Facility Binder: 35-37 Elizabeth Street, Albany, NY 12202 /
Table of Contents
Section 1: Physical Location
Section 2: Emergency Contact Information
Section 3: On Call Information
Section 4: Smoke & Fire Alarm Information
Section 5: Security System Information
Section 6: Fire Extinguishers
Section 7: Fire /Flood Clean Up
Section 8: Exit Information
Section 9: Fire Drills
Section 10: First Aid Kits
Section 11: Telephone System
Section 12: Electrical Information
Section 13: Plumbing
Section 14: Washer, Dryer, and Chemicals
Section 15: Cleaning Supplies
Section 16: Heating, Cooling, and Ventilation
Section 17: Medical Supplies & Medications
Section 18: Pay Telephones
Section 19: Garbage Disposal
Section 20: Computers
Section 21: Locks & Keys
Section 22: Thermostats
Section 23: Afterhours Admission Procedures
Physical Location
The Horizon House facility is located at 35-37 Elizabeth Street, Albany, New York 12202. The telephone number to the facility is (518) 432-8700. It will be at the aforementioned address where our residents will be housed. The facility is comprised of four floors, which includes a basement. The Horizon House has the capacity to house 32 (thirty-two) individuals.
The Horizon House administrative offices are located at 28 Elizabeth Street, Albany, New York 12202. The telephone number to the offices is (518) 432-9100. At the aforementioned address, there are two separate floors. On the top floor, the offices of the Program Director, Assistant Program Director, Intake/Release Coordinator, and conference area are found. This is where all resident information is held. The bottom floor of the aforementioned address is where you will find our stock area. Here, we keep our perishable and non-perishable food items, as well as cleaning supplies, facility tools, resident supplies (surplus linens), and other miscellaneous office items. As a program monitor, you will have access to the first floor of 28 Elizabeth Street.
Emergency Contact Information
Albany Police Department, South Station 26 Arch Street, Albany, NY 12202 (518) 462 – 8049
Non-Emergency Police and Fire Services 26 Arch Street, Albany, NY 12202 (518) 438 – 4000
New York Regional Poison Control Center 1-800-222-1222
Albany Medical Center 47 New Scotland Avenue, Albany, NY 12208 (518) 262-5079
St. Peter’s Hospital 315 South Manning Boulevard, Albany, NY 12208 (518) 525-1550
Emergency Services: Police, Fire, and Paramedic Dial 911
On-Call Procedures
To ensure the continuous support of Horizon House staff and residents, our program has an on-call system, which you can access when questions or issues arise.
24-hours per day, 7-days per week, one of the Horizon House staff members is listed as being on-call. You can find an updated list of which staff member is on-call, hanging on the bulletin board of the program monitor’s station.
It is appropriate to make contact with the on-call staff member when the following arises:
- There is a question about a procedure, which is immediately impactful to the operation (ex. Is a resident on house restriction? In what way does this restrict the resident?). If an issue can wait until the following business day, please contact a staff member at that time.
- A disciplinary matter has occurred and you are unsure how to appropriately deal with it. In most cases, if there is a question about whether or not to write an incident report, go ahead and write it, and leave it for the review the following day.
- There is a question about an itinerary. An example of this might be: A resident receives a call from a potential employer at 8pm, who wants to schedule an interview for the following day. It is necessary that an itinerary be completed by a resident and authorized by staff. Aside from this type of situation, all itineraries are final upon signature.
- You will be unable to make your shift (ex. You are too ill to work).
Please contact the Program Director in the following situations:
- There has been an escape.
- You are unable to reach the on-call staff in the event of an emergency.
Please note that it is never appropriate to text message the on-call staff member nor the Program Director.
Smoke & Fire Alarm Information
Above, you’ll find pictures of our Smoke & Fire Alarm system, located in the monitor’s station of the Horizon House facility. Please follow these steps in the event of smoke or fire:
- Upon hearing the alarm, assess the location of the emergency, which will be depicted on the screen of the device (ex. 3rd floor back).
- If an investigation reveals an actual emergency, begin evacuation procedures.
- If an investigation finds that the system has erroneously identified an emergency, push the “Alarm Silence,” button, second from the top on the right.
- Once you have silenced the alarm, hit the “Reset,” button, bottom button on the right.
If the alarm continues to malfunction or appears to have stopped working, you may contact:
General Security (518) 464-9843 or 1-800-343-2250
Account # 6100-4769
Security System Information
Above, you’ll find pictures of our Security Alarm system, located in the monitor’s station of the Horizon House facility. Please follow these steps in the event of a security breach:
- The Horizon House security system is responsible for alerting staff that the facility’s security has been compromised. This can come in the form of an open door (ex. Second floor or hallway) or an open window (any window in the facility aside from those in the main dormitories).
