Emergency Response Plan Guidance

Transcription

1 Emergency Respnse Plan Guidance CREATING AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN Every place f business, including Husing Cunseling Agencies, shuld have an emergency respnse plan t ensure the safety f staff and clients in the event f an emergency. An emergency respnse plan details the immediate actins t take t prtect lives, avid injuries, and stabilize the incident. Step 1: Dn t start frm scratch. Ready.gv and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have useful resurces and guidance fr creating an emergency respnse plan. Review these resurces and use them t guide yur planning. Step 2: Identify risks. Cnduct a risk assessment t identify pssible emergency situatins. Cnsider the types f hazards cmmn in yur cmmunity and the likely impacts n yur peratins. Natural hazards (e.g., flds, hurricanes, wildfires, landslides, winter strms, trnades, earthquakes, tsunamis) r ther human-caused threats, such as terrrism, cyberattacks, r large-scale pwer utages, can nt nly threaten human life and result in prperty damage but als can result in lng-term disruptins t peratins. Assess yur agency s vulnerability t these hazards by: Partnering with lcal public emergency services (i.e., emergency management agency, and fire, plice, and emergency medical services) t identify hazards. Listing the types f hazards that culd affect yur agency. Turing yur agency s facility t identify hw it may be affected in an emergency. Identifying what yu will need t cntinue peratins after an emergency. Identifying hw yur client infrmatin systems may be affected in an emergency. Reviewing yur agency s insurance plicy and making sure that yur cverage is adequate. Meeting with staff t identify any additinal risks that they may have uncvered. Step 3: Develp a plan. Engage a team and use the planning template t cnsider respnses. Assess agency capacity (i.e., peple, systems, security, and equipment) fr incident stabilizatin. Cnnect with lcal public emergency services (i.e., emergency management agency, and fire, plice, and emergency medical services) t determine the fllwing: Respnse time t yur facility Knwledge f yur facility and its hazards Capabilities fr stabilizing an emergency at yur facility Ability t crdinate with yur agency fr emergency planning and incident stabilizatin Develp prtective actins fr life safety (e.g., evacuatin, shelter, shelter-in-place, lckdwn).

2 Develp hazard- and threat-specific emergency prcedures. Fr each threat-specific emergency, cnsider the fllwing: Hw is the emergency respnse triggered? Wh cmmunicates it? What teams f peple implement the actin? What are the prcedures? Institute prcedures fr ntifying HUD s Office f Husing Cunseling f inactive status if yur agency is unable t perfrm business. Establish prcedures fr emergency plan and Cntinuity f Operatins Plan (COOP) activatin. Cnsider systems t put in place: Emergency ntificatin system, including key persnnel cntact numbers and a phne tree (see Appendix 2) Prtectin f files and dcuments thrugh electrnic backups Fire prtectin, such as smke detectrs, alarms, and fire extinguishers Emergency teams, including trained staff, wh knw their rles and respnsibilities during an emergency Cmmunicatins and training fr staff regarding emergency actins Prcedures fr securing the building and all assets Step 4: Keep the plan current. Update yur emergency plan at least n an annual basis. Yu will need t accunt fr changes in persnnel, and t keep yur emergency team fully staffed. Address any changes in yur situatin, such as changes in lcatin, expansins, and new develpments in yur cmmunity. Make yur plan accessible. Distribute it t all staff and make sure that they knw where t find it. Keep a cpy ffsite as well, in case the emergency makes yur site inaccessible. Step 5: Stay prepared. Keep facilities and staff prepared s that yur emergency plan can be activated at any time: Maintain facility preparedness. Regularly test fire extinguishers and smke alarms t ensure that they are in wrking rder. Keep emergency supplies. Yur facility shuld have a first aid kit and at least tw weeks f emergency supplies fr staff and clients. See the emergency supplies list prvided in Appendix 1. Train staff regularly. Remind staff f their respnsibilities thrugh regular training exercises and updates at staff meetings. Maintain an up-t-date phne tree. See sample phne trees in Appendix 2.

3 Tasks: When the COOP is activated, persnnel shuld carry ut the fllwing tasks t ensure peratins: All persnnel will take laptps, phnes, and necessary files with them (if time and safety precautins allw). [HR Manager] prepares and distributes a schedule that allws fr the rtatin f persnnel s that they can secure persnal prperty and family at hme. [HR Manager] frwards phne lines t designated staff.

