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Emergency Management Planning Guide

Emergency Management and Emergency Operations Considerations

Core operational considerations of emergency management.

Direction and Control

Communications

Life Safety

Property Protection

Community Outreach

Recovery and Restoration

Administration and Logistics

FUNCTION: DIRECTION AND CONTROL.

Someone must be in charge in an emergency. The system for managing resources, analyzing information and making decisions in an emergency is called direction and control.

The direction and control system described below assumes a facility of sufficient size. Your facility may require a less sophisticated system, though the principles described here will still apply.

The configuration of your system will depend on many factors. Larger industries may have their own fire team, emergency medical technicians or hazardous materials team, while smaller organizations may need to rely on mutual aid agreements. They may also be able to consolidate positions or combine responsibilities. Tenants of office buildings or industrial parks may be part of an emergency management program for the entire facility.

Emergency Management Group (EMG)
The EMG is the team responsible for the big picture. It controls all incident-related activities. The Incident Commander (IC) oversees the technical aspects of the response.
The EMG supports the IC by allocating resources and by interfacing with the community, the media, outside response organizations and regulatory agencies.
The EMG is headed by the Emergency Director (ED), who should be the facility manager. The ED is in command and control of all aspects of the emergency. Other EMG members should be senior managers who have the authority to:

a. Determine the short- and long- term effects of an emergency
b.Order the evacuation or shutdown of the facility
c.Interface with outside organizations and the media
d.Issue press releases
Incident Command System (ICS)
The ICS was developed specifically for the fire service, but its principles can be applied to all emergencies. The ICS provides for coordinated response and a clear chain of command and safe operations.
The Incident Commander (IC) is responsible for front-line management of the incident, for tactical planning and execution, for determining whether outside assistance is needed and for relaying requests for internal resources or outside assistance through the Emergency Operations Center (EOC).
The IC can be any employee, but a member of management with the authority to make decisions is usually the best choice.
The IC must have the capability and authority to:

a.Assume command
b.Assess the situation
c.Implement the emergency management plan
d.Determine response strategies
e.Activate resources
f.Order an evacuation
g.Oversee all incident response activities
h.Declare that the incident is "over"
Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
The EOC serves as a centralized management center for emergency operations. Here, decisions are made by the EMG based upon information provided by the IC and other personnel. Regardless of size or process, every facility should designate an area where decision makers can gather during an emergency.
The EOC should be located in an area of the facility not likely to be involved in an incident, perhaps the security department, the manager's office, a conference room or the training center. An alternate EOC should be designated in the event that the primary location is not usable.
Each facility must determine its requirements for an EOC based upon the functions to be performed and the number of people involved. Ideally, the EOC is a dedicated area equipped with communications equipment, reference materials, activity logs and all the tools necessary to respond quickly and appropriately to an emergency.
SIDE BAR
In a hazardous materials accident, an off-site medic was exposed to the spilled material and required hospitalization. It was determined that the person was able to enter the hazardous area unprotected because no one among a host of managers and facility responders was "in charge" at the scene.
SIDE BAR
EOC Resources:

Communications equipment
A copy of the emergency management plan and EOC procedures
Blueprints, maps, status boards
A list of EOC personnel and descriptions of their duties
Technical information and data for advising responders
Building security system information
Information and data management capabilities
Telephone directories
Backup power, communications and lighting
Emergency supplies
Planning Considerations
To develop a direction and control system:

a.Define the duties of personnel with an assigned role. Establish procedures for each position. Prepare checklists for all procedures.
b.Define procedures and responsibilities for fire fighting, medical and health, and engineering.
c.Determine lines of succession to ensure continuous leadership, authority and responsibility in key positions.
d.Determine equipment and supply needs for each response function.