- When security has been breached, the alarm will chime and alert the staff where the breach originated.
- The first step for staff on duty will be to investigate the possible breach. If it is determined that security has been breached, the staff should address it (close the door, close the window, etc).
- Next, the staff member should return to the monitor’s station and silence the alarm. To do this, press the following buttons: 1-2-3-4-Off.
- To rearm the security system, press the following buttons: 1-2-3-4-Off.
- Within two minutes of the alarm sounding, General Security will call the monitor’s station. In the event of a “false alarm,” (staff opened door, resident unknowingly opened a window), provide General Security with the password, “Justice,” and they will cancel the emergency response. However, if it is deemed to be a legitimate emergency situation, General Security will issue an emergency response team.
General Security Account # 7500-4724
Hart Alarm (518) 272-2007
Fire Extinguishers
Fire extinguishers can be found on each of the three functional floors (those floors that are in use by the program) of the Horizon House facility. In the event of a small-scale fire, you are expected to use a fire extinguisher to control and eliminate the fire. Our fire extinguishers can be found in the following locations:
- Affixed to the wall facing the security monitor’s station, in the front entrance area of the facility.
- Affixed to the wall at the end of the handicap ramp, at the entrance of the kitchen, on the first floor of the facility.
- Affixed to the wall in the second floor, back common area.
- Affixed to the wall in the third floor, back common area.
In order to use a fire extinguisher safely and effectively, please adhere to the following:
- Pull the tab located at the top of the device.
- Free the hose from the device, point it away from your body and towards the fire.
- Squeeze the two-pronged clamp at the top of the device until the fire has been extinguished.
In the event that you are asked to schedule the annual maintenance, replacement, or replenishment of a fire extinguisher, you may contact the following approved vendor:
Tri-County Fire Extinguishers (518) 882-1239
Fire or Flood Clean-up
In the event of a fire, flooding or other event that causes damage to the facility it may be necessary to have a professional service clean and repair the damaged area(s).
If a fire, flooding or other such event occurs follow the emergency procedures to the end. When the facility has been cleared by the appropriate emergency professionals (Fire Department etc.) staff should re-enter the building and assess what areas have been damaged and how (smoke damage, burnt areas, fire extinguisher foam). Staff should then contact the on call staff member to advise them of the damage.
Depending on the day, time and amount of damage the on-call staff member may ask you to call:
Servpro of Southern Saratoga County (518) 885-2620
Exit Information
It is important that you are familiar with all of the exit points of the Horizon House facility. Below is a list of the exit doors of the facility:
- The primary exit is located in the hallway just outside the monitor’s office. This is the point in which employees and residents enter and exit the building.
- There is an exit at the end of the first hallway, on the first floor of the facility. It leads into the recreation yard.
- There is an exit at the end of the ramp on the first floor (pictured above). This will lead you into the enclosed area behind 37 Elizabeth Street.
- There is an exit at the base of the stairwell, leading to the second and third floors. This exit will bring you to the front of 37 Elizabeth Street.
- There is an exit on the second floor. It is located just beyond the second floor common area and it will lead you to the fire escape and into the recreation yard.
- There is an exit on the third floor. It is located just beyond the third floor common area and it will lead you to the fire escape and into the recreation yard.
All of our points of exit are illuminated red and have attached lights, in the event of an emergency or power outage. Be sure that you are familiar with all of the exit points and can provide this information to residents at any time.
Fire Drills
In the event of an actual emergency or simulated fire drill, please adhere to the following steps:
- Begin by having an accurate account of all residents currently in the building. Bring the communication log with you as you direct residents out of the building. You must also bring the facility key ring.
- Instruct all residents to exit the building using the closest point of exit available to them. This might include using the fire escape (do not encourage residents to use the windows to exit in the event of a simulated drill. However, in the event of an actual emergency, it may be necessary that the windows be used to evacuate the building).
- While residents are evacuating the building, unlock the gate leading to the sidewalk outside of the 35-37 Elizabeth Street facility.
- Instruct all residents to calmly walk across the street and stand in front of the 28 Elizabeth Street administrative offices. At this point, you should take a count of the group to ensure all residents have safely evacuated.
- Once the simulated drill has concluded or the threat of danger has been cleared by a professional team, you may instruct the residents to return to the facility.
- Once inside the facility, residents should be instructed to remain in the kitchen area so that a final count can be completed.
For a step-by-step account of how to perform a fire drill, please see the fire drill binder, which will provide you with intricate instructions.