4 APPENDIX 1: PERSONAL EMERGENCY DISASTER KIT AND INVENTORY LIST In additin t agency preparedness, it is imprtant fr agency staff t be persnally prepared fr emergencies. Distribute this emergency disaster kit and inventry list t yur staff t ensure that they are prepared fr a ptential disaster. Sme f these emergency supplies may be helpful t keep in the ffice as well. Emergency Supplies First aid kit Flashlight (with extra batteries) Bttled water (yu will need at least ne galln per persn per day) Nnperishable fd, including a can pener and a bttle pener Tiletries, including tilet paper, paper twels, hand sanitizer, and diapers Blankets and pillws 30-galln trash bags 3.5-millimeter clear plastic sheeting Packing tape General purpse duct tape Utility knife Emergency Equipment Alternative pwer surces, including generatrs and batteries Camera r cellphne t dcument damage fr insurance claims Battery and/r hand crank-perated radi Crded telephne with a hardline Extensin crds, Categry 5 patch cables Other Imprtant Emergency Kit Items Hard cpies f imprtant financial infrmatin (e.g., wills, insurance plicies, cntracts, deeds, stcks/bnds, car titles, pay stubs, tax frms, bank accunt numbers, passprts, Scial Security cards, immunizatin recrds, inventry f husehld valuables, checkbks) Maps f the service area Laptp(s) and/r prtable electrnic devices

5 APPENDIX 2: ORGANIZATION EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION GUIDANCE Yur emergency plan shuld include a system t cmmunicate infrmatin and assignments befre, during, and after an emergency. Effective cmmunicatin plans shuld include: Established prcedures fr bth internal and external cmmunicatins wh, what, and when Cmmunicatin channels with external rganizatins (e.g., lcal public emergency services and media) fr cntact during and after the crisis Multiple means f messaging t create redundancy The ability t have tw-way cmmunicatin Staff educatin abut the cmmunicatin plan Flexibility t change messaging Regularly updated list f staff cntact infrmatin Clear guidance n creating and implementing cmmunicatin trees Cmmunicatin Methds. Yur agency cmmunicatins strategy shuld incrprate a cmbinatin f cmmunicatin methds in the event that sme methds fail during an emergency. These may include: Cmmunicatin Trees: Cmmunicatin trees are a lw-tech strategy fr cnnecting with staff, assuming that phnes are peratinal. A cmmunicatin tree requires a hierarchy in which a lead staff member cntacts a list f designated primary staff wh then cntact a designated list f secndary staff. See examples belw. If is peratinal and yu can ensure that staff have access t , this may be the simplest methd fr cntacting all staff. lists shuld be created in advance, prir t any emergency, t include everyne wh shuld receive the . Htlines: Htline numbers can be used by staff fr receiving a prerecrded message that cmmunicates general infrmatin. Apps: Apps can be purchased fr staff t dwnlad and receive alerts n phnes r ther mbile devices. Autmatic Messaging Systems: Autmatic messaging systems can be purchased and set up prir t an emergency. In the event f an emergency, lead staff prvide the autmatic messaging system with general disaster infrmatin that the system will share with staff. Websites and Scial Media: An agency website r scial media accunt (e.g., Facebk r Twitter) can be used t cmmunicate imprtant emergency infrmatin t staff and clients. Lcal emergency management agencies may have up-t-date emergency infrmatin n websites, r cmmunicated thrugh Twitter r phne text messages.

6 Sample Cmmunicatin Trees. Cmmunicatin trees can be created in Micrsft Wrd r Excel. See examples belw. Effective trees include names, phne numbers, clear sequencing f calls, and respnsibility fr the calls. Example 1: In Micrsft Wrd r Excel, create a table with the fllwing features: 1. Lead Staff 2. Primary Staff 3. Secndary Staff 4. Secndary Staff Name Phne (cell) Phne (hme) Phne (wrk) Example 2: Create a diagram like the ne belw: Secndary Staff Primary Staff Lead Staff Phne (cell): Phne (hme): Phne (wrk):

7 APPENDIX 3: EMERGENCY WALLET CARD Instruct yur staff t fill ut and print the card belw t keep in their wallets fr use in an emergency. The card shuld include the fllwing details: Emergency Cntact Infrmatin: Keep emergency cntact infrmatin handy in case yu need t get in cntact with a lved ne quickly and yu dn t have a wrking cell phne r access t ther typical means f cmmunicatin. Emergency Supply Kit Checklist: Use this list at the stre while buying supply items r as a quick reminder during an evacuatin. Where t Meet in Case f an Emergency: Establish a meeting place with yur family r lved nes t ensure that yu have a crdinated plan t find each ther when disaster strikes. Bld Type: Find ut and write dwn yur bld type infrmatin in advance, in case yu need t dnate bld r a medical prfessinal needs t knw yur bld type. Allergy Infrmatin: Keep a recrd f yur allergy infrmatin in case a medical prfessinal needs t access it in an emergency.