Local Disaster Recovery Coordinator Project

Emergency Management Guide for Business and Emergency Management Guide for Business and Emergency Management

Industry A Step-by-Step Approach to Emergency Planning, Response and Recovery for Companies of All Sizes

FEMA 141/October 1993

 

 

A STEP-BY-STEP APPROACH TO EMERGENCY PLANNING,

RESPONSE AND RECOVERY FOR COMPANIES OF ALL SIZES

Sponsored by a Public-Private Partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency

Special thanks to the following organizations for supporting the development, promotion and distribution of the Emergency Management Guide for Business & Industry:

American Red Cross

American Insurance Association

Building Owners and Managers Association International

Chemical Manufacturers Association

Fertilizer Institute

National Association of Manufacturers

National Commercial Builders Council of the National Association of Home Builders

National Coordinating Council on Emergency Management

National Emergency Management Association

National Industrial Council — State Associations Group

New Jersey Business & Industry Association

Pacific Bell

Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency

B U S I N E S S && I N D U S T R Y

E M E R G E N C Y M A N A G E M E N T G U I D E F O R

 

 

The Emergency Management Guide for Business & Industry was produced by the Federal Emergency Management Agency

(FEMA) and supported by a number of private companies and associations representing business and industry.

The approaches described in this guide are recommendations, not regulations. There are no reporting requirements, nor will

following these principles ensure compliance with any Federal, State or local codes or regulations that may apply to your

facility.

FEMA is not a regulatory agency. Specific regulatory issues should be addressed with the appropriate agencies such as the

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Prepared under FEMA Contract EMW-90-C-3348 by:

Thomas Wahle Ogilvy Adams & Rinehart

Washington, D.C. (202) 452-9419

Gregg Beatty Roy F. Weston, Inc. Rockville, Maryland

(301) 646-6855

 

 

INTRODUCTION

About This Guide ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..5

What Is an Emergency? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………5

What Is Emergency Management?………………………………………………………………………………………………….6

Making the “Case” for Emergency Management ………………………………………………………………………………6

SECTION 1: 4 STEPS IN THE PLANNING PROCESS

STEP 1 – ESTABLISH A PLANNING TEAM

Form the Team …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….9

Establish Authority …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….10

Issue a Mission Statement ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………10

Establish a Schedule and Budget…………………………………………………………………………………………………..10

STEP 2 – ANALYZE CAPABILITIES AND HAZARDS

Where Do You Stand Right Now? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………..11 Review Internal Plans and Policies ……………………………………………………………………………………………….11

Meet with Outside Groups …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..11

Identify Codes and Regulations ……………………………………………………………………………………………………12

Identify Critical Products, Services and Operations………………………………………………………………………..12

Identify Internal Resources and Capabilities ………………………………………………………………………………….12

Identify External Resources………………………………………………………………………………………………………….13

Do an Insurance Review ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..13

Conduct a Vulnerability Analysis ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….14 List Potential Emergencies…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….14

Estimate Probability ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..15

Assess the Potential Human Impact……………………………………………………………………………………………….15

Assess the Potential Property Impact ……………………………………………………………………………………………..15

Assess the Potential Business Impact ……………………………………………………………………………………………..16

Assess Internal and External Resources…………………………………………………………………………………………..16

Add the Columns…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………16

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

 

 

STEP 3 – DEVELOP THE PLAN

Plan Components ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………17 Executive Summary ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..17

Emergency Management Elements…………………………………………………………………………………………………17

Emergency Response Procedures ……………………………………………………………………………………………………18

Support Documents ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..18

The Development Process ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..19 Identify Challenges and Prioritize Activities …………………………………………………………………………………..19

Write the Plan …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….19

Establish a Training Schedule ………………………………………………………………………………………………………..19

Continue to Coordinate with Outside Organizations ……………………………………………………………………….19

Maintain Contact with other Corporate Offices………………………………………………………………………………20

Review, Conduct Training and Revise ……………………………………………………………………………………………20

Seek Final Approval …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….20

Distribute the Plan ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….20

STEP 4 – IMPLEMENT THE PLAN

Integrate the Plan into Company Operations…………………………………………………………………………………….21

Conduct Training……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….22 Planning Considerations……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….22

Training Activities ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….22

Employee Training ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….23

Evaluate and Modify the Plan ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..24

SECTION 2: EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS

Direction and Control ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………27 Emergency Management Group (EMG) …………………………………………………………………………………………27