First Aid Kits
The Horizon House facility has six first aid kits available for use. Each of these kits contains enough materials to manage the minor injuries of ten individuals. These kits contain bandages of varying sizes, gauze, preparation pads, and other items to assist a moderately injured resident (cuts, scrapes, etc.). The first aid kits can be found in the following locations:
- One first aid kit is affixed to the far wall of the program monitor’s station.
- Three first aid kits can be found on the built-in shelf behind the main counter in the program monitor’s station.
- Two first aid kits can be found in the medication room.
The Horizon House also has biohazard kits, which are to be used in the event of a blood spill or the spilling of other hazardous materials. This kit can be found on the shelf, just behind the primary countertop, in the monitor’s station.
Again, it must be noted that these first aid kits are intended to assist residents with minor injuries such as scrapes and cuts. Upon major injury, please dial 911 and perform life-saving measures, as needed.
Telephone System
The Horizon House telephone system is essential to maintaining the accountability of our residents and safety of our staff. The above-pictured panel can be found in the basement of 35 Elizabeth Street, on the right wall, just beyond the steps. In the event that our telephone system is disrupted, please follow these steps to address the issue:
- Use your cellular telephone to make contact with the on-call employee to report the problem.
- If the on-call employee cannot assist in resolving the problem, please make contact with our telephone provider:
TECH II (Technical Services Branch) (518) 587 – 1565
- Please note that it is appropriate for you to use personal cellular telephones, only when the Horizon House telephone system has failed to perform its basic functions.
Electrical Information
As is the case with most private residences, the Horizon House is operated on a basic electrical board. Fuse boxes can be found in two separate locations: The basement of 35 Elizabeth Street (located on the wall immediately at the base of the staircase) and the basement of 37 Elizabeth Street (located on the wall at the base of the staircase). Additionally, you will find an emergency shut-off board, which will disable the facility’s electricity, in the event of major emergency (fire, natural disaster, etc. Picture located on right). If you find that a fuse has disabled the use of any portion of the Horizon House facility, please adhere to the following:
- Depending on the location of the blown fuse (35 or 37 Elizabeth Street), travel to the basement and open the fuse box.
- Determine which circuit breaker has blown (you will know which is not working by the corresponding switch being in the “off,” position and a red light will be on).
- Turn the switch into the “on,” position. The red light will turn off and you will have successfully restored power to the corresponding area.
In the event of a major electrical emergency (power outage), please contact:
National Grid 1-800-642-4272
In the event of electrical failure of a specific item or area (ex. Bathroom lights), please contact:O’Keefe Electrical (518) 928-0303
Plumbing
If a plumbing issue occurs at the 35-37 Elizabeth Street location (ex. Hot water runs out, water stops running, leaks), please address in the following ways:
- If any of the Horizon House is without hot water, instruct all residents to stop using the showers, sinks, and washing machines for a period of twenty-minutes. This should correct the problem. It should be noted that when all of the showers and washers are in use, the hot water will drain quicker.
- In the event that there is a leak, you should shut the main water supply off. The main water supply valve is located just beside the water tanks, in the basement of the facility. Switch the lever into the off position.
- In the event that the water supply fails to work anywhere in the facility or you detect a leak, please contact the Horizon House’s contracted plumber:
In the event of a water emergency, such as a leak, at the 28 Elizabeth Street location, turn the water off. The main water shut-off is located in the basement (The access point to the basement is on the first floor), just behind the water tank. Turn the lever to the off position.
A Real Plumber: (518) 464 – 0090
*The plumbing company has a copy of the Horizon House credit card and should not require any additional information. Please contact the on-call staff person to inform them if work is required. Additionally, please be aware that the facility’s hot water tanks were repaired and replaced in January 2012 and should not require maintenance during the next several months. It is important to attempt to resolve any plumbing problems through modifying resident use, before contacting the plumbing company.
Washing Machines, Dryers, Chemicals
Washer and dryer units can be found on each of the facility’s three floors. Additionally, next to each of the units you will find an automated chemical dispensing device.
- In the event that a washer and/or dryer unit malfunctions please indicate the damage in the program’s communication log. This does not warrant a call to the Program Director or on-call staff person.
- It is appropriate for you to allow residents to wash their clothes in one of the other functioning units in the facility, in the event of a breakdown.
- If you are instructed to schedule a repair to either of these units, you may call: Cornwell Appliances Company, (518) 459-3700
- In the event that the automated chemical dispensing device is in need of replenishment, please procure a bottle of the necessary chemical, remove the cap, and secure the bottle to the corresponding tube.
- For information about the type of chemical you are handling, utilize the MSDS binder, located on the shelf of the monitor’s station.
- If you are asked to schedule maintenance of the chemical dispensing device, you may contact: Spartan Chemical, (518) 374-7810
Cleaning Supplies