The Great California Shakeout
What can library staff do to ensure that all library patrons with varying levels of abilities can understand directions and information during an emergency or practice emergency procedures?
On October 18th, millions of people in California participated in the “Great California Shakout” where they practiced emergency procedures to be carried out during an earthquake. Before anyone entered the building, our Branch Manager, Joy, informed the first groups of patrons that we would be participating in the Great Shakeout. In the next eighteen minutes, several more patrons entered the building.
Before the library opened, all staff were aware of their roles during the emergency drill. Each staff member was assigned a specific area to survey and direct patrons to evacuate the building as we would in a true emergency. At 10:18 the announcement of the drill began over the intercom system. Once the announcement concluded, staff directed patrons to the nearest exit. Each staff member did a final walk through their area. If a patron did not appear to be ready to exit, we would let them know that, “ This is an emergency drill. Everyone will need to evacuate the building and meet up at the designated area across the parking lot.” One coworker had to gently wake up a patron who was napping in a chair and did not hear the announcement. Another coworker had to show the emergency backpack she was carrying to get a patron who had his headphones on so he would leave the building. Other staff paced through their area giving a quick shout out by saying, “All clear? All patrons need to exit the building.”
Once each staff member cleared their designated area, they were to exit through the emergency exits and meet in the designated meeting area until we were given the directive that we could enter the building again. After a few minutes, it appeared that the library was evacuated and all patrons and staff had successfully made it to the designated meeting area. As we were all given the clear to return into the building, a patron exited the building. He looked very confused and quickly reconnected with his friend who must have just exited the library a minute or so before him.
As we (library staff) began to approach the front door, we all wondered how this patron remained in the building, unaware of the evacuation. As we watched the two men reconnect, we realized that both the men were deaf. All the information that we had provided to the library patrons about our participation in the emergency drill was verbal! These two men did not hear the initial announcement.
As I walked back into the library with Joy and a coworker, we were trying to figure out how this patron was not detected during the evacuation. During a quick debrief, we realized that one of the men was in the restroom and the other was waiting near our accounts desk that is perpendicular the main entrance/exit to the library. As all the patrons were leaving, the man outside the bathroom was quickly directed to followed the other patrons out (leaving his friend in the restroom). As the final staff left the building, they gave a final yell into the restroom. With no verbal response from the patron in the restroom, the staff assumed it was empty and exited the building.
Later in the day, the Branch Manager (Joy), a few coworkers and I spent some time discussing the emergency drill. We were all in “awe” at the situation that had occurred. In all of our planning and hopes to easily evacuate the building, we realized that we had not considered if a patron was unable to hear or understand our instructions. Honestly, the thought hadn’t crossed our minds. We imagined if the situation was a real emergency, and realized that using only verbal cues worked for a large part of our patron population, but not for all of our population. In a true emergency, using verbal cues alone could have been a life or death situation for the individual left inside the building.
In our debrief we raised the question, “If all of our emergency announcements were verbal, how could someone who could not hear understand what to do?” As a group we began to share ideas to learn and add new ways to communicate to library patrons during an emergency procedure. Here are some of the actions we will be implementing and sharing with staff:
As I reflect upon this event, I realized that we unintentionally were not considering patrons that may have a disability that would not allow them to respond to vocal instructions. Since we had not considered a person not being able to hear the emergency procedure, we wondered if there are other patrons with varying abilities that we could better inform and assist in an emergency or practice emergency.
In the larger picture, I feel like this event, worked as a great conversation starter regarding the issues of equity that can exist within our library. As I discussed this event with seven different staff members, in the context of equity in our library, our conversations steered into a bigger ideas about equity and the library. We discussed ideas about the lack of stable wi-fi and how that could affect our patrons. We discussed the digital divide that many of our computer users face and discussed possible classes that could be offered to help frustrated patrons. Overall, I was struck by how one event or incident could open larger ideas about equity in our workplace, especially if time and attention is given to asking questions and reflecting on making our library a great place for all patrons.
On October 18th, millions of people in California participated in the “Great California Shakout” where they practiced emergency procedures to be carried out during an earthquake. Before anyone entered the building, our Branch Manager, Joy, informed the first groups of patrons that we would be participating in the Great Shakeout. In the next eighteen minutes, several more patrons entered the building.