Incident Command System (ICS)………………………………………………………………………………………………….28

Emergency Operations Center (EOC) ……………………………………………………………………………………………28

Planning Considerations……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….29

Security ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………29

Coordination of Outside Response …………………………………………………………………………………………………29

 

 

Communications………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..31 Contingency Planning ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….31

Emergency Communications …………………………………………………………………………………………………………31

Family Communications ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….32

Notification…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………32

Warning………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………32

Life Safety……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………33 Evacuation Planning ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………33

Evacuation Routes and Exits …………………………………………………………………………………………………………33

Assembly Areas and Accountability ………………………………………………………………………………………………34

Shelter ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….34

Training and Information ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..34

Family Preparedness …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….34

Property Protection ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….35 Planning Considerations ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………35

Protection Systems ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………35

Mitigation …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..35

Facility Shutdown………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..36

Records Preservation ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………37

Community Outreach ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….39 Involving the Community…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….39

Mutual Aid Agreements……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….39

Community Service……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..40

Public Information ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………40

Media Relations…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..41

Recovery and Restoration ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….43 Planning Considerations ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………43

Continuity of Management…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..43

Insurance ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………44

Employee Support………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..44

Resuming Operations …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..45

Administration and Logistics …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………47 Administrative Actions………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..47

Logistics ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..47

 

 

SECTION 3: HAZARD-SPECIFIC INFORMATION

Fire ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..51

Hazardous Materials Incidents………………………………………………………………………………………………………………53

Floods and Flash floods…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..55

Hurricanes …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..57

Tornadoes……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………59

Severe Winter Storms ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..61

Earthquakes ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….63

Technological Emergencies……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………65

SECTION 4: INFORMATION SOURCES

Additional Readings from FEMA ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………69

Ready-to-Print Brochures…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………71

Emergency Management Offices …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..73

APPENDIX

Vulnerability Analysis Chart

Training Drills and Exercises Chart

 

 

INTRODUCTION. A hurricane blasts through South Florida causing more than $25 billion in damages.

A fire at a food processing plant results in 25 deaths, a company out of business and a small town devastated.

A bombing in the World Trade Center results in six deaths, hundreds of injuries and the evacuation of 40,000 people.

A blizzard shuts down much of the East Coast for days. More than 150 lives are lost and millions of dollars in damages incurred.

INTRODUCTION

Every year emergencies take their toll on business and industry — in lives and dollars. But some- thing can be done. Business and industry can limit injuries and damages and return more quickly to normal operations if they plan ahead.

About This Guide

This guide provides step-by- step advice on how to create and maintain a comprehensive emer- gency management program. It can be used by manufacturers, cor- porate offices, retailers, utilities or any organization where a sizable number of people work or gather.

Whether you operate from a high-rise building or an industrial complex; whether you own, rent or lease your property; whether you are a large or small company; the concepts in this guide will apply.

To begin, you need not have in-depth knowledge of emergency management. What you need is the authority to create a plan and a commitment from the chief executive officer to make emer- gency management part of your corporate culture.

If you already have a plan, use this guide as a resource to assess and update your plan.

The guide is organized as follows:

Section 1: 4 Steps in the Planning Process — how to form a planning team; how to conduct a vulnerability analysis; how to develop a plan; and how to imple- ment the plan. The information can be applied to virtually any type of business or industry.

Section 2: Emergency Management Considerations — how to build such emergency management capabilities as life safety, property protection, communications and community outreach.

Section 3: Hazard-Specific Information — technical informa- tion about specific hazards your facility may face.

Section 4: Information Sources — where to turn for additional information.

What Is an Emergency?

An emergency is any un- planned event that can cause deaths or significant injuries to employees, customers or the public; or that can shut down your business, disrupt operations, cause physical or environmental damage, or threaten the facility’s financial standing or public image.

PAGE 5

 

 

Obviously, numerous events can be “emergencies,” including:

• Fire

• Hazardous materials incident

• Flood or flash flood

• Hurricane

• Tornado

• Winter storm

• Earthquake

• Communications failure

• Radiological accident

• Civil disturbance

• Loss of key supplier or customer

• Explosion

The term “disaster” has been left out of this document because it lends itself to a preconceived notion of a large-scale event, usu- ally a “natural disaster.” In fact, each event must be addressed within the context of the impact it has on the company and the com- munity. What might constitute a nuisance to a large industrial facil- ity could be a “disaster” to a small business.

