• Security Volunteers: sweep Reception Hall, adjacent bathrooms, and nursery. Advise individuals to proceed to the nearest safe exit, evacuate the building, and proceed towards 18th and Spruce Streets.  Ensure fire doors are closed. Security volunteers should also sweep other bathrooms and enclosed spaces to ensure that no one remains in the building.

• Diaconate: responsible for the evacuation of people and directing to the designated meeting locations.

• Children’s Workers: evacuate their class upon hearing the alarm in their area. 

• Elders and remaining deacons: shepherd the congregation toward the meeting place at 18th and Spruce Streets. Don’t just stop in front of the church.     

All groups meet at 18th & Spruce Streets.  Use any available exit and try to take a route avoiding the incident and first responders.  Maps with exit paths are posted in each classroom.

If an individual is lost, contact the head usher or a staff member with the person’s last known location. The head usher or staff should notify emergency personnel. Do not go back into the buildings to search on your own.

Run, Hide, Fight

• If you can safely escape, Run.

  • Meet at 18th & Spruce streets.

• If you can’t escape, Hide

  • Get into a room and lock or secure/barricade the door. Turn off the lights, hide under chairs and desks if possible. Be quiet and encourage others around you to remain quiet.

  • If it is feasible to hide in the children’s ministry areas, check that area entrances are secure.

• As a last resort, Fight

  • Do this only when your life is in imminent danger and the shooter is close at hand. Attempt to incapacitate them. Do not put others at risk.

• In all active shooter situations:

  • Start a lockdown: text “lockdown” to 215.735.7688 or use the Tenth app.  This will also notify other volunteers, notify the police, and will cause doors to automatically close and lock.

  • Call 911 when it is safe to do so.

    • If possible, provide the operator with location of shooter(s), number of shooter(s), physical description of shooter(s), number and type of weapon(s), number of potential victims.

  • When the police arrive:

    • Law enforcement’s goal is to locate, contain, and stop the shooter.

    • Put down any items in your hands, keep hands visible, avoid quick actions such as pointing or screaming, remain inside the secure area until instructed to leave by law enforcement.

Assess the seriousness of any medical event. If in doubt, CALL 911 

• Serious Medical Emergency:

  • If someone has lost consciousness, stopped breathing, is unresponsive, is seriously bleeding, has some other traumatic injury, or has signs of heart attack or stroke (see below), CALL 911

  • After calling 911, seek help from available medical professional and/or administer first aid, if you are trained and able

  • Signs of heart attack:

    • Chest pain/tightness

    • Discomfort may spread to shoulder, arm, back, neck, jaw, teeth, or sometimes upper belly

    • Shortness of breath

    • Cold sweat, nausea, or lightheadedness/dizziness

  • Signs of stroke:

    • Face drooping/numb, typically on one side (ask person to smile)

    • Arm weakness, typically on one side (ask person to raise both arms)

    • Speech difficulty

• Minor Medical Event:

  • A minor medical event is one that is not serious and does not require professional medical assistance (e.g., minor cuts, burns, bruises, injuries, etc.)

  • Provide first aid supplies, as appropriate (bandages, antiseptic solution/towelette, antibiotic ointment, ice packs, etc.)

  • Administer first aid if you are trained and able.

• For all “Serious Medical Emergencies” and any substantive “Minor Medical Events” (e.g., someone falls but appears to be OK), complete an incident report when you are able (within 12 hours of the medical event).