Discover Circus Emergency Action Plan

1. Emergency Contacts - in case of emergency call 9-1-1

• Local Emergency Services:
  

• Fire & Rescue: Nelson Fire and Rescue Services – 250-352-3103
  
• Police: Nelson Police Department – 250-354-3919
  
• Ambulance: Call 9-1-1 for immediate medical emergencies

• Non-Emergency: 250-352-2112

• Kootenay Lake Hospital Phone: 250-352-3111
  

• Local Emergency Management: Nelson Emergency Operations Centre https://www.nelson.ca/376/Emergency-Safety
  
• Facility/Organization Contacts:

• Executive Director (Jake): (403) 393-1293
• Assistant Executive Director (Jodie): (416) 577-6282
• KCAA Board Chair (Jeff): (250) 857-6488
• Health & Safety Committee:

• Jake Jacobs
• Jodie Edmunds
• Neil Pretty 1(250)509-0605
• Bill Burke
• Louise Bertelsen
  

2. Discover Circus Location & Address:

801 Front Street, Nelson, BC, V1L 4B8

1-866-514-4667

If Emergency Services are required, send a person to street level entrance/parking lot to meet the personnel and show them in.

3. Hospital Information:

Kootenay Lake Hospital

3 View St, Nelson, BC V1L 2V1

 (250) 352-3111

Directions to Kootenay Lake Hospital from Discover Circus:

Head southeast on Cedar St toward Front St/BC-3A N

Turn left onto Vernon St

Keep right to continue on Morgan St

Sharp Right onto Gyro Park Road

Turn Left onto View Street

Kootenay Lake Hospital will be on your Left.

4. Emergency Procedures

• Upon notification of an evacuation (fire or other emergency), instructors or management will alert all staff. Instructors must account for their participants, ensure they have a phone to contact parents/guardians, and lead their group to one of the designated muster points:
• 
          1) If circumstances permit (including weather, hazards, etc), instructors and participants will muster at the assembly point in the parking lot away from emergency vehicle access

2) If the need for shelter is required, instructors and participants will muster at the secondary location inside the NDCC.

Instructors will determine if they need to call parent/guardian for pick up or whether they will be able to regain access to the gym and resume classes.  

Procedures for various scenarios:

• Fire: Evacuate to designated assembly points in the parking lot out of the way of emergency vehicles, if a secondary muster point is needed to shelter indoors, instructors will escort participants to the NDCC to call for parent/guardian pick up; use fire extinguishers if trained, call emergency services 911 for fire.
  
• Medical Emergency:

• Administer first aid following the First Aid Policy and Basic First Aid Training First Aid Policy.docx
• call 9-1-1 if necessary & send someone to meet Emergency Response Services
• notify parent/guardian of minors
• Anytime there is a first aid emergency with someone who is unresponsive and not breathing normally, send someone to bring the nearest AED which is located at the NDCC.
• Complete First Aid Report Form: First Aid Report.docx
• All lead instructors are required to have current Standard First Aid certificates/training.
• In the case of an impact to the spine or head, follow the Concussion Response ProtocolConcussion Response Protocol - DRAFT. 05.10.2025.
• In the case of an injury to an Employee, a WorkSafeBC form (located in the emergency response binder) will need to be filled out and sent to a member of the Health and Safety Committee to be filed and debriefed.

• Evacuation: Follow established exit routes; ensure all participants are accounted for. Lead instructors should bring with them a phone and access to registration platform or Emergency Contacts for participants to be able to call parents for rides home if needed.
  
• Severe Weather: Move indoors or to sheltered areas; monitor weather updatesnelson.ca
  
• Power Outages: call the 24-hour Nelson Hydro Outage Information Line at 1-877-324-9376 (1-877-32-HYDRO). Instructors will assess possibilities of classes continuing. If it’s too dark to safely continue, instructors will bring participants to a centralized location and use the battery powered lights with adjusted programming (such as conditioning, flexibility training or quiet games).

5. Roles and Responsibilities

Assign specific roles to staff members:

• Safety Officer: Conducts safety checks; ensures compliance with safety protocols, is a member of the Health & Safety Committee. Currently AED, ED & Head Rigger.
  
• First Aid Responders: Trained staff to provide immediate medical assistance
  
• Crowd Control Personnel: Secondary Instructor OR as assigned by first aid personnel.

6. Communication Plan

Communication strategy:

• Internal Communication: Use mobile phones to coordinate among staff
  
• External Communication: Utilize social media, Email platforms, Website and Registration Platform for updates to members.
  
• Emergency Alerts: Sign up for Nelson's Emergency Alert System nelson.ca+3nelson.ca+3nelson.ca+3

Call Person #1:  Jake Jacobs ED - (403) 393-1293

Call Person # 2: Jodie Edmunds AED - (416) 577-6282

Call Person #3: Bill Burke Safety Committee - (604) 354-6655

Call Person #4: Vivian Hughan Board Member - (778) 257-5153

7. Training and Drills

Regularly conduct training sessions and drills:

• First Aid and CPR Training: Required for all lead instructors. Assistant Executive Director is in charge of annually ensuring all instructors are up to date.
  
• Fire Drills: Review evacuation procedures at staff training & orientation
  
• Scenario-Based Drills: Simulate emergencies to test response times and effectiveness

• How to emergency lower an aerialist from apparatus using rigging.
• Scissors are located in the class supplies or with first aid supplies under the circumstance that you need to cut an aerialist out of their silks
  

8. Emergency Kits

Prepare and maintain emergency kits:

• First Aid Kits: Fully stocked and easily accessible. Assistant Executive Director is responsible for checking inventory and restocking monthly.

• General First Aid Kit: For minor injuries for cuts and scrapes. Ice packs located in fridge freezer.
• Worksafe L2 First Aid Kit: For major injuries or emergencies.
  

• Grab-and-Go Bags: Include essentials like water, snacks, flashlight, and important documents (Emergency Action Plan, First Aid Policy, Emergency Contacts for Participants -tablet or phone with access to registration platform).
  
• Emergency Supplies: Batteries, flashlights, and portable chargers
  

9. Post-Emergency Procedures

After an emergency:

• Accountability: Ensure all participants and staff are safe. Call parents of minors for early pick up if required.
  
• Debriefing: Safety committee and any involved persons will discuss the incident to identify areas for improvement
  
• Reporting: Document the incident and actions taken