What Is Emergency Management?

Emergency management is the process of preparing for, mitigat- ing, responding to and recovering from an emergency.

Emergency management is a dynamic process. Planning, though critical, is not the only component. Training, conducting drills, testing equipment and coor- dinating activities with the com- munity are other important func- tions.

Making the “Case” for Emergency Management

To be successful, emergency management requires upper management support. The chief executive sets the tone by autho- rizing planning to take place and directing senior management to get involved.

When presenting the “case” for emergency management, avoid dwelling on the negative effects of an emergency (e.g., deaths, fines, criminal prosecution) and emphasize the positive aspects of preparedness. For example:

• It helps companies fulfill their moral responsibility to protect employees, the community and the environment.

• It facilitates compliance with regulatory requirements of Federal, State and local agencies.

• It enhances a company’s ability to recover from financial losses, regulatory fines, loss of market share, damages to equipment or products or business interrup- tion.

• It reduces exposure to civil or criminal liability in the event of an incident.

• It enhances a company’s image and credibility with employees, customers, suppliers and the community.

• It may reduce your insurance premiums.

PAGE 6

 

 

STEP 1

Establish a Planning Team

STEP 2

Analyze Capabilities and Hazards

STEP 3

Develop the Plan

STEP 4

Implement the Plan

4 STEPS IN THE PLANNING PROCESS

1 SECTION

 

 

Here’s one example of a planning team.

Form the Team

The size of the planning team will depend on the facility’s opera- tions, requirements and resources. Usually involving a group of people is best because:

• It encourages participation and gets more people invested in the process.

• It increases the amount of time and energy participants are able to give.

• It enhances the visibility and stature of the planning process.

• It provides for a broad perspec- tive on the issues.

Determine who can be an active member and who can serve in an advisory capacity. In most cases, one or two people will be doing the bulk of the work. At the very least, you should obtain input from all functional areas. Remember:

• Upper management

• Line management

• Labor

• Human Resources

• Engineering and maintenance

• Safety, health and environmen- tal affairs

• Public information officer

• Security

• Community relations

• Sales and marketing

• Legal

• Finance and purchasing

Have participants appointed in writing by upper management.

Their job descriptions could also reflect this assignment.

ESTABLISH A PLANNING TEAM. There must be an individual

or group in charge of developing the emergency management plan. The follow-

ing is guidance for making the appointment. ESTABLISH

A PLANNING

TEAM

PAGE 9

S T E P 1

MANAGEMENT & PERSONNEL

Line Management Labor Representative

Human Resources

SUPPORT SERVICES

Engineering Legal

Purchasing/Contracts Finance

Maintenance Computer

Data Maintenance

EMERGENCY RESPONSE

Safety & Health Medical Security

Environmental Affairs

COMMUNICATIONS

Public Relations Public Information Officer

SAFETY OFFICER/ PLANNING TEAM

➤

➤

➤

➤

➤ ➤

➤

➤

➤

➤

COMMUNITY

Emergency Manager Fire & Police

Other Response Organizations

 

 

PAGE 10

Establish a Schedule and Budget

Establish a work schedule and planning deadlines. Timelines can be modified as priorities become more clearly defined.

Develop an initial budget for such things as research, printing, seminars, consulting services and other expenses that may be neces- sary during the development process.

Establish Authority

Demonstrate management’s commitment and promote an atmosphere of cooperation by “authorizing” the planning group to take the steps necessary to develop a plan. The group should be led by the chief executive or the plant manager.

Establish a clear line of authori- ty between group members and the group leader, though not so rigid as to prevent the free flow of ideas.

Issue a Mission Statement

Have the chief executive or plant manager issue a mission statement to demonstrate the company’s commitment to emer- gency management. The state- ment should:

• Define the purpose of the plan and indicate that it will involve the entire organization

• Define the authority and struc- ture of the planning group

 

 

Review Internal Plans and Policies

Documents to look for include:

• Evacuation plan

• Fire protection plan

• Safety and health program

• Environmental policies

• Security procedures

• Insurance programs

• Finance and purchasing procedures

• Plant closing policy

• Employee manuals

• Hazardous materials plan

• Process safety assessment

• Risk management plan

• Capital improvement program

• Mutual aid agreements

Meet with Outside Groups

Meet with government agen- cies, community organizations and utilities. Ask about potential emergencies and about plans and available resources for responding to them. Sources of information include:

• Community emergency management office

• Mayor or Community Administrator’s office

• Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC)

• Fire Department

• Police Department

• Emergency Medical Services organizations

• American Red Cross

• National Weather Service

• Public Works Department

• Planning Commission

• Telephone companies

• Electric utilities

• Neighboring businesses

ANALYZE CAPABILITIES AND HAZARDS. This step

entails gathering information about current capabilities and about possible

hazards and emergencies, and then conducting a vulnerability analysis to

determine the facility’s capabilities for handling emergencies.

