Disaster Planning Guide - MaintenX

Disaster Planning Guide

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Introduction Are you ready for the next inevitable disaster? From 9/11 to Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy and the regular hacking of IT systems and banks across the country, the news is full of emergencies, crises and disasters. It’s not a question of IF but WHEN disaster will strike your facility, and you need to be prepared. Learn how to protect yourself and cope with disaster by planning ahead so that you can protect your facility, your employees and lessen the financial impact of a disaster.

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Disaster Planning Action List  Create an “Emergency Planning Team”  Include staff from all parts of organization and departments  Appoint a team leader  Develop a Mission Statement so everyone is on the same page  Determine what the team needs to address: prioritize your critical business needs for each department  Decide on a timeframe for the initial planning  Don’t reinvent the wheel! Look to see if there are any existing plans. If not, brainstorm as a group  Identify essential services and operations required for business continuity  Identify potential emergencies  Perform a risk assessment  Identify available resources – internal and external


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Disaster Planning Action List  Calculate financial recommendations and a planning budget  Review your insurance needs and coverage.

 Develop your plan to include:  Mitigation & prevention  Emergency Response  Emergency Recovery 

Implement / integrate your plan

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Conduct staff training

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Rehearse the plan before you need it!

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Review lessons learned from your rehearsal

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Modify & update the plan as needed


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Disaster Management 1. Plan Designing a comprehensive plan with the input from all departments is the foundation for disaster management.

2. Implement Budget and schedule the necessary updates and purchases you need to make your plan work.

3. Train & Test Once you have the disaster preparedness plan created and all the key items implemented and updated, it’s time to perform a drill to find any flaws and weaknesses! Train all your staff in the key elements of your Disaster Preparedness Plan then set a date to test your plan by simulating a specific emergency or disaster. Make notes on the effectiveness of the plan and hold a post-testing meeting to discuss the exercise with your team. 4. Update Your Plan Use your testing to determine where your plan was successful and identify any weaknesses. Take the time to update your plan accordingly. Do it now before you hit an emergency situation, so that you know you’re covered! Update your plan anytime there are changes in your business, especially if your business changes location. Annual staff training and new hire training will insure that everyone knows what to do in a crisis


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Disaster Planning Disaster preparedness is all about creating an effective Disaster Preparation Plan to recover from a temporary disruption to business operations. Planning gives you a familiarity and knowledge of potential problems to allow you to mount a quick, efficient and appropriate response. This reduces the amount of time and thinking required when a crisis happens and increases the speed with which you get back in business. Build a Disaster Planning Team with members from each department to help you with the planning process: Write a preparedness plan addressing: • Resource management • Emergency response • Crisis communications • Business continuity • Information technology • Employee assistance • Incident management • Training


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Identify Potential Disasters Make a list of potential disasters that could happen to your company: • • • • • • • • • • • •

Include emergencies that you will be warned about and those that are unexpected Consider both natural causes and man-made disasters Find out the natural or other disasters most commonly occur in your area Consider chemical, biological, toxin, or radiological agents Ask local organizations for tips on how best to prepare for a disaster Find out how you would be warned of an emergency Learn your community’s emergency plan and evacuation routes Ask about assistance they can provide to you Consider three areas: human resources, physical resources and also business continuity Think about how a disaster could affect your employees, customers and workplace Work on a plan to continue doing business if the area around your facility is closed or streets are impassable Think about what you would need to serve your customers even if your facility is closed


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Emergency Types •

Electrical power

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Indoor air quality

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Elevators and escalators

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Labor strike

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Fire

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Lockout

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Wildfire

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Storm

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Flood

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Terrorism

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Landslide

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Water loss

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Hazardous material / spills

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Workplace violence

Each emergency will vary by: • Controllability • Predictability • Speed of onset

• Length of warning • Duration of impact • Scope and intensity of impact

Be careful to distinguish between “incidents” and “emergencies.” Call (855) 751-0075 for a custom consultation

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Disaster Mitigation Mitigation is a critical part of disaster preparedness. Disaster response and recovery can be aided by limiting the chance of an emergency and reducing the damage that could be caused.