At a minimum, assign all personnel responsibility for:

a.Recognizing and reporting an emergency
b.Warning other employees in the area
c.Taking security and safety measures
d.Evacuating safely
e.Provide training.
Security
Isolation of the incident scene must begin when the emergency is discovered. If possible, the discoverer should attempt to secure the scene and control access, but no one should be placed in physical danger to perform these functions. Basic security measures include:

Closing doors or windows
Establishing temporary barriers with furniture after people have safely evacuated
Dropping containment materials (sorbent pads, etc.) in the path of leaking materials
Closing file cabinets or desk drawers

Only trained personnel should be allowed to perform advanced security measures. Access to the facility, the EOC and the incident scene should be limited to persons directly involved in the response.
Coordination of Outside Response
In some cases, laws, codes, prior agreements or the very nature of the emergency require the IC to turn operations over to an outside response organization. When this happens, the protocols established between the facility and outside response organizations are implemented. The facility's IC provides the community's IC a complete report on the situation.
The facility IC keeps track of which organizations are on-site and how the response is being coordinated. This helps increase personnel safety and accountability, and prevents duplication of effort.
SIDE BAR
Keep detailed logs of actions taken during an emergency. Describe what happened, decisions made and any deviations from policy. Log the time for each event.

FUNCTION: COMMUNICATIONS.

Communications are essential to any business operation. A communications failure can be a disaster in itself, cutting off vital business activities.

Communications are needed to report emergencies, to warn personnel of the danger, to keep families and off-duty employees informed about what's happening at the facility to coordinate response actions and to keep in contact with customers and suppliers.

Contingency Planning
Plan for all possible contingencies from a temporary or short- term disruption to a total communications failure.
Consider the everyday functions performed by your facility and the communications, both voice and data, used to support them.
Consider the business impact if your communications were inoperable. How would this impact your emergency operations?
Prioritize all facility communications. Determine which should be restored first in an emergency.
Establish procedures for restoring communications systems.
Talk to your communications vendors about their emergency response capabilities. Establish procedures for restoring services.
Determine needs for backup communications for each business function. Options include messengers, telephones, portable microwave, amateur radios, point-to-point private lines, satellite, high-frequency radio.
Emergency Communications
Consider the functions your facility might need to perform in an emergency and the communications systems needed to support them. Consider communications between:

a. Emergency responders
b. Responders and the Incident Commander (IC)
c. The IC and the Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
d. The IC and employees
e. The EOC and outside response organizations
f. The EOC and neighboring businesses
g. The EOC and employees' families
h. The EOC and customers
i. The EOC and media

Methods of communication include:
a. Messenger
b. Telephone
c. Two-way radio
d. FAX machine
e. Microwave
f. Satellite
g. Dial-up modems
h. Local area networks
i. Hand signals
Family Communications
In an emergency, personnel will need to know whether their families are okay. Taking care of one's loved ones is always a first priority.

Make plans for communicating with employees' families in an emergency. Also, encourage employees to:

Consider how they would communicate with their families in case they are separated from one another or injured in an emergency.

Arrange for an out-of-town contact for all family members to call in an emergency.

Designate a place to meet family members in case they cannot get home in an emergency.
Notification
Establish procedures for employees to report an emergency. Inform employees of procedures. Train personnel assigned specific notification tasks.
Post emergency telephone numbers near each telephone, on employee bulletin boards and in other prominent locations.
Maintain an updated list of addresses and telephone and pager numbers of key emergency response personnel (from within and outside the facility).
Listen for tornado, hurricane and other severe weather warnings issued by the National Weather Service.
Determine government agencies' notification requirements in advance. Notification must be made immediately to local government agencies when an emergency has the potential to affect public health and safety.
Prepare announcements that could be made over public address systems.
Warning
Establish a system for warning personnel of an emergency. The system should:

a. Be audible or within view by all people in the facility
b. Have an auxiliary power supply
c. Have a distinct and recognizable signal

Make plans for warning persons with disabilities. For instance, a flashing strobe light can be used to warn hearing-impaired people.
Familiarize personnel with procedures for responding when the warning system is activated.
Establish procedures for warning customers, contractors, visitors and others who may not be familiar with the facility's warning system.
Test your facility's warning system at least monthly.
SIDE BAR
Test communications often. A research firm discovered in a drill that its two-way radio system did not work, limiting communications between the Emergency Operating Center (EOC) and the Incident Commander (IC) to a single telephone line. The Emergency Management Group had failed to provide a backup radio for the EOC. Fortunately, this was discovered during training.
SIDE BAR
Test alarm systems monthly. One company conducted its first test of a sophisticated alarm system 21 years after the system was installed. Rather than alarm bells, the system played Christmas music.