S T E P 2

ANALYZE

CAPABILITIES

AND HAZARDS

PAGE 11

WHERE DO YOU STAND RIGHT NOW?

While researching potential emer- gencies, one facility discovered that a dam — 50 miles away — posed a threat to its community. The facili- ty was able to plan accordingly.

 

 

PAGE 12

Identify Internal Resources and Capabilities

Resources and capabilities that could be needed in an emergency include:

• Personnel — fire brigade, haz- ardous materials response team, emergency medical services, security, emergency manage- ment group, evacuation team, public information officer

• Equipment — fire protection and suppression equipment, communications equipment, first aid supplies, emergency supplies, warning systems, emergency power equipment, decontamination equipment

• Facilities — emergency operat- ing center, media briefing area, shelter areas, first-aid stations, sanitation facilities

• Organizational capabilities — training, evacuation plan, employee support system

• Backup systems — arrange- ments with other facilities to provide for: ◆ Payroll ◆ Communications ◆ Production ◆ Customer services ◆ Shipping and receiving ◆ Information systems support ◆ Emergency power ◆ Recovery support

Identify Codes and Regulations

Identify applicable Federal, State and local regulations such as:

• Occupational safety and health regulations

• Environmental regulations

• Fire codes

• Seismic safety codes

• Transportation regulations

• Zoning regulations

• Corporate policies

Identify Critical Products, Services and Operations

You’ll need this information to assess the impact of potential emergencies and to determine the need for backup systems. Areas to review include:

• Company products and services and the facilities and equip- ment needed to produce them

• Products and services provided by suppliers, especially sole source vendors

• Lifeline services such as electri- cal power, water, sewer, gas, telecommunications and trans- portation

• Operations, equipment and personnel vital to the contin- ued functioning of the facility

One way to increase response capabilities is to identify employee skills (medical, engineering, communications, foreign lan – guage) that might be needed in an emergency.

 

 

Identify External Resources

There are many external resources that could be needed in an emergency. In some cases, for- mal agreements may be necessary to define the facility’s relationship with the following:

• Local emergency management office

• Fire Department

• Hazardous materials response organization

• Emergency medical services

• Hospitals

• Local and State police

• Community service organiza- tions

• Utilities

• Contractors

• Suppliers of emergency equipment

• Insurance carriers

PAGE 13

Do an Insurance Review

Meet with insurance carriers to review all policies. (See Section 2: Recovery and Restoration.)

 

 

PAGE 14

CONDUCT A VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS

• Geographic — What can hap- pen as a result of the facility’s location? Keep in mind:

◆ Proximity to flood plains, seismic faults and dams

◆ Proximity to companies that produce, store, use or trans- port hazardous materials

◆ Proximity to major trans- portation routes and airports

◆ Proximity to nuclear power plants

•Technological — What could result from a process or system failure? Possibilities include: ◆ Fire, explosion, hazardous

materials incident ◆ Safety system failure ◆ Telecommunications failure ◆ Computer system failure ◆ Power failure ◆ Heating/cooling system

failure ◆ Emergency notification

system failure

• Human Error — What emer- gencies can be caused by employee error? Are employees trained to work safely? Do they know what to do in an emer- gency?

Human error is the single largest cause of workplace emergencies and can result from: ◆ Poor training ◆ Poor maintenance ◆ Carelessness ◆ Misconduct ◆ Substance abuse ◆ Fatigue

The next step is to assess the vulnerability of your facility — the probability and potential impact of each emergency. Use the Vulnerability Analysis Chart in the appendix section to guide the process, which entails assign- ing probabilities, estimating impact and assessing resources, using a numerical system. The lower the score the better.

List Potential Emergencies

In the first column of the chart, list all emergencies that could affect your facility, including those identified by your local emergency management office. Consider both:

• Emergencies that could occur within your facility

• Emergencies that could occur in your community

Below are some other factors to consider.

