ADL Emergency Closing Policy

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Scope

The purpose of the Emergency Closing Policy of the Allegan District Library is to provide guidance when the Library is closing earlier than scheduled hours for inclement weather or other emergency public safety reasons. Such closures are usually the result of extraordinary weather conditions where community-wide public safety may be at risk.

Section 1. Authority
The Board of Trustees of the Allegan District Library designates the ADL Director as the responsible-party for assessing the severity of weather conditions with the aid of media weather reports, Allegan Public Safety officials, the Michigan State Police, other emergency management officials as necessary, and members of the ADL Board of Trustees to determine when the Library should conduct an emergency weather related closing.

Section 2  Criteria

  • The Director will consider the system-wide safety and well-being of the ADL staff currently at the library, and those scheduled to arrive for their scheduled work time with respect to road conditions or other natural phenomena (e.g. tornado, torrential rain, flood, road closures, snow accumulation, icy road conditions, etc.) to determine a prudent time for either a safe departure from, or travel to the Library.

  • The Director will consider the system-wide safety and well-being of the patron community already at the library, or attempting to arrive at the Library to determine a prudent time for either a safe departure from, or travel to the Library.

  • The Director will determine when the Library may be used as a safe-haven (e.g. tornado) at which time the Library Staff and Patrons already inside the building may remain to seek emergency shelter.

  • The request to close may be initiated by local Law Enforcement or Emergency Management authorities. The request to close by responsible members of these agencies will carry weight in the Director’s decision process.

Section 3 Notification

  • The Director will provide timely notification, and obtain at least one confirmed response from a member of the ADL Board of Trustees for each closure

  • The Director will contact the media as appropriate, the Allegan City and County Departments of Public Safety and inform them that the library is closing prior to regularly-scheduled hours.

  • The Director will have a poster or placard placed in a conspicuous place at the entrance of the Library indicating that the Library is closing because of adverse weather conditions and state when the Library is expected to re-open.

Section 4  Director Designee

  • Prior to the Director initiating extended travel outside of Allegan during scheduled Library hours, an emergency response Director-designee will be appointed. The Director-designee will execute this policy on behalf of the Director.

  • The Director-designee will be the most grade-senior staff member, will to accept the designation. Grade-senior staff members may decline the position without prejudice ore reprisal.  The Director-designee appointment will be communicated to the Board of Trustees prior to the Director leaving on extended travel.

  • When executing this policy, the Director-designee will obtain real-time approval of at least one member of the Board of Trustees by priority (e.g. President Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Trustee) to execute the emergency closure.

Section 5 Emergency Closure Procedure

  • The Library Director will create and maintain an emergency closing procedure for the Library.

Section 6 Emergency Closure Compensation

  • Staff members working at the Library, or those scheduled to work subsequent shifts after an emergency closure-period is announced will be given the opportunity to make up lost hours during the next two weeks at the discretion of the Director.

Section 7 Review and Approval

  • This Policy will be reviewed every two years by the Personnel Committee of the ADL and revised as necessary.

Accepted by the Board of Trustees on January 18, 2010
Biennial Review:   Next Review Date by January 31, 2012

 

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