Changes in our Emergency procedures that require evacuation:
The usher team response will be similar in each case:
Brief additional information:
Ushers, PLEASE always keep your usher badges on throughout the duration of your service.
Our offering system is very simple. Each usher either sends or receives plates. In the same way, our emergency system is also incredibly simple. If each usher knows exactly what very simple, single task to do, this plan will work perfectly.
Layer 1:
One usher will be at each of the six West Worship Center Doors instructing people which direction to go.
Layer 2:
An additional usher will receive those people at a stairwell or exit door, asking them to walk across that parking lot (fire) or down the stairs (tornado).
Layer 3:
A third usher will be across the parking lot (fires) or at the bottom of a stairwell (tornado), asking people to move far away from the exits to make room for others.
Since the Children's Ministry leaders routinely perform actual emergency exit drills, they will quickly relocate all children in Sunday School rooms and Nurseries to safety. Neither ushers nor parents should head toward the nurseries. Doing so could impede their well planned exit process. Usher need to remind people that all the children have been relocated to a safe location and that everybody else also needs to exit in a neat and orderly fashion now.
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Evacuations that necessitate a building evacuation (fire, damaging earthquakes, etc.) When the fire alarm sounds, everyone must exit the building. The usher team helps make the exit as neat and orderly as possible. |
| If your normally serve as usher: | Your assistance is needed most: |
| Door Ushers: |
Hold the West Worship Center Doors open and direct people to the nearest outer exit door. |
| Sending Plates: | Immediately proceed to those outer exit doors and
SEND people across the inner circle drive and well into the parking
lots. The usher in Aisle 1 becomes a door usher at door 1. |
| Receiving Plates: | Immediately proceed into the closest edge of the
parking lots. As you RECEIVE people from
the building, ask them to keep walking well away from the building to
make room for others who are still exiting and approaching emergency
vehicles. The usher in Aisle 6 becomes a door usher at door 6. |
| Balcony Ushers: | Two ushers, one to the top of each set of atrium stairways. One usher at each set of doors (total four) pointing people to the emergency stairways |
| As soon as everyone is out, please join everyone else outdoors. | |
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SituationS that necessitate The Congregation to relocate to the lower level (Tornados) The parking team, ushers or front desk will notify the TPC team, and they will radio the front stage. When an emergency announcement is made from the pulpit, everyone must proceed to the lower level of the building. The ushers will help make the exit as neat and orderly as possible. |
| If your normally serve as usher: | Your assistance is needed most: |
| Door Ushers: |
Hold the West Worship Center Doors that you normally serve at and direct people to the nearest emergency stairway. |
| Sending Plates: | Immediately proceed to the emergency stairways to
attract people on the main level and SEND them down the stairs. The usher in Aisle 1 becomes a door usher at door 1. |
| Receiving Plates: | Immediately proceed to the bottom of the emergency
stairways. As you RECEIVE people from
upstairs, ask them to move way in to make room for others who are
still making their way down the stairs. The usher in Aisle 6 becomes a door usher at door 6. |
| Balcony Ushers: | Two ushers, one to the top of each set of atrium stairways. One usher at each set of doors (total four) pointing people to the emergency stairways |
| As soon as everyone is out, please join everyone else downstairs: | |
Restoring Worship:
We all hope that every emergency ends up being a false alarm. If / when an "all clear" is issued, the ushers should be the first to reenter the building to help people return to their seats. Every usher should return to their normal places of serving in/around the West Worship Center to help that happen. Once most of the people have been seated, the worship leader will presumably lead the congregation in a short song so the service can resume.
