The Executive Director and/or Senior Vice President of HEC must be contacted when any of the following situations occur. In the absence of the Executive Director, the CEO/President of HEC must be contacted.
a. Incidents of child abuse.
b. Missing or runaway student.
c. Any time that staff levels go below minimum ratios.
d. Staff/student injury requiring hospitalization.
e. Serious physical plant/vehicle damage.
f. Loss of power/heat for fifteen minutes. Contact the Director of Maintenance as well.
g. Staff disciplinary action resulting in suspension.
h. Inquiries from press or media.
POLICY ON CALLING FOR COMMUNITY EMERGENCY SERVICES
In the event of urgent and/or life threatening circumstances (as defined herein):
1) If staff can access an outside telephone line, staff are authorized to call 911 for emergency assistance from fire and rescue or emergency medical services.
2) If staff cannot access an outside telephone line, staff will notify the supervisor or available administrator of the need for community emergency assistance.
If the circumstances or conditions are potentially dangerous, but are not urgent and/or immediately life threatening, staff will notify the supervisor.
If the situation might require police intervention rather than fire and rescue or medical services, staff will notify the supervisor.
The supervisor is authorized to determine further action, such as immediately notifying external authorities (e.g., calling 911, fire or police) or notifying a program director.”
“Urgent and/or life threatening circumstances” – Definition:
• A situation that poses an immediate and unexpected risk to health, life or property, and that requires urgent intervention from community services (e.g., fire and rescue) to prevent further injury, death or serious damage.
• A condition of urgent and immediate need for action and/or assistance by community services.
• An apparent and presenting (not potential) condition that presents a very serious, clear, present injury, damage or danger to persons or property, and that cannot be managed by HEC personnel, Supervisors or Managers..
• A state of crisis that is present and unfolding in the present (rather than potentially or possible), and that presents an unmanageable threat to lives or serious and major damage to property.
Examples of Urgent and /or Life Threatening Circumstances:
• A person has lost consciousness, or cannot breathe, or is losing copious amounts of blood.
• A fire in a building.
• Serious, major storm damage to a building to the extent that lives or well-being is threatened.
Examples of what does NOT constitute Urgent and /or Life Threatening Circumstances:
In these types of situations, the Supervisor should be notified, not community intervention services.
• A student is verbally or even physically threatening, destroying property or is running away.
• A student or staff has physical symptoms that should be checked by a nurse but are not serious or life threatening.
• A situation that might eventually require police intervention.