Emergency Preparedness Planning

BGS Safety & Security is committed to:

1. Providing leadership in the development of facility emergency plans, assisting Building Safety Committees in maintaining and updating these plans regularly, and coordinating responses to all security needs.

2. Serving as the single point of contact for all State Agencies and Departments in the receipt of reports of threats to the safety or security of State personnel and facilities, assessint those threats, determining appropriate protective measures, and coordinating the implementation of protective measures.

3. Creating and communicating a framework to establish and maintain a Building Safety Committee and an Emergency Procedures Plan (EPP) for each State office building. Providing training and guidance in the development of procedures to ensure the completion of training and participation in emergency drills by all State employees assigned to a State office building at least annually.

The following BGS Safety & Security trainings are available to help develop and maintain a building specific Emergency Procedures Plan (EPP).

• Emergency Procedures Awareness - overview of the online training - what is an EPP, why/statue given to BGS Commissioner, authorities we’ve taken our guidance from, who are the ECMs and SWs, expectations of employees, ECMs, SWs, and Security, introduction to the new orange flips charts, and an overview of some of the annexes, specific emphasis on Bomb Threat response, lockdown situations, importance of sharing contact info, and a general understanding of what to expect during an event.

"​I liked how thoughtful and sensitive the trainer was to people who might have incredible anxiety about this stuff... the sensitivity and consideration in the presentation, as well as thoughtfulness in the delivery, helped me feel comfortable enough to sit tight and really take in the information ... the specific real life example stories (some with pictures) were interesting and useful. [The trainer's] confidence and depth of knowledge were evident and reassuring that if I pay attention and learn, I can make the right decisions to keep myself safe." (AHS State Employee, November 2021)

• Active Threat Familiarization - Instructor led classes provide preparation and a plan for individuals and organizations on how to more proactively handle the threat of an aggressive intruder or active shooter event. Whether it is an attack by an individual person or by an international group of professionals intent on conveying a political message through violence, Option based tactics have become the accepted response, versus the traditional “lockdown only” approach.

• Bomb Threat Preparedness & Response - Bomb Threat Preparedness for ECMs is a presentation to help guide ECMs in their assessment and response to a bomb threat at their building.

• Stop the Bleed - Stop the Bleed training is intended to encourage State employees to become trained, equipped, and empowered to help in a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives. This is not available virtually, but can be provided with COVID safety measures in-person. 

• Emergency Coordinating Manager (ECM) and Safety Warden (SW) Training - specific training on roles and responsibilities before, during, and after an emergency.

• EPP Tabletop Exercise - table-based discussion of various issues in response to a hypothetical, simulated emergency.

• CPR/AED Training - Because a $25.00 dollar fee for this course will be back-charged to the employee's department, the department's business office approval is required prior to the training. Please Contact James Dailey, Threat Mitigation & Training Coordinator at 802-522-0554 for more information and scheduling. This training is not available virtually.

• SSIR Training - Training on our Safety & Security Incident Report (SSIR) is available from our Preparedness & Threat Mitigation Chief, James Brigham.  Please contact him to schedule a training for you and your staff 802-760-9738.

• De-Escalation Training - Coming Soon!

To request one of our trainings, please contact James Dailey at James.Dailey@vermont.gov or 802-522-0554.

Once an EPP is complete and training has occurred, we can conduct an Emergency Drill*.

Unannounced drills will not be conducted in BGS owned or leased buildings. Unannounced drills can cause panic and injury. Drills that are announced increase the participants knowledge and skills of how to respond in an emergency without elevating their anxiety or perceived safety. Building occupants should never have to question whether an alarm is real or a drill.

Please visit the new SOV EPP SharePoint site for more information about these trainings and all other emergency preparedness topics.

If you have questions or would like to know more about your facility's Emergency Procedures Plan, contact Crystal Chaveco for more information 802-272-3438.