• Historical — What types of emergencies have occurred in the community, at this facility and at other facilities in the area? ◆ Fires ◆ Severe weather ◆ Hazardous material spills ◆ Transportation accidents ◆ Earthquakes ◆ Hurricanes ◆ Tornadoes ◆ Terrorism ◆ Utility outages

 

 

• Physical — What types of emergencies could result from the design or construction of the facility? Does the physical facility enhance safety? Consider: ◆ The physical construction of

the facility ◆ Hazardous processes or

byproducts ◆ Facilities for storing com-

bustibles ◆ Layout of equipment ◆ Lighting ◆ Evacuation routes and exits ◆ Proximity of shelter areas

• Regulatory — What emergen- cies or hazards are you regulated to deal with?

Analyze each potential emer- gency from beginning to end. Consider what could happen as a result of:

◆ Prohibited access to the facility

◆ Loss of electric power ◆ Communication lines down ◆ Ruptured gas mains ◆ Water damage ◆ Smoke damage ◆ Structural damage ◆ Air or water contamination ◆ Explosion ◆ Building collapse ◆ Trapped persons ◆ Chemical release

Estimate Probability

In the Probability column, rate the likelihood of each emergency’s occurrence. This is a subjective consideration, but useful nonethe- less.

Use a simple scale of 1 to 5 with 1 as the lowest probability and 5 as the highest.

Assess the Potential Human Impact

Analyze the potential human impact of each emergency — the possibility of death or injury.

Assign a rating in the Human Impact column of the Vulnerability Analysis Chart. Use a 1 to 5 scale with 1 as the lowest impact and 5 as the highest.

Assess the Potential Property Impact

Consider the potential property for losses and damages. Again, assign a rating in the Property Impact column, 1 being the lowest impact and 5 being the highest. Consider:

• Cost to replace

• Cost to set up temporary replacement

• Cost to repair

PAGE 15

TYPE OF EMERGENCY Probability Human Impact

Property Impact

Business Impact

Internal Resources

External Resources Total

5 1High Impact Low Impact 5 1Weak Resources Strong Resources5 1

High Low

A bank’s vulnerability analysis concluded that a “small” fire could be as catastrophic to the business as a computer system failure. The planning group discovered that bank employees did not know how to use fire extinguishers, and that the bank lacked any kind of evacuation or emergency response system.

A full-page chart is located in the Appendix

 

 

PAGE 16

If the answers are yes, move on to the next assessment. If the answers are no, identify what can be done to correct the problem. For example, you may need to:

• Develop additional emergency procedures

• Conduct additional training

• Acquire additional equipment

• Establish mutual aid agree- ments

• Establish agreements with specialized contractors

Add the Columns

Total the scores for each emer- gency. The lower the score the better. While this is a subjective rating, the comparisons will help determine planning and resource priorities — the subject of the pages to follow.

Assess the Potential Business Impact

Consider the potential loss of market share. Assign a rating in the Business Impact column. Again, 1 is the lowest impact and 5 is the highest. Assess the impact of:

• Business interruption

• Employees unable to report to work

• Customers unable to reach facility

• Company in violation of contractual agreements

• Imposition of fines and penalties or legal costs

• Interruption of critical supplies

• Interruption of product distribution

Assess Internal and External Resources

Next assess your resources and ability to respond. Assign a score to your Internal Resources and External Resources. The lower the score the better.

To help you do this, consider each potential emergency from beginning to end and each resource that would be needed to respond. For each emergency ask these questions:

• Do we have the needed resources and capabilities to respond?

• Will external resources be able to respond to us for this emer- gency as quickly as we may need them, or will they have other priority areas to serve?

When assessing resources, remem- ber that community emergency workers — police, paramedics, fire- fighters — will focus their response where the need is greatest. Or they may be victims themselves and be unable to respond immediately. That means response to your facili- ty may be delayed.

 

 

Your plan should include the following basic components.

Executive Summary

The executive summary gives management a brief overview of:

• The purpose of the plan

• The facility’s emergency management policy

• Authorities and responsibilities of key personnel

• The types of emergencies that could occur

• Where response operations will be managed

Emergency Management Elements

This section of the plan briefly describes the facility’s approach to the core elements of emergency management, which are:

• Direction and control

• Communications

• Life safety

• Property protection

• Community outreach

• Recovery and restoration

• Administration and logistics

These elements, which are described in detail in Section 2, are the foundation for the emergency procedures that your facility will follow to protect personnel and equipment and resume operations.

