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Click here to view a CAL Center Sound System Specs 2023 document

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CAL Center Etiquette

For the safety and enjoyment of all:

• Food, drink, gum and  candy  are prohibited in the theater.

• Usually photography or recording of any kind may be prohibited during a performance.  Check with an usher or front of house manager, and if they do allow you to take pictures, do not use the flash or the video light.

• To avoid disturbances during the performance, please turn off wireless phones and other electronic devices.

• Please do not put your feet on the seats, or leave your seat while the auditorium lights are off.

• Anyone who arrives late, or leaves the auditorium during the performance, will be seated at the discretion of management.

• Please consider the appropriateness of the bringing small children to the performance.

• The CAL Center Staff and ushers are here to serve you. Please allow us to assist you in making your experience at the CAL Center an enjoyable one. We welcome any suggestions or advice to make your theater experience pleasurable at all levels.

Enjoy the show!

The Communication, Arts and Learning Center

 Emergency Operations Plan

Revised July 12, 2018

The following is the Emergency Operation Plan formulated by the School District of Reedsburg Safety Officer and the CAL Center Staff. Users of the facility should familiarize themselves with this plan so that in the case of an emergency a proper protocol can be followed.

Introduction

The most effective way to deal with emergencies is to plan and prepare in advance those actions which can be taken to minimize loss of life and property. The procedures outlined in this manual are designed to prepare staff to handle a variety of emergency situations which may arise. In the event of an emergency, the safety of our students, staff and audience depend on our response team to:

1.     Know what to do in an emergency.

2.     Know who to contact quickly.

3.     Remain calm and in control of the situation

4.     Follow direction from the proper authorities.

Police/emergency responders can be contacted by dialing 911 with a cell if using the school system press 8 then 911.

 In the auditorium announcements to direct the audience will be made using the in-house sound system. Prior to each performance an announcement will be made to the audience to make them aware of the procedure to follow in the event of an emergency evacuation.

The Emergency Crisis Kit is located in the Usher Supply Cabinet in the Foyer.

If an evacuation of the facility is required the following exit doors can be used.

1.     The emergency exit doors 3 & 4 stage left (East side of building).

2.     The emergency exit doors leading to the Music Hallway -Exit Door 6.

3.      The Stage can be evacuated by using the doors from the stage right into the music hallway and then out Door 6 or through the Scene Shop and then out Door 5 or the Overhead door.

Emergency Contact Numbers

Listed below are contact numbers that may be used in the event of an emergency:

Ambulance                                                                911

Reedsburg Fire Department                                       911 or (608) 524-2371

Reedsburg Police                                                     911 or (608) 524-2376

Sauk County Sheriff                                                    911 or 800-377-1195

Reedsburg Area Medical Center                                (608) 524- 6487

Dr. Roger Rindo - District Administrator                  (608) 524-2016 ext. 2006

Matt Terry - RAHS Principal                                      (608) 768-8928 ext. 1106

Shaun Luther - Buildings and Grounds                  (608) 768-8939 or (608) 963-3725

Brian Pittman - CAL Center Technician              (608) 444-5842 or (608) 415-7524

Bill Klang - CAL Center Manager                        (608) 524-3532 or (608) 415-8532

Dan Meinhardt - District Safety Officer                     (608) 768-8940 ext. 2210 or (608) 347-5035

Medical Emergency

If a visitor becomes ill or is injured an usher or staff member must stay with the person and offer immediate comfort. The House Manager or Head Technician must be notified immediately and they will assess the situation to see if emergency services are required.

The House Manager and Head Technician will have basic First Aid, AED and CPR Training.

The nearest AED is located on the wall outside the gymnasium on the south side of the Commons.

An Emergency Crisis Kit is located in the Usher Storage Cabinet in the Foyer.

If a stricken person requests emergency medical aid, 911 should be called immediately by the House Manager or Head Technician. The emergency personnel should be informed of the nature of the emergency, the address (1100 South Albert Avenue) and the nearest door through which EMTs will be able to gain access to the victim.

After 911 has been called, communication shall be made clearly and calmly to the stricken person and/or his companions that the emergency personnel are in route. While waiting, for the comfort and privacy of the victim and to maintain calm with other patron/guests, all ushers and staff shall remain in their positions unless the House Manager or Head Technician request additional assistance.

