Facilities Guidance

Facilities Guidance
   In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infection in the school, facilities operations will be geared toward meeting social distancing requirements and cleaning frequently touched spaces regularly. In carrying out projects or tasks supporting infection control, requirements will be met for changes associated with building spaces. Plans for changes or additions to facilities will be submitted to comply with the requirements of the 2020 New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code (BC) and the State Energy Conservation Code. 

   The function, position and operation of stairs and corridor doors, which have closers with automatic hold opens (and are automatically released by the fire alarm system), will remain unchanged.
The school plans to meet the deadline for submission of Building Condition Survey or Occupational Safety Inspections on time.
Upon reopening, the school plans to increase ventilation, to the greatest extent possible. Water systems will be flushed in buildings that have been unoccupied.

   The school will revisit Emergency Response Plans, protocols, and procedures and make modifications in light of COVID-19.   

• Fire Code Compliance: The construction, alteration, relocation, enlargement, replacement, repair, equipment, use and occupancy, location, maintenance, removal, and demolition of every building or structure, and every appurtenance connected or attached to any building or structure, must comply with the requirements of the 2020 New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code (BC), except as specified in 19 NYCRR 1221.2(d). Such activity may require building permits and review by local municipalities and/or code enforcement officials to ensure such compliance.  Schools should consult their local authority that has jurisdiction for code enforcement. Changes or additions to facilities may require review by local municipalities and/or code enforcement officials to ensure such compliance.  
• Doorways: Many stair and corridor doors have closers with automatic hold opens. These doors are normally held in the open position and are automatically released by the fire alarm system. The function, position, and operation of those doors must remain unchanged. Fortunately, they need not be touched during normal use.

• Time Management: School leaders should manage time and schedules to reduce student use of the corridors. The traditional practice of changing classes between periods results in congested hallways and may make social distance challenging. 
• Leave Doors Open: To reduce the spread of the virus from touching door levers and knobs, doors may be fixed in the open position. This is only permitted at doors without door closers and doors which are not fire rated.
• Plastic Separators: The use of light-transmitting plastics is recommended in locations where social distance or mask requirements cannot be complied with or easily regulated (e.g., to separate individual lavatory sinks from each other). Light-transmitting plastics must comply with Building Code Section 2606.
• Alcohol-Based Hand Rub Dispensers: Religious and independent schools should assess each building’s capacity to provide adequate hand washing facilities and determine if the use of alcohol-based hand rub dispensers is required. Alcohol-based Hand-Rub Dispensers are permitted to be installed in rooms and corridors in limited quantities in accordance with the 2020 Fire Code of New York State (FCNYS) Section 5705.5.
• Dividers at Doors and Other Points of Congregation: It may be advisable to use dividers at queue lines and other areas subject to overcrowding to control the groups. Consult your local municipality and/or code enforcement officials. Their review is necessary, because improperly placed dividers could obstruct escape during an emergency.

• Work with engineers to establish proper filtration requirements (e.g., filters that your HVAC system can handle).
• Alterations to the configuration of existing classrooms or spaces or the introduction of temporary and/or movable partitions, the change must be submitted to the local municipality and/or code enforcement officials for review.
• Tents, both temporary and permanent are regulated by code and must be submitted for a building permit.
• Minimum number of toilet fixtures that must be available for use in a building is established in the building code.
• Drinking Water Facilities: Schools may wish to reduce the number of drinking fountains available, in order to facilitate frequent cleaning. However, drinking fountains are a code required plumbing fixture. One fountain is required for each one hundred occupants.
• Maintain adequate, Code required ventilation (natural or mechanical) as designed.
• If other air cleaning equipment (e.g. new technology) is proposed, submit to OFP for review and approval. 

• Tents, both temporary and permanent are regulated by code and must be submitted for a building permit.
• Temporary structures and tents are those erected for 180 days or less. The Building Code Section 3103.1 indicates, “tents and membrane structures erected for a period of less than 180 days shall comply with the Fire Code of NYS”.
• The Fire Code (FC) Chapter 31 contains extensive requirements for Tents and Other Membrane Structures. FC Section 3103.2 indicates that a permit and approval of temporary tents is required. FC Section 3103 contains requirements for temporary tents and Section 3104 has requirements for permanent tents. They include requirements for construction documents, access roads, location, seating plans, means of egress, illumination, exit signs, construction, use.

• Regardless of the modification used when conducting a drill, students will be instructed that if it was an actual emergency that required evacuation or lockdown, the most imminent concern is to get to safety; maintaining social distancing in an actual emergency that requires evacuation or lockdown may not be possible and should not be the first priority.

• Drills will be conducted on a “staggered” schedule, where classrooms evacuate separately rather than all at once, and appropriate distance is kept between students to the evacuation site. Staggering by classroom minimizes contact of students in hallways, stairwells, and at the evacuation site. If conducting drills using a modified procedure, it is required that the drill be conducted with all students in the school building on that school day, it may be necessary to do so during a class period that is extended for this purpose.

• The first few drills will be conducted to see if lines and/exits will need to change based on the current social distancing guidelines in place.  

• Students will be required to wear masks during the drill and work to maintain social distancing. 

• Students who are distance learning at home will be included in the conversation about how to evacuate from the school building.  

• Sacred Heart will contact the Troy Police Department to have an officer come to school to help with a socially distant lockdown drill.  
• We will conduct lockdown drills in classroom settings while maintaining social distancing/using masks.
• Lockdown drills will be conducted on a “staggered” schedule, with smaller numbers of students present to maintain social distancing. We will be certain that all students are receiving instruction in emergency procedures and participating in drills while they are in attendance in-person.
• Lockdown drills in classrooms may be completed at times without “hiding”/ “sheltering” but provide an overview of how to shelter or hide in the classroom.