FUNCTION: LIFE SAFETY.

Protecting the health and safety of everyone in the facility is the first priority during an emergency.

Evacuation Planning
One common means of protection is evacuation. In the case of fire, an immediate evacuation to a predetermined area away from the facility may be necessary. In a hurricane, evacuation could involve the entire community and take place over a period of days.
To develop an evacuation policy and procedure:

a. Determine the conditions under which an evacuation would be necessary.

b. Establish a clear chain of command. Identify personnel with the authority to order an evacuation. Designate "evacuation wardens" to assist others in an evacuation and to account for personnel.

c. Establish specific evacuation procedures. Establish a system for accounting for personnel. Consider employees' transportation needs for community-wide evacuations.

d. Establish procedures for assisting persons with disabilities and those who do not speak English.

e. Post evacuation procedures.

f. Designate personnel to continue or shut down critical operations while an evacuation is underway. They must be capable of recognizing when to abandon the operation and evacuate themselves.

g. Coordinate plans with the local emergency management office.
Evacuation Routes and Exits
Designate primary and secondary evacuation routes and exits. Have them clearly marked and well lit. Post signs.
Install emergency lighting in case a power outage occurs during an evacuation.

Ensure that evacuation routes and emergency exits are:

a. Wide enough to accommodate the number of evacuating personnel
b. Clear and unobstructed at all times
c. Unlikely to expose evacuating personnel to additional hazards
d. Have evacuation routes evaluated by someone not in your organization.

SIDE BAR
Consider how you would access important personal information about employees (home phone, next-of-kin, medical) in an emergency. Storing information on computer disks or in sealed envelopes are two options.
Assembly Areas and Accountability
Obtaining an accurate account of personnel after a site evacuation requires planning and practice.
Designate assembly areas where personnel should gather after evacuating.
Take a head count after the evacuation. The names and last known locations of personnel not accounted for should be determined and given to the EOC. (Confusion in the assembly areas can lead to unnecessary and dangerous search and rescue operations.)
Establish a method for accounting for non-employees such as suppliers and customers.
Establish procedures for further evacuation in case the incident expands. This may consist of sending employees home by normal means or providing them with transportation to an off-site location.
Shelter
In some emergencies, the best means of protection is to take shelter either within the facility or away from the facility in a public building.
Consider the conditions for taking shelter, e.g., tornado warning.
Identify shelter space in the facility and in the community. Establish procedures for sending personnel to shelter.
Determine needs for emergency supplies such as water, food and medical supplies.
Designate shelter managers, if appropriate.
Coordinate plans with local authorities.
Training and Information
Train employees in evacuation, shelter and other safety procedures. Conduct sessions at least annually or when:

a. Employees are hired
b. Evacuation wardens, shelter managers and others with special assignments are designated
c. New equipment, materials or processes are introduced
d. Procedures are updated or revised
e. Exercises show that employee performance must be improved

Provide emergency information such as checklists and evacuation maps.
Post evacuation maps in strategic locations.
Consider the information needs of customers and others who visit the facility.
Family Preparedness
Consider ways to help employees prepare their families for emergencies. This will increase their personal safety and help the facility get back up and running. Those who are prepared at home will be better able to carry out their responsibilities at work.
SIDE BAR
A gas explosion and fire in a nursing home caused the evacuation of all patients, most of whom were disabled. Because the staff had trained for this scenario, all patients were evacuated safely.
SIDE BAR
Search and rescue should be conducted only by properly trained and equipped professionals. Death or serious injury can occur when untrained employees reenter a damaged or contaminated facility.

FUNCTION: PROPERTY PROTECTION.

Protecting facilities, equipment and vital records is essential to restoring operations once an emergency has occurred.