After the situation has been concluded an injury report will be filed with the School District by the House Manager or Head Technician.

Bodily Fluids

If a patron becomes ill (vomits) or has a toileting accident the House Management should contact the custodian on duty who will help in the proper clean-up.

Fire

If Fire or Smoke is detected, no matter how minor it may appear to be, the following should be performed at once:

R - Rescue and relocate anyone in immediate danger.

A - Alert others by activating the building fire alarm.

C - Confine the emergency by closing the doors.

E - Evacuate immediately through the nearest exit.

Fire Alarms are located in the Commons, Foyer, House side walls, Stage Right and in the Scene Shop.

All alarms are to be treated as an actual emergency situation and evacuation of the building by all staff and visitors is required. The House Manager or Head Technician may make the following announcement:

In the event of an audible alarm

MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE?    An Emergency Alarm has been activated which requires us to evacuate the building. Please proceed to the nearest exit and evacuate and move away from the building. Individuals requiring assistance should contact house staff to aid them in evacuation.

In the event of a false alarm

MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE? The alarm you have heard has been declared as false. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your cooperation. You may return to your seat.

General Fire Safety Rules

Evacuating Guests with Disabilities: Four of the six in-house exits have stairs. Wheelchair bound or individuals with walkers who are unable to navigate stairs should be assisted to exit through one of the two main entrance ways leading to the Commons. If those exits are not accessible and there is eminent danger and as a last resort it may be necessary to lift/carry those individuals through one of the exits with stairs.

Never pass through a closed door without first checking the door to make sure there is no fire on the opposite side. Test the door and/or doorknob with the back of your hand to make sure it is not hot. If it is hot, DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR!  After passing through a safe door, close the door behind you to stop the spread of smoke and fire.

After evacuation, and if it is safe to do so, the House Manager and/or Head Technician should verify that all of the staff and patrons have left the facility. Once outside the facility, they should then make sure than anyone requiring treatment are being attended to.

Do not return to the building until all clear has been declared by Police/Fire Personnel.

In the event of an actual fire, there will be a great deal of excitement and confusion. The confusion may be compounded by thick smoke and toxic gases. A normally well marked exit route may appear unfamiliar and disorienting. For this reason, it is essential that fire response procedure be practiced.

Severe Weather

Due to the public events that are held in the CAL Center, the decision to cancel a public event due to severe or inclement weather is not taken lightly. This decision will be made in consultation with one or more of the following: House Manager, Director of Buildings and Grounds, RAHS Principal, District Administrator. A plan will be implemented to notify the public of the decision to cancel the event.

Watch

A tornado, severe thunderstorm or winter storm watches mean that conditions are favorable for the development of that particular weather event. These watches are usually generated by the National Weather Service for a specific period of time. In most cases, no specific action is required by staff except to stay alert to weather conditions and updates.

Warning

A tornado or severe Thunderstorm warning means a weather event has been positively identified in or near our location. City Emergency Sirens will sound indicating the need to take shelter.  If a small number of individuals are in the auditorium they should be instructed to leave the facility and take shelter in one of the Music Rooms if available or the restrooms in the Commons Area.

In the event that severe weather occurs during a performance, the House Manager or Head Technician will interrupt the performance and communicate  in a calm and clear manner, the following using the house sound system:

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING FOR REEDSBURG AND THE IMMEDIATE AREA. For your safety we ask that all individuals leave the auditorium through the left side exit doors and the rear exits. Proceed to the Commons and turn right. House staff will direct you to inside classrooms to seek shelter. Anyone on stage should move immediately to the Green Room.

During the announcement ushers should report to their assigned positions and assist patrons who need help moving to the main floor. Patrons should be asked to remain calm and quiet in order to listen to instructions or the announcement that an all clear has been declared and they may return to their seats. Ushers should be available to assist patrons back to their seats.

Found/Lost Child

If a child is FOUND unattended in the facility, the House Manager should be notified immediately. The House Manager will assign an usher or volunteer to stay with the child until the teacher/guardian/parent is located.

