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Emergency Planning 101- "The Basics"
Planning for emergencies is important at several levels to ensure a timely and effective response throughout the campus community in a crisis situation. Campus-wide plans that involve multiple units, and resources from the external community when needed, are advanced primarily through the Emergency Preparedness Committee. Plans of a College/School scope and for specific units are also essential-the information below is provided to support those efforts.
- Plan Development
Rarely is it appropriate for one person to be responsible for creating an emergency plan, a committee is typically the best approach. Checklist points include:
- Evidence of support from Dean, Director, Department Head or unit supervisor
- Formal charge to group for direction and authority
- Chairperson to facilitate meetings, delegate responsibilities and monitor progress
- Representative group selected to constitute committee
- Connectivity to Building Executive(s) on point
- Meeting minutes kept and disseminated throughout College/School or unit and emergency preparedness/response units (UAPD, EHS, etc)
- Plan Components
- Communication
There are a variety of means to disseminate emergency messages to the campus community, unit representatives are responsible for ensuring connectivity. These messaging strategies include phone (call lists), e-mail (group lists or all), broadcast media (radio, television), outdoor warning system (siren or voice) and direct (word of mouth) contact with a combination likely in a crisis situation. If not established already, identify a first point of contact and defaults for your College/School or unit and create a notification plan that reaches all other essential personnel. Be sure to consider both traditional (at work) and after-hours implementation of the notification plan. Examine roles and responsibilities to determine who needs to be reached in what circumstances and develop your plans accordingly. Checklist points include:
- How unit rep(s) get/remain connected with campus notification matrix
- How subsequent notification(s) of other unit rep(s) are handled (criteria)
- How unit reps maintain connectivity throughout emergency
- How interface with University Relations is handled (criteria)
- How interface with commercial media is handled (criteria)
- How inquiries from off campus (parents, employees, public) get handled
- How necessary communications going off campus are handled
For outgoing communications when confronted with a real (crime in progress, injury, fire, explosion, chemical/biological incident, specific threat) or potential (suspicious person/ package, strange odor, compromised secure area) emergency situation call 9-1-1 immediately and provide as much information as possible.
Static communications can be handled through a variety of means such as policy manuals, bulletin boards, internal newsletters and unit web pages.
- Resources
Utilize on campus resources to develop emergency plans and see their unit web pages for additional links of interest.
- University Police, 575-3402, www.uark.edu/~uapdinfo/: traffic management, building security, personal safety, special events, alerts/bulletins, homeland security, emergency preparedness, crime prevention, suspicious mail, workplace violence, related links
- Environmental Health & Safety, 575-5448, www.phpl.uark.edu/ehs/: fire safety, chemical safety, respiratory protection, radiation safety, agriculture, biological safety, vehicle safety, personal protective equipment, evacuation plans, take cover plans, severe weather, MSDS, hazardous waste pickup, X-ray devices safety, sealed sources safety, HAZMAT response, human pathogens registration, training programs, related links
- University Health Center, 575-4451, www.uark.edu/depts/healinfo/: smallpox, infectious diseases, advisories, educational programs, general/mental/women's health, related links
Copy these Directors (see below) on minutes of safety committee meetings at the addresses shown.
- Larry Slamons, University Police, ADSB 182
- Miriam Lonon, Environmental Health & Safety, PHPL
- Mary Alice Serafini, University Health Center, HLTH 205
- Protocols
Each campus unit will have concerns in a crisis situation and formal plans are the best way to ensure those are properly addressed. Unit representatives should identify general and crisis-specific action items for crisis situations and commit them to written form-simplicity is paramount. This collection of protocols could include notifications, initial response obligations, sustained incident management guidelines, alternative operations plans and a myriad of unit-specific considerations. Checklist points include:
- Emergency notification matrix
- Response and authority protocol
- Location and functionality of Emergency Operations Center
- Identification and accessibility of supplies
- Safeguarding critical assets and records (back up protocols)
- Assessment and recovery protocols
- Documentation
It is further appropriate to develop varying criteria for strengthening protective measures if deemed necessary. The Homeland Security Advisory System has five levels of alert status and some campus units may consider operational plans that mirror this tiered approach-other units may be best served by focusing on special events, seasonal concerns or high-risk operations/facilities.
- Training
All personnel should be provided emergency response training commensurate with their expected level of involvement. Training with varying criteria can be provided for up to three different personnel categories: employees, management and emergency responders.
Employee training should assure that they react automatically to warnings, impending danger and/or imminent emergency. Checklist points include:
- Hazards at facility or nearby facilities
- Warning signals, their meaning and appropriate response
- Role specific responsibilities describing sequence of actions to be taken
- Incident or condition reporting protocols
- Location and use of emergency equipment as appropriate
- Procedures for evacuations and take cover plans
Management training should ensure quality leadership in a crisis situation, based on role specific responsibilities and formal emergency plans. Checklist points include:
- Linkages with campus and external resource providers
- Communications with other unit personnel
- Media relations
- Handling off-campus inquiries
- Incident management documentation
- Familiarity with unit-specific risks or concerns
- Alternative operations protocols
Emergency responder training should be specific to the unit mission, assets and capabilities with considerations for a variety of crisis situations. (no checklist provided as traditional emergency response units already have detailed contingency plans)
- Communication
- Plan Maintenance
One individual should be ultimately responsible for ensuring emergency plans are updated in a timely fashion and formally reviewed as a whole on a predetermined schedule. Training is essential for all personnel (see above) and drills/exercises also provide value-these simulations can be tabletops, limited scope or full-scale depending on the learning objectives.