Planning Considerations
Establish procedures for:

a. Fighting fires
b. Containing material spills
c. Closing or barricading doors and windows
d. Shutting down equipment
e. Covering or securing equipment
f. Moving equipment to a safe location

Identify sources of backup equipment, parts and supplies.
Designate personnel to authorize, supervise and perform a facility shutdown. Train them to recognize when to abandon the effort.
Obtain materials to carry out protection procedures and keep them on hand for use only in emergencies.
Protection Systems
Determine needs for systems to detect abnormal situations, provide warning and protect property. Consider:

a. Fire protection systems
b. Lightning protection systems
c. Water-level monitoring systems
d. Overflow detection devices
e. Automatic shutoffs
f. Emergency power generation systems

Consult your property insurer about special protective systems.
Mitigation
Consider ways to reduce the effects of emergencies, such as moving or constructing facilities away from flood plains and fault zones. Also consider ways to reduce the chances of emergencies from occurring, such as changing processes or materials used to run the business.
Consider physical retrofitting measures such as:

a. Upgrading facilities to withstand the shaking of an earthquake or high winds
b. "Floodproofing" facilities by constructing flood walls or other flood protection devices (see Section 3 for additional information)
c. Installing fire sprinkler systems
d. Installing fire-resistant materials and furnishing
e. Installing storm shutters for all exterior windows and doors

There are also non-structural mitigation measures to consider, including:

a. Installing fire-resistant materials and furnishing
b. Securing light fixtures and other items that could fall or shake loose in an emergency
c. Moving heavy or breakable objects to low shelves
d. Attaching cabinets and files to low walls or bolting them together
e. Placing Velcro strips under typewriters, tabletop computers and television monitors
f. Moving work stations away from large windows
g. Installing curtains or blinds that can be drawn over windows to prevent glass from shattering onto employees
h. Anchoring water heaters and bolting them to wall studs

Consult a structural engineer or architect and your community's building and zoning offices for additional information.
Facility Shutdown
Facility shutdown is generally a last resort but always a possibility. Improper or disorganized shutdown can result in confusion, injury and property damage.
Some facilities require only simple actions such as turning off equipment, locking doors and activating alarms. Others require complex shutdown procedures.
Work with department heads to establish shutdown procedures. Include information about when and how to shut off utilities. Identify:

a. The conditions that could necessitate a shutdown
b. Who can order a shutdown
c. Who will carry out shutdown procedures
d. How a partial shutdown would affect other facility operations
e. The length of time required for shutdown and restarting

Train personnel in shutdown procedures. Post procedures.
Records Preservation
Vital records may include:

a. Financial and insurance information
b. Engineering plans and drawings
c. Product lists and specifications
d. Employee, customer and supplier databases
e. Formulas and trade secrets
f. Personnel files

Preserving vital records is essential to the quick restoration of operations. Analyzing vital records involves:

a. Classifying operations into functional categories, e.g., finance, production, sales, administration

b. Determining essential functions for keeping the business up and running, such as finance, production, sales, etc.

c. Identifying the minimum information that must be readily accessible to perform essential functions, e.g., maintaining customer collections may require access to account statements

d. Identifying the records that contain the essential information and where they are located

e. Identifying the equipment and materials needed to access and use the information.

Next, establish procedures for protecting and accessing vital records. Among the many approaches to consider are:

a. Labeling vital records
b. Backing up computer systems
c. Making copies of records
d. Storing tapes and disks in insulated containers
e. Storing data off-site where they would not likely be damaged by an event affecting your facility
f. Increasing security of computer facilities
g. Arranging for evacuation of records to backup facilities
h. Backing up systems handled by service bureaus
i. Arranging for backup power

FUNCTION: COMMUNITY OUTREACH.

Your facility's relationship with the community will influence your ability to protect personnel and property and return to normal operations.

This section describes ways to involve outside organizations in the emergency management plan.

