Library Policies
Closing

Weather and Storms

1. The Town Manager’s office makes the decision as to when Town buildings should be opened late or closed early, based on the safety and welfare of the employees and the public.
2. Town Manager’s memo dated April 11, 2001:
   

   When the Town Hall is open, the Library will be open.

   If it is snowing in the evening, you may call the Library Director or Assistant Director. If either are unavailable, the staff member in charge can call the Town Manager. If no one is available, then the Reference person can decide to close early, after checking road conditions with the Highway Department and Police, provided that the Town Hall is closed, and there are no patrons in the Library. A note needs to be posted on the door that the Library is closed due to weather.

   On Saturday when the weather is bad, the Town Manager or Library Director in consultation with the Town Manager, will decide on closing the Library.

   Since the Town Manager has the code for WTIC, he/she will call to announce the Library closing.

   Staff will be called in a timely manner. As a rule, if you are scheduled to work and do not hear that the Library will be closed, you can safely assume that the Library will be open.

Holidays

1. The Library shall adhere to the Town Hall holiday schedule.

Emergency: Fire and Gas Odor

1. Call 911 (or 7080) or pull fire alarm and evacuate the building.
2. The Fire Marshall’s memo on emergency evacuation procedures states:
   

   In the event of a fire or other emergency requiring evacuation:

   1. Activate building fire alarm system utilizing a pull station at one of the exits. One staff member shall go to the Police Department and verify alarm was received.
   2. When the alarm system sounds, the building shall be evacuated in a calm and orderly manner.
   3. Evacuation routes should be directed through the nearest exit:
      Library
      Circulation Department – Main entrance
      Reference area – Rear exit in non-fiction area
      Meeting room – Main exit or Exterior exit door
      Staff area – Rear exit in workroom
      Children’s area – Main entrance
      Community Center
      The Main Entrance is the primary exit. The northwest exit is the secondary exit.
   4. Staff shall ensure that his/her area has been evacuated and that restrooms have been checked.
   5. Once outside the building, all library staff and visitors shall assemble in the parking lot (away from the building). Community Center staff and visitors shall assemble in the Community Center parking area.
   6. Any unaccounted individuals shall be reported to fire officials.
   7. Re-entry into the building shall be made only when the Senior Fire Official determines that it is safe to do so.
   8. Personal items shall not be gathered and removed prior to evacuations.
   9. In the event an alarm is observed being pulled for no reason, i.e., child playing with an alarm box, the alarm may be silenced, but not reset. Notify the Police Department of the situation and request someone respond and reset the alarm. The Fire Department may still respond to investigate and reset the alarm.
   10. If the fire alarm is activated automated and no staff observes an individual accidentally pulling a fire alarm box, Procedures 1 through 8 shall be followed.

3. False fire alarms require that staff evacuate the building and to notify the dispatcher. See Fire Marshall letter dated April 30, 1992.
   

   If the alarm is an apparent malfunction or malicious false alarm, notify the dispatcher of the situation and in turn, the dispatcher will notify the senior fire officer. During this time, the building should still be evacuated. A child might have been seen pulling an alarm box but there might be a reason for his action that no one is aware of. The fire department will investigate the alarm and reset the alarm panel once the problem is identified.

   To silence the alarm, in the key drawer of the Bookkeeper, is a red-tagged key marked ‘fire alarm’ (Key 22). Go to the Fire Alarm Control Panel by the front entry door and use the key to open the panel. Press the ‘alarm silence’ button, which has an orange sticker near it. Lock the panel and return the key to the key drawer.

4. File an incident report with the Library Director.

Medical Emergencies

1. Telephone 911 or 7080 to summon assistance if needed.
2. DO NOT interfere with a person who insists on leaving the building. Appropriate emergency staff is responsible for the assessment and resolution of any situation.
3. Remember hazardous waste procedures on blood and body fluids.
4. File an incident report with the Library Director.

Main door

1. If the main public access door is inoperable, and then the library can not be open to the public. Fire Marshall’s letter dated February 9, 1994 states
   

   It is a requirement of the Connecticut State Fire Code that a place of assembly shall be provided with a main entrance/exit that will accommodate one-half the total occupant load of the occupancy. If the door, in question, is unable to open either mechanically or manually then the library would be without a code complying main entrance/exit.

Alarms (Door, boiler, and other alarms)

1. If an alarm rings, and it can not be turned off, then staff should call for Building Maintenance assistance and evacuate the building until the alarm is turned off.

Emergency Numbers

1. A list of emergency numbers for staff, police, town manager, and building maintenance shall be maintained.