If a child is LOST in our facility, the House Manager should be notified immediately. The House Manager will gather a description of the child from the teacher, guardian/parent. All staff will be notified of the situation and description of the missing child. All staff should proceed to their assigned positions and monitor every exit to ensure the child does not exit the building. Available staff not monitoring exits will conduct a thorough search of the facility. If the child is not located the House Manager or Head Technician will call 911 giving local authorities the details of the incident and the description of the missing child. All staff will then follow the instructions of local authorities when they arrive on the scene.

Power Outage

In the event of a power outage during a performance, either the House Manager or Head Technician should take the stage and in a clear and calm manner communicate the following:

 MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE? We are currently experiencing a power outage. Please remain seated and we will do our best to keep you advised of the situation. We apologize for this inconvenience and thank you for your cooperation

 In the event the power outage has been investigated and the local electrical power service has determined it will not be resolved quickly, the House Manager or Head Technician should take the stage and communicate the following:

 MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE?  We have been advised that the power outage will not be resolved quickly. As result the remainder of this performance will be postponed. The ushers will assist you in locating the exits to enable you to  leave the building. We will announce tomorrow via WRDB and on our website information regarding rescheduling or issuing refunds for this show. Again, we apologize for this inconvenience and thank you for your cooperation.

Violent Intruder

In the event that a dangerous intruder is detected by a patron, usher, or volunteer the House Manager or Head Technician should be notified immediately. The Manager or Technician should call 911 immediately. It is critical that emergency responders have immediate and clear communication regarding ant threatening situation. In these situations seconds save lives. The House Manager and/or Head Technician will IMMEDIATELY institute ALICE protocol.

A - ALERT - Using the house sound system, announce the following:

MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE? We have an emergency situation in the building and we need to have all persons leave the premises immediately! Those needing assistance should contact house staff to aid you in leaving the premises.

Ushers must take the lead to remove patrons from the auditorium by the nearest exit away from the danger as fast a possible. Further alerts will be sounded over the house sound system in very clear language, indicating the location of the intruder and the best possible routes for escape. Call 911 immediately communicating the: who, what, where, how information on the shooter.

L- LOCKDOWN -only if evacuation is not safe then choose an area that is able to be barricaded. If no such area is available then escape is the only option. Huddling or hiding in an unsecure area is not an option. Due to the nature of our facility there are only a few possible lockdown areas that might be secured. They are the Green Room, Prop Storage Areas, and possibly the Control Booth.  Obviously these areas would hold a limited number of individuals.

I - INFORM -the CAL Center sound system will be used to communicate the details of the occurrence to EVERYONE in real time using PLAIN LANGUAGE not code words to communicate the location of the intruder. At the same time the House Manager or Head Technician will maintain communication with emergency responders indicating the location of the shooter indicating which door will give them the fastest access to the intruder.

C - COUNTER - as a last resort it is important to distract a shooter’s ability to shoot accurately-while moving quickly toward exits patrons and staff should make noise, throw anything available (purses, programs, shoes) at the shooter to interrupt them and begin to take back control. If at all possible, several patrons/staff might swarm the shooter to end the incident.

E - EVACUATE - run from the danger using any exit point. Ushers must take the lead in directing patrons on the fastest way to leave the auditorium. Patrons and staff should congregate in the auxiliary parking lot near the tennis courts if it is safe to do so and remain there until law enforcement has declared it safe to leave.

ALICE - is not a sequential (A to E) model. It covers five different responses, and evacuation, Evacuation is always preferable when possible. ALICE empowers individuals to take common sense actions critical to their safety.

Once an ALERT has been received the House Manager or the Head Technician will interrupt the performance and turn the House Lights to full on while communicating the following using the house sound system in a calm and clear manner.

MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE?  There is an emergency situation in progress within this building. For your safety please proceed to the nearest exit and immediately evacuate the building. Those needing assistance should contact house staff to aid you in leaving the premises.

Repeat this announcement every 30 seconds until the auditorium has been evacuated.

If it is safe to do so ushers should immediately move to their assigned exit and guide patrons out of the building.

Individuals on stage should evacuate through the North exits immediately.

It may be necessary to ask patrons to assist those around them in evacuating the facility.

The House Manager will supervise and assist with the evacuation of the handicapped.

The House Manger and/or Head Technician will check the Green Room and Scene Shop to ensure that the auditorium is empty as they leave the building.