Involving the Community
Maintain a dialogue with community leaders, first responders, government agencies, community organizations and utilities, including:

a. Appointed and elected leaders
b. Fire, police and emergency medical services personnel
c. Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) members
d. Emergency management director
e. Public Works Department
f. American Red Cross
g. Hospitals
h. Telephone company
i. Electric utility
j. Neighborhood groups

Have regular meetings with community emergency personnel to review emergency plans and procedures. Talk about what you're doing to prepare for and prevent emergencies. Explain your concern for the community's welfare.
Identify ways your facility could help the community in a community-wide emergency.
Look for common interests and concerns. Identify opportunities for sharing resources and information.
Conduct confidence-building activities such as facility tours. Do a facility walk-through with community response groups.
Involve community fire, police and emergency management personnel in drills and exercises.
Meet with your neighbors to determine how you could assist each other in an emergency.
Mutual Aid Agreements
To avoid confusion and conflict in an emergency, establish mutual aid agreements with local response agencies and businesses.
These agreements should:

a. Define the type of assistance
b. Identify the chain of command for activating the agreement
c. Define communications procedures

Include these agencies in facility training exercises whenever possible.
SIDE BAR
Mutual aid agreements can address any number of activities or resources that might be needed in an emergency. For example:
1. Businesses allowing neighbors to use their property to account for personnel after an evacuation.
Community Service
In community-wide emergencies, business and industry are often needed to assist the community with:

a. Personnel
b. Equipment
c. Shelter
d. Training
e. Storage
f. Feeding facilities
g. EOC facilities
h. Food, clothing, building materials
i. Funding
j. Transportation

While there is no way to predict what demands will be placed on your company's resources, give some thought to how the community's needs might influence your corporate responsibilities in an emergency. Also, consider the opportunities for community service before an emergency occurs.
Public Information
When site emergencies expand beyond the facility, the community will want to know the nature of the incident, whether the public's safety or health is in danger, what is being done to resolve the problem and what was done to prevent the situation from happening.
Determine the audiences that may be affected by an emergency and identify their information needs. Include:

a. The public
b. The media
c. Employees and retirees
d. Unions
e. Contractors and suppliers
f. Customers
g. Shareholders
h. Emergency response organizations
i. Regulatory agencies
j. Appointed and elected officials
k. Special interest groups
l. Neighbors

SIDE BAR
The community wants to know:
Media Relations
In an emergency, the media are the most important link to the public. Try to develop and maintain positive relations with media outlets in your area. Determine their particular needs and interests. Explain your plan for protecting personnel and preventing emergencies.
Determine how you would communicate important public information through the media in an emergency.Designate a trained spokesperson and an alternate spokesperson.Set up a media briefing area.Establish security procedures.Establish procedures for ensuring that information is complete, accurate and approved for public release.Determine an appropriate and useful way of communicating technical information.Prepare background information about the facility.
When providing information to the media during an emergency:
Do's

Give all media equal access to information.
When appropriate, conduct press briefings and interviews. Give local and national media equal time.
Try to observe media deadlines.
Escort media representatives to ensure safety.
Keep records of information released.
Provide press releases when possible.

Don'ts

Do not speculate about the incident.
Do not permit unauthorized personnel to release information.
Do not cover up facts or mislead the media.
Do not place blame for the incident.

SIDE BAR
Press releases about facility-generated emergencies should describe who is involved in the incident and what happened, including when, where, why and how.

FUNCTION: RECOVERY AND RESTORATION.

Business recovery and restoration, or business resumption, goes right to a facility's bottom line: keeping people employed and the business running.

Planning Considerations
Consider making contractual arrangements with vendors for such post-emergency services as records preservation, equipment repair, earthmoving or engineering.
Meet with your insurance carriers to discuss your property and business resumptions policies (see the next page for guidelines).
Determine critical operations and make plans for bringing those systems back on-line. The process may entail:

a. Repairing or replacing equipment
b. Relocating operations to an alternate location
c. Contracting operations on a temporary basis

Take photographs or videotape the facility to document company assets. Update these records regularly.
Continuity of Management
You can assume that not every key person will be readily available or physically at the facility after an emergency. Ensure that recovery decisions can be made without undue delay. Consult your legal department regarding laws and corporate bylaws governing continuity of management.
Establish procedures for:

a. Assuring the chain of command
b. Maintaining lines of succession for key personnel
c. Moving to alternate headquarters

Include these considerations in all exercise scenarios.
Insurance
Most companies discover that they are not properly insured only after they have suffered a loss. Lack of appropriate insurance can be financially devastating. Discuss the following topics with your insurance advisor to determine your individual needs.

