Administrative Policy

Section 4: Response Plans

4.1 PANDEMIC RESPONSE PLAN

Purpose of Plan:

• Prevent and reduce loss of life. Protect staff and patrons from pandemic disease and other critical accidents and disasters.
• Cooperate and coordinate with federal, state and local health agencies.
• Protect essential library services, facilities, equipment, materials, and records.
• Minimize damage to and loss of property.
• Ensure complete return to full library operation as quickly as possible.

Preparedness Planning Team: Excutive Director, all other Directors, Fiscal Officer, and other staff deemed necessary

The Preparedness Planning Team will make decisions during an emergency regarding health protection supplies, communication about the situation with staff and public, curtailment of services and/or closing of libraries, and staffing assignments during the emergency. The team will work closely with the Board of Trustees on policy decisions.

Plan Implementation Topics:

• Hygiene
• Staffing and Services
• Communication
• Recovery

Hygiene:

• A list of good hygiene practices will be posted on all staff bulletin boards.
• Hand sanitizers and tissues will be provided at all public service desks, at public computer reservation stations and all staff work areas.
• Hand washing awareness signs will be posted in all restrooms.
• Staff will be provided with disinfecting wipes and disposable gloves to assist in keeping work areas sanitized. Priorities include door handles, hand rails, telephones, and keyboards.
• Disposable gloves will be provided for employees to use when needed when interacting with patrons or handling materials.
• Staff is encouraged to use good personal infection measures (cover one’s mouth and nose when coughing/sneezing, wash hands often, avoid touching one’s eyes, nose or mouth, etc.)

Staffing and Services:

During an emergency every effort will be made to maintain library services. Due dates, renewals, and overdue policies may be relaxed during this time.

The Planning Team will authorize any needed service changes in consultation with the Board of Trustees, the Ross County Health District, Sheriff’s Office, Chillicothe City Police, or other first responders.

Public meeting room use, public programs, and public use of library equipment may be curtailed or eliminated.

Staff may be re-assigned to a work area in a different area than usual, depending upon available personnel.

All staff will be asked to make sure their emergency contact information is up to date.

Staff that are ill will be encouraged to stay home at least 24 hours after they are free of fever (less than 100 degrees F or 37.8 degrees C) or free of signs of a fever without the use of fever-reducing medications.

The library recognizes that employee absences during a pandemic might be due to personal illness, family illness, community containment measures and quarantines, school closures, and public transportation closures. An employee will use accumulated sick leave or vacation or unpaid leave for such an absence.

Other arrangements will follow applicable personnel policies concerning leave and leave without pay.

The Planning Team will determine any changes in library hours or library closings due to the number of employees off work or public health/emergency official’s directives. Staff may be instructed to stay home.

Essential employees required to be on site in the event of an extended closure will be identified by the Planning Team and training will be provided in necessary tasks.

Communication:

Information from authorities and referral information about the emergency will be widely disseminated via print and online resources. This will include awareness of the issue and proactive, preventative measures (if any) to take.

The Planning Team will alert staff to critical news affecting library services. Up-to-date information will also be provided as it becomes available via email, Intranet, and other means of direct communication.

Changes in service and library hours will be publicized in print and online resources.

Recovery:

Full library services will be restored as conditions permit. Public programs and meeting room use will resume when allowed by the relevant authorities.

If libraries have been closed for the pandemic, infrastructure will be evaluated and cleaning may be necessitated before re-opening.

Staffing needs will be evaluated and a return to full staffing will be instituted as soon as possible, depending on staff health and building conditions.

4.2 CARDIAC EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN (CERT)

The Cardiac Emergency Response Team (CERT) will make decisions during and after an emergency regarding communication, training, drills and policy review. The team will work closely with the Board of Trustees on policy decisions.

The CERT will consist of the Executive Director, Chief Fiscal Officer, Enrichment Director, Human Resource Manager and other staff as deemed necessary.

The HR Manager will act as the Team Coordinator who oversees CPR-AED program activities, training, education, and evaluation.
All CERT members will maintain CPR/AED certification from a nationally recognized organization.

Staff members will be offered CPR & First Aid certification every two years.  All employees will be trained in hands-only CPR every two years.
AEDs are available inside at all CRCPL locations. Each unit is clearly marked and accessible.

• Main:  Staff room, bottom cabinet under coffee pot
• Annex:  Hallway wall mount outside of Room A
• Northside:  Shelving unit by the drive-thru book drop, top shelf
• Frankfort:  Staff room, top cabinet to right of sink
• Kingston:  Front desk, right cabinet
• Bainbridge:  Staff room, top middle cabinet
• Richmond Dale:  Staff room, cabinet above refrigerator
• Mt. Logan:  On wall outside of main office
• South Salem:  On the wall to the right as you enter the cafeteria

The Facilities team is responsible for regular checks and maintenance of each AED in accordance with the AED’s operating manual.

Communication:

The CERT policy will be published on our website in the Administrative Policy Section so the public at large will have access. New hires are provided the policy link and charged with the review of all library policies/procedures. CERT response actions will be published in the Safety Manual available to each employee on the library intranet.

Following a cardiac event, the PIC will complete an Incident Report and forward to Human Resources.

Training & Drills:

CPR certification training will be offered to all staff every other year. Training will be paid by the library and employee’s training hours will be paid.  The CERT members are required to maintain CPR certification. All employees will participate in annual SCA training to include how to respond and where AEDs are located.

Cardiac Emergency Response Drills will be conducted twice a year. A successful Cardiac Emergency Response Drill is defined as full and successful completion of the drill in 5 minutes or less. One drill may include a tabletop exercise with all the staff and CERT members present.

This policy and procedure will be reviewed annually.