DEVELOP THE PLAN. You are now ready to develop an emergency

management plan. This section describes how. S T E P 3

DEVELOP

THE

PLAN

PAGE 17

PLAN COMPONENTS

 

 

Support Documents

Documents that could be needed in an emergency include:

• Emergency call lists — lists (wallet size if possible) of all persons on and off site who would be involved in respond- ing to an emergency, their responsibilities and their 24- hour telephone numbers

• Building and site maps that indicate: ◆ Utility shutoffs ◆ Water hydrants ◆ Water main valves ◆ Water lines ◆ Gas main valves ◆ Gas lines ◆ Electrical cutoffs ◆ Electrical substations ◆ Storm drains ◆ Sewer lines ◆ Location of each building

(include name of building, street name and number)

◆ Floor plans ◆ Alarm and enunciators ◆ Fire extinguishers ◆ Fire suppression systems ◆ Exits ◆ Stairways ◆ Designated escape routes ◆ Restricted areas ◆ Hazardous materials (includ-

ing cleaning supplies and chemicals)

◆ High-value items

• Resource lists — lists of major resources (equipment, supplies, services) that could be needed in an emergency; mutual aid agreements with other compa- nies and government agencies

Emergency Response Procedures

The procedures spell out how the facility will respond to emer- gencies. Whenever possible, develop them as a series of check- lists that can be quickly accessed by senior management, depart- ment heads, response personnel and employees.

Determine what actions would be necessary to:

• Assess the situation

• Protect employees, customers, visitors, equipment, vital records and other assets, partic- ularly during the first three days

• Get the business back up and running

Specific procedures might be needed for any number of situa- tions such as bomb threats or tor- nadoes, and for such functions as :

• Warning employees and customers

• Communicating with personnel and community responders

• Conducting an evacuation and accounting for all persons in the facility

• Managing response activities

• Activating and operating an emergency operations center

• Fighting fires

• Shutting down operations

• Protecting vital records

• Restoring operations

PAGE 18

Some facilities are required to develop:

■ Emergency escape procedures and routes

■ Procedures for employees who perform or shut down critical oper- ations before an evacuation

■ Procedures to account for all employees, visitors and contractors after an evacuation is completed

■ Rescue and medical duties for assigned employees

■ Procedures for reporting emer- gencies

■ Names of persons or depart- ments to be contacted for informa- tion regarding the plan

In an emergency, all personnel should know: 1. What is my role? 2. Where should I go?

 

 

The following is guidance for developing the plan.

Identify Challenges and Prioritize Activities

Determine specific goals and milestones. Make a list of tasks to be performed, by whom and when. Determine how you will address the problem areas and resource shortfalls that were identified in the vulnerability analysis.

Write the Plan

Assign each member of the planning group a section to write. Determine the most appropriate format for each section.

Establish an aggressive timeline with specific goals. Provide enough time for completion of work, but not so much as to allow assignments to linger. Establish a schedule for:

• First draft

• Review

• Second draft

• Tabletop exercise

• Final draft

• Printing

• Distribution

Establish a Training Schedule

Have one person or department responsible for developing a train- ing schedule for your facility. For specific ideas about training, refer to Step 4.

Coordinate with Outside Organizations

Meet periodically with local government agencies and commu- nity organizations. Inform appro- priate government agencies that you are creating an emergency management plan. While their official approval may not be required, they will likely have valuable insights and information to offer.

Determine State and local requirements for reporting emer- gencies, and incorporate them into your procedures.

Determine protocols for turn- ing control of a response over to outside agencies. Some details that may need to be worked out are:

• Which gate or entrance will responding units use?

• Where and to whom will they report?

• How will they be identified?

• How will facility personnel communicate with outside responders?

• Who will be in charge of response activities?

Determine what kind of identi- fication authorities will require to allow your key personnel into your facility during an emergency.

PAGE 19

THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

Your emergency planning priori- ties may be influenced by govern- ment regulation. To remain in compliance you may be required to address specific emergency management functions that might otherwise be a lower priority activity for that given year.

Determine the needs of disabled persons and non-English-speaking personnel. For example, a blind employee could be assigned a partner in case an evacuation is necessary.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a disabled person as anyone who has a physi- cal or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, such as see- ing, hearing, walking, breathing, performing manual tasks, learn- ing, caring for oneself or working.