While no single response fits all situations each individual charged with keeping patrons safe must know his/her options for a response so they will act decisively and save valuable time and perhaps lives.  Patrons are typically in a dark environment which is unfamiliar to them. It is important that staff be available to guide them to someplace safe away from the attacker.  In situations like these it is human nature to be startled, feel fear and anxiety and possibly disbelief denying the possible danger rather than respond. When dealing with the patron’s safety staff must act forcefully, communicate the danger and necessary action. Individuals should help others run away, seek a secure place to barricade and lockdown or work together to disrupt or incapacitate an intruder in order to survive and protect others from harm.

WHEN LAW ENFORCEMENT ARRIVES- Law enforcement’s purpose is to stop the dangerous person/active shoot as soon as possible. Officers will proceed directly to the area in which the person was last seen.

The first officer on the scene will need to know exactly where the intruder is located so he/she can effectively communicate the intruder’s location to other arriving officers. Officers will be armed and may deploy offensive tactics to control the situation..

House staff should remain calm and follow officers’ instruction. Do not have anything in your hands. Raise your hands and arms spread your fingers and keep your hands visible at all times. Avoid making any quick movement toward an officer. Stay quiet and avoid pointing, screaming and/or yelling. Do not stop to ask the officers for help. Proceed out of the facility in the direction from which the officers area entering the premises. If asked by an officer to indicate the number of shooter/s, number and type of weapons held by the shooter and number of potential victims at the location.

The first officer will not stop to attend to victims. Rescue teams will follow the initial officer to treat and remove any injured persons.

Once patrons and staff have reached a safe location they may be held in that area by law enforcement until the situation is under control and all witnesses have been identified and questioned. If at all possible no one should leave until law enforcement authorities have given the all clear to leave.

BOMB THREAT - If a bomb threat is received the House Manger and/or the Head Technician will make the following announcement in a calm and clear manner:

MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE?  We have been notified of an emergency situation inside this building. For your safety proceed to the nearest exit and immediately evacuate the auditorium. Those needing assistance should contact house staff to aid you in leaving the premises.

SUSPICIOUS PACKAGE - If a suspicious package is discovered which causes you to suspect its contents. DO NOT touch the package and notify the House Manager and/or Head Technician immediately who will then call 911. Leave the room, close the door, but do not leave the premises until you have spoken with the emergency response personnel regarding the facts and other significant information. Only the Police and other emergency response personnel will decide if evacuation is necessary. If evacuation is warranted the Head Technician or House Manager will make the following announcement in a calm and clear manner:

MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE?  We have been notified of an emergency situation inside this building. For your safety proceed to the nearest exit and immediately evacuate the auditorium. Those needing assistance should contact house staff to aid you in leaving the premises.

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS - a hazardous material is any substance that has the capability of producing adverse effects on the health and safety of humans or poses a hazard to the environment.  If a hazardous material has been spilled or released in the facility. Notify the House Manager and/or Head Technician immediately. Avoid contact with the substance and leave the area. House Management will evaluate the situation as to how the spill should be handled. All safety measures to be taken to avoid harm though contact with the substance. If an individual has been exposed and harmed by the substance call 911 immediately.

ROBBERY- if a robbery is perpetrated at the ticket or merchandise table. The attendant should do the following:

Stay calm, cooperate with the robber, do only what he/she says and when he/she says it. Follow the robber instruction, remember what is taken. Do not make any fast or jerky motions. Take no aggressive actions. Do not stall or prolong the robber’s stay, and do not attempt to follow or chase the robber.

As soon as it is safe to do so, notify the House Manager or Head Technician who will immediately call 911. Once law enforcement is on the scene all pertinent information should be shared with the officers.

CRISIS COMMUNICATION PLAN - In the event of an emergency situation occurring in our building, in addition to calls to request emergency services a call should be made to the Director of Buildings and Grounds, District Safety Officer and the School District Administrator.  At that point all communications with the media and other pertinent individuals will take place as directed by the School District’s Emergency Action Plan by the Public Information Officer.

Dan Meinhardt- District Safety Officer          (608) 768-8940 ext. 2210 or (608) 347-5035

Dr. Roger Rindo - District Administrator  (608) 524-2016 ext. 2006

Shaun Luther - Buildings and Grounds  (608) 768-8939 or (608) 963-3725

The CAL Center Staff would like to recognize and thank the staff at the Wausau Grand Theater for their help in generating this action plan.