Before the library opened, all staff were aware of their roles during the emergency drill. Each staff member was assigned a specific area to survey and direct patrons to evacuate the building as we would in a true emergency. At 10:18 the announcement of the drill began over the intercom system. Once the announcement concluded, staff directed patrons to the nearest exit. Each staff member did a final walk through their area. If a patron did not appear to be ready to exit, we would let them know that, “ This is an emergency drill. Everyone will need to evacuate the building and meet up at the designated area across the parking lot.” One coworker had to gently wake up a patron who was napping in a chair and did not hear the announcement. Another coworker had to show the emergency backpack she was carrying to get a patron who had his headphones on so he would leave the building. Other staff paced through their area giving a quick shout out by saying, “All clear? All patrons need to exit the building.”
Once each staff member cleared their designated area, they were to exit through the emergency exits and meet in the designated meeting area until we were given the directive that we could enter the building again. After a few minutes, it appeared that the library was evacuated and all patrons and staff had successfully made it to the designated meeting area. As we were all given the clear to return into the building, a patron exited the building. He looked very confused and quickly reconnected with his friend who must have just exited the library a minute or so before him.
As we (library staff) began to approach the front door, we all wondered how this patron remained in the building, unaware of the evacuation. As we watched the two men reconnect, we realized that both the men were deaf. All the information that we had provided to the library patrons about our participation in the emergency drill was verbal! These two men did not hear the initial announcement.
As I walked back into the library with Joy and a coworker, we were trying to figure out how this patron was not detected during the evacuation. During a quick debrief, we realized that one of the men was in the restroom and the other was waiting near our accounts desk that is perpendicular the main entrance/exit to the library. As all the patrons were leaving, the man outside the bathroom was quickly directed to followed the other patrons out (leaving his friend in the restroom). As the final staff left the building, they gave a final yell into the restroom. With no verbal response from the patron in the restroom, the staff assumed it was empty and exited the building.
Later in the day, the Branch Manager (Joy), a few coworkers and I spent some time discussing the emergency drill. We were all in “awe” at the situation that had occurred. In all of our planning and hopes to easily evacuate the building, we realized that we had not considered if a patron was unable to hear or understand our instructions. Honestly, the thought hadn’t crossed our minds. We imagined if the situation was a real emergency, and realized that using only verbal cues worked for a large part of our patron population, but not for all of our population. In a true emergency, using verbal cues alone could have been a life or death situation for the individual left inside the building.
In our debrief we raised the question, “If all of our emergency announcements were verbal, how could someone who could not hear understand what to do?” As a group we began to share ideas to learn and add new ways to communicate to library patrons during an emergency procedure. Here are some of the actions we will be implementing and sharing with staff:
- Share our experience on the staff blog. We will remind staff that as a public building, library patrons are very diverse and have varying levels of abilities and disabilities. During emergency situations, including practice drills, it is important to remember that verbal cues may not be an equitable way for all patrons to understand your message. Staff must physically check all areas (bathroom stalls included) instead of a quick shout-out.
- During an emergency, each staff will carry a first aid backpack. Included in the backpack, staff will have a sign that states, “Emergency Procedure, please exit the library!” One side will be in English and the other side will be in Spanish.
- Staff will wear bright emergency vests to be easily visible during the evacuation process and to be easily identified once we are in the designated meeting zone.
- Before and after announcements are made over the loudspeaker, lights will be flashed to (hopefully) simulate a response from patrons who do not or cannot hear.
As I reflect upon this event, I realized that we unintentionally were not considering patrons that may have a disability that would not allow them to respond to vocal instructions. Since we had not considered a person not being able to hear the emergency procedure, we wondered if there are other patrons with varying abilities that we could better inform and assist in an emergency or practice emergency.
In the larger picture, I feel like this event, worked as a great conversation starter regarding the issues of equity that can exist within our library. As I discussed this event with seven different staff members, in the context of equity in our library, our conversations steered into a bigger ideas about equity and the library. We discussed ideas about the lack of stable wi-fi and how that could affect our patrons. We discussed the digital divide that many of our computer users face and discussed possible classes that could be offered to help frustrated patrons. Overall, I was struck by how one event or incident could open larger ideas about equity in our workplace, especially if time and attention is given to asking questions and reflecting on making our library a great place for all patrons.