 

 

PAGE 20

Seek Final Approval

Arrange a briefing for the chief executive officer and senior man- agement and obtain written approval.

Distribute the Plan

Place the final plan in three- ring binders and number all copies and pages. Each individual who receives a copy should be required to sign for it and be responsible for posting subsequent changes.

Determine which sections of the plan would be appropriate to show to government agencies (some sections may refer to corpo- rate secrets or include private list- ings of names, telephone numbers or radio frequencies).

Distribute the final plan to:

• Chief executive and senior managers

• Key members of the company’s emergency response organiza- tion

• Company headquarters

• Community emergency response agencies (appropriate sections)

Have key personnel keep a copy of the plan in their homes.

Inform employees about the plan and training schedule.

Maintain Contact with Other Corporate Offices

Communicate with other offices and divisions in your com- pany to learn:

• Their emergency notification requirements

• The conditions where mutual assistance would be necessary

• How offices will support each other in an emergency

• Names, telephone numbers and pager numbers of key personnel

Incorporate this information into your procedures.

Review, Conduct Training and Revise

Distribute the first draft to group members for review. Revise as needed.

For a second review, conduct a tabletop exercise with manage- ment and personnel who have a key emergency management responsibility. In a conference room setting, describe an emer- gency scenario and have partici- pants discuss their responsibilities and how they would react to the situation. Based on this discus- sion, identify areas of confusion and overlap, and modify the plan accordingly.

Consolidate emergency plans for better coordination. Stand-alone plans, such as a Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) plan, fire protection plan or safety and health plan, should be incorporated into one compre- hensive plan.

 

 

Emergency planning must become part of the corporate culture.

Look for opportunities to build awareness; to educate and train personnel; to test procedures; to involve all levels of management, all departments and the communi- ty in the planning process; and to make emergency management part of what personnel do on a day-to-day basis.

Test how completely the plan has been integrated by asking:

• How well does senior manage- ment support the responsibili- ties outlined in the plan?

• Have emergency planning con- cepts been fully incorporated into the facility’s accounting, personnel and financial proce- dures?

• How can the facility’s processes for evaluating employees and defining job classifications bet- ter address emergency manage- ment responsibilities?

• Are there opportunities for dis- tributing emergency prepared- ness information through cor- porate newsletters, employee manuals or employee mailings?

• What kinds of safety posters or other visible reminders would be helpful?

• Do personnel know what they should do in an emergency?

• How can all levels of the orga- nization be involved in evaluat- ing and updating the plan?

IMPLEMENT THE PLAN. Implementation means more than simply

exercising the plan during an emergency. It means acting on recommendations

made during the vulnerability analysis, integrating the plan into company oper-

ations, training employees and evaluating the plan.

S T E P 4

IMPLEMENT

THE

PLAN

PAGE 21

INTEGRATE THE PLAN INTO COMPANY OPERATIONS

 

 

PAGE 22

Training Activities

Training can take many forms:

• Orientation and Education Sessions — These are regularly scheduled discussion sessions to provide information, answer questions and identify needs and concerns.

• Tabletop Exercise — Members of the emergency management group meet in a conference room setting to discuss their responsibilities and how they would react to emergency sce- narios. This is a cost-effective and efficient way to identify areas of overlap and confusion before conducting more demanding training activities.

• Walk-through Drill — The emergency management group and response teams actually perform their emergency response functions. This activ- ity generally involves more people and is more thorough than a tabletop exercise.

• Functional Drills — These drills test specific functions such as medical response, emer- gency notifications, warning and communications proce- dures and equipment, though not necessarily at the same time. Personnel are asked to evaluate the systems and iden- tify problem areas.

Everyone who works at or visits the facility requires some form of training. This could include peri- odic employee discussion sessions to review procedures, technical training in equipment use for emergency responders, evacuation drills and full-scale exercises. Below are basic considerations for developing a training plan.

Planning Considerations

Assign responsibility for devel- oping a training plan. Consider the training and information needs for employees, contractors, visitors, managers and those with an emergency response role iden- tified in the plan.

Determine for a 12 month period:

• Who will be trained

• Who will do the training

• What training activities will be used

• When and where each session will take place

• How the session will be evalu- ated and documented

Use the Training Drills and Exercises Chart in the appendix section to schedule training activ- ities or create one of your own.

Consider how to involve com- munity responders in training activities.

Conduct reviews after each training activity. Involve both personnel and community respon- ders in the evaluation process.