Which description defines shelter-in-place and provides a typical example?

• A. Evacuating to an outside assembly point.
• B. Containing hazards within a secured area rather than evacuating; example chemical release.
• C. Moving all people to the basement during a flood.
• D. Calling a security contractor to inspect doors.

Answer: (B)

Shelter-in-place means staying indoors and taking steps to keep people safe from a hazard outside the building, rather than leaving the area. It focuses on containing the threat inside a secure space and minimizing exposure until authorities say it’s safe.

The best description captures that idea: hazards are contained within a secured area instead of evacuating, with a chemical release as the typical example. In a chemical release, the outside air may be contaminated, so people are advised to stay inside, close doors and windows, seal gaps if possible, and await further instructions rather than physically moving outside where the danger could be encountered.

The other options describe actions that are not shelter-in-place. Evacuating to an outside assembly point is the opposite action. Moving to a basement during a flood describes seeking a safer location but isn’t framed as containing a hazard within a secured interior space, and calling a security contractor isn’t a protective action for an immediate hazard.