Hurricane Emergency Procedure - Casino Operations

Hurricane Emergency Procedure - Casino Operations. (a) DEFINITIONS. As used in this regulation. 1. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR/COORDINATOR: The individual in the local area responsible for coordination and leadership in developing civil preparedness and emergency management. 2. EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER: A central location used by command and control agencies or personnel. Usually located in a hardened building to increase protection for personnel. (b) IDENTIFICATION OF AGENCIES AND ABBREVIATIONS. As used in this regulation. 1. BVA - Bill Validator Acceptors. 2. EOC - Emergency Operations Center. 3. MEMA - Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. 4. MGC - Mississippi Gaming Commission. (c) GENERAL. This regulation requires that establishments and cruise vessels utilized for gaming affected by Rule 2.10, Hurricane Preparedness Policy, shall be subject to this regulation. The purpose of this regulation is to describe the requirements casino management shall incorporate into their company emergency plan for use in closing and reopening the casino establishments, or cruise vessels in the event of a hurricane situation. In order to provide the most effective response to hurricane threats, coordination shall be through the MGC. This office will be in close and constant contact with MEMA and local Emergency Management through the Harrison County Emergency Operations Center. In the event of an emergency under this regulation, each casino shall have immediately available to MGC personnel the closure procedures as outlined and approved by this agency to be used as a check list for closure. 1. The response activities presented here are applicable to hurricane threats only and will provide adequate direction for casino management and will affect only the casino establishments and cruise vessels. All land based non-gaming facilities will receive direction from the Emergency Management Director. To expedite action, these directions may be passed through the MGC. (a) The procedures for closure and re-opening will not be identical for each casino due to the various sizes and shapes. Therefore, careful consideration must be made in preparation of each plan (b) The MGC will coordinate with MEMA on each plan to ensure procedures are adequate to ensure compliance with the Mississippi Gaming Control Act and Mississippi Gaming Commission Regulations. 2. The items identified in the following sections are not all inclusive. Each plan will be approved based on the individual casino, its design, layout, and internal controls. 3. Each casino effected by this regulation must develop a detailed time phased casino hurricane emergency operation’s plan with supporting procedures and documents. The detailed plan must be designed to follow the warning and watch system normally used by the National Weather Service and promulgated locally by the County Emergency Management Agency. This tiered system should provide adequate notification for management to initiate a phased preparation for closure. Include the following items: i. Emergency plan review to ensure it is adequate and current. Changes made to the facility must be incorporated. ii. Identify a point of contact with current telephone and facsimile numbers and e- mail address to the MGC. iii. Identify critical personnel who will be working closures. iv. Identify training requirements and schedule for training personnel. v. Review, identify, and update storm tracking responsibilities. vi. Provide steps to procure any emergency supplies needed during closure actions such as bags, plastic wrap, wood, and tape. vii. Develop a short notice closure program containing only the critical actions mandatory for closure and evacuation. viii. Provide procedures and methods for communicating with emergency agencies. 4. Each casino shall be responsible for the following preparedness duties: i. Instruct employees on disaster plans and their actions or roles. ii. Coordinate with supporting companies and agencies to ensure all are aware of individual casino requirements. iii. Secure adequate storage facilities for critical records and equipment. iv. Stock adequate supplies used in the emergency plan. v. Maintain a constant schedule of maintenance and repair of equipment such as emergency generators. 5. Each casino shall be responsible for the following response during an emergency: i. Activate casino emergency operations staff. ii. Initiate time phased casino emergency plan. 6. The Emergency Operation’s Plan shall include the following procedures: i. When TROPICAL STORM WATCH is issued: • Provide casino representative for any meetings necessary with the MGC. • Inform the MGC where accounting back-up tapes will be stored. Preferred storage area is an institutional vault. • Ensure adequate storage space is available for critical items such as accounting records, computers, BVAs, table floats, etc. • Review manpower situation to ensure sufficient personnel are available. • Review requirements for boarding and/or taping windows. • Ensure security and surveillance requirements will be maintained. ii. If TROPICAL STORM WARNING is issued: • Verify actions outlined in TROPICAL STORM WATCH have been completed. • Ensure plans cover power loss. • Continue to monitor the storms progress. iii. If HURRICANE WATCH is issued: • Provide procedures for scaling down operations. • Review drop schedules and predicted storm land fall to request time changes if needed. • Provide procedures for departments to review work schedules to allow employees to leave if possible so they can evacuate. • Maintain contact with the MGC agent assigned in preparation for possible closure order. iv. If HURRICANE WARNING is issued: • Establish procedures to receive closure order from MGC. • Identify procedures for securing gaming cheques located in floats, for accomplishing table box drops, securing cards and dice, securing BVAs in the slot machines, securing monies in change booths, and count rooms. • Identify which entry will be primary entrance and exit during closure. • Identify procedures to ensure surveillance and security will be maintained. • Identify procedures to ensure fire and other safety codes or regulations will be met for as long as possible. • Identify critical records, documents, and accounting backup tapes and removal procedure. • Identify procedures for closing and securing KENO areas. • Identify any other procedures casino management feels necessary to safely close the casino. • Open lines of communication with MGC. • Completely close and evacuate casino as required. (d) Each casino shall be responsible for the following recovery action: 1. Continue response actions as required by the County Emergency Management Agency. 2. Assess damage to establishments, casino vessel and supporting structures. 3. Implement repairs to facilities. 4. Request permission to reopen when safe environment is determined. The decision to reopen will be made by the MGC in conjunction with MEMA and local emergency management agencies. 5. Identify company personnel responsible for accomplishing damage assessment to work with the specialized teams from MEMA or the County Emergency Management Agency. 6. Identify procedures for maintaining power, fire alarms, and safety items. 7. Identify reopening team members. 8. Identify means to ensure surveillance and security coverage will be provided to comply with MGC regulations. 9. Identify procedures to install drop boxes, floats, BVAs, and any other materials placed into storage. 10. Identify procedures to start the slot computer accounting system. 11. Identify distribution procedures for cards and dice. (e) If EOC personnel find that the risk of completing closure requirements will place casino personnel in imminent danger of loss of life, the Executive Director of the MGC or his designee may, at their discretion, override certain closure procedures or order immediate evacuation of the cruise vessel or gaming establishments. (Adopted: 03/21/1996; Amended: 02/23/2006.)