a. How will my property be valued?
b. Does my policy cover the cost of required upgrades to code?
c. How much insurance am I required to carry to avoid becoming a co-insurer?
d. What perils or causes of loss does my policy cover?
e. What are my deductibles?
f. What does my policy require me to do in the event of a loss?
g. What types of records and documentation will my insurance company want to see? Are records in a safe place where they can be obtained after an emergency?
h. To what extent am I covered for loss due to interruption of power? Is coverage provided for both on- and off-premises power interruption?
i. Am I covered for lost income in the event of business interruption because of a loss? Do I have enough coverage? For how long is coverage provided? How long is my coverage for lost income if my business is closed by order of a civil authority?
j. To what extent am I covered for reduced income due to customers' not all immediately coming back once the business reopens?
k. How will my emergency management program affect my rates?
Employee Support
Since employees who will rely on you for support after an emergency are your most valuable asset, consider the range of services that you could provide or arrange for, including:

a. Cash advances
b. Salary continuation
c. Flexible work hours
d. Reduced work hours
e. Crisis counseling
f. Care packages
g. Day care

SIDE BAR
After a site emergency, assess the impact of the event on business neighbors and the community and take appropriate action. How you handle this issue will have long-lasting consequences.
Resuming Operations
Immediately after an emergency, take steps to resume operations.
Establish a recovery team, if necessary. Establish priorities for resuming operations.
Continue to ensure the safety of personnel on the property. Assess remaining hazards. Maintain security at the incident scene.
Conduct an employee briefing.
Keep detailed records. Consider audio recording all decisions. Take photographs of or videotape the damage.
Account for all damage-related costs. Establish special job order numbers and charge codes for purchases and repair work.
Follow notification procedures. Notify employees' families about the status of personnel on the property. Notify off-duty personnel about work status. Notify insurance carriers and appropriate government agencies.
Protect undamaged property. Close up building openings. Remove smoke, water and debris. Protect equipment against moisture. Restore sprinkler systems. Physically secure the property. Restore power.
Conduct an investigation. Coordinate actions with appropriate government agencies.
Conduct salvage operations. Segregate damaged from undamaged property. Keep damaged goods on hand until an insurance adjuster has visited the premises, but you can move material outside if it's seriously in the way and exposure to the elements won't make matters worse.
Take an inventory of damaged goods. This is usually done with the adjuster, or the adjuster's salvor if there is any appreciable amount of goods or value. If you release goods to the salvor, obtain a signed inventory stating the quantity and type of goods being removed.
Restore equipment and property. For major repair work, review restoration plans with the insurance adjuster and appropriate government agencies.
Assess the value of damaged property. Assess the impact of business interruption.
Maintain contact with customers and suppliers.

FUNCTION: ADMINISTRATION AND LOGISTICS.

Maintain complete and accurate records at all times to ensure a more efficient emergency response and recovery. Certain records may also be required by regulation or by your insurance carriers or prove invaluable in the case of legal action after an incident.

Administrative Actions
Administrative actions prior to an emergency include:

a. Establishing a written emergency management plan
b. Maintaining training records
c. Maintaining all written communications
d. Documenting drills and exercises and their critiques
e. Involving community emergency response organizations in planning activities

Administrative actions during and after an emergency include:

a. Maintaining telephone logs
b. Keeping a detailed record of events
c. Maintaining a record of injuries and follow-up actions
d. Accounting for personnel
e. Coordinating notification of family members
f. Issuing press releases
g. Maintaining sampling records
h. Managing finances
i. Coordinating personnel services
j. Documenting incident investigations and recovery operations
Logistics
Before an emergency, logistics may entail:

a. Acquiring equipment
b. Stockpiling supplies
c. Designating emergency facilities
d. Establishing training facilities
e. Establishing mutual aid agreements
f. Preparing a resource inventory

During an emergency, logistics may entail the provision of:

a. Providing utility maps to emergency responders
b. Providing material safety data sheets to employees
c. Moving backup equipment in place
d. Repairing parts
e. Arranging for medical support, food and transportation
f. Arranging for shelter facilities
g. Providing for backup power
h. Providing for backup communications

SIDE BAR
Emergency funding can be critical immediately following an emergency. Consider the need for pre-approved purchase requisitions and whether special funding authorities may be necessary.