Once you’ve identified where your business is vulnerable for a crisis: • Make sure your buildings are up to code for your local authorities •

Work on ways to prevent damage or limit the size of the area that could be affected in an emergency

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Protect your facility by separating high risk areas and enforcing safety rules

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Identify ways to prevent the spread of fires, infectious agents etc.

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Prevent or reduce disaster damage in your facility by taking precautions:  Bolt tall bookcases or display cases to wall studs  Protect breakable objects by securing them to a stand or shelf using hookand-loop fasteners  Move to lower shelves any large objects that could fall and break or injure someone  Install latches to keep drawers and cabinets from flying open


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Disaster Mitigation

 Install shutters that you can close to protect windows from damage caused by debris blown by a hurricane, tornado or severe storm  Use closed screw eyes and wire to securely attach framed pictures and mirrors to walls  Use plumber’s tape or strap iron to wrap around a hot water heater to secure it to wall studs  Consider having a professional install flexible connectors to appliances and equipment fueled by natural gas


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Disaster Response When disaster hits, you may or may not have any warning. Regardless, if you have an effective plan in place and your staff are well trained, you will have a faster and more effective response. Despite all of the planning that you do to prepare for an emergency, it’s impossible to predict the actual course of events as they unfold, so awareness, communication and flexible responses are still required. •

Make sure your staff are trained to recognize the warning & notification of a disaster so no time is wasted!

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The first step is to plan for TRIAGE: decide immediate priority tasks and those that can be delayed

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Put people first: Plan to secure the safety of the public and your employees, including search and rescue, injury treatment and accounting of missing persons

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Assess the damage to your facility and secure your property

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Contact your insurance company and being the claims process

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Talk to your neighbors, especially other local businesses. During the disaster and right after the crisis, neighbors and friends provide the necessary resources for resilience. The people in your immediate vicinity are best positioned to undertake initial emergency help after a disaster and can play a critical role on the front line of disasters


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Disaster Recovery Once the main emergency is over, it’s time to get your company back on track as fast as possible. •

Make an assessment of the damage

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Consider short term recovery needs to get your business back up and running:  Restoration of communications and IT  Alternative locations to continue to serve your customers  Building & Equipment repairs  Staff schedules

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Based on your needs, plan for long term recovery:  File any necessary claims with your insurance agent as fast as possible  Perform any repairs if safe to do so  Determine replacement equipment needs and place orders

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Identify what you learned from the experience: your strengths and weaknesses and update your Disaster Preparation Plan accordingly


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Disaster Communication Communication during and after an emergency is critical and can mean the difference between life and death. Actions based on weak or no data can do more harm than good. You need to stay up to date on incoming information on the emergency situation but also communicate internally to your staff and customers, as well as communicate externally to local authorities, emergency responders and also the public. Standard forms of communication may be knocked out, so consider all possible forms of communication: • • • • • • • • • •

Local early warning systems Emergency Alert System (EAS) Community alert system Mobile communications (cell phones, text messaging) or pagers VOIP CB radio and Community radio stations Email Crowds-sourced crisis information platforms Social Media – via groups, video, photos, status updates etc. Hand-held satellite if cellular and other communication is down or cable and even fiber-optic lines are knocked out

Communication Tips: • • •

Keep contact details of all key employees and customers stored in your phone Designate one remote number on which you can record voicemails for employees to access and provide the number to all employees Arrange for programmable call forwarding for your main business line(s). If you can't get to the office, you can call in and reprogram the phones to ring elsewhere.


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Tools & Technology Red Cross Apps •

The American Red Cross provides 4 free Disaster Recovery apps to download for both Android and iOS. They provide real time information about what to do before, during and after emergencies including: earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes and wildfires.

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The First Aid App by the American Red Cross can also help with videos and advice on how to deal with basic first aid , as well as safety tips. You can even call 911 from within the app. Spanish translation available.

VisionLink OEM Shelter This app keeps you posted on disaster shelters as they open within the U.S. on the National Shelter System, along with the latest disaster information.

Disaster Check In Check in on your team, as well as family and friends after a disaster, using the Disaster Check In app. Check in with the touch of a button or text. Includes GPS, in app and group messaging, SMS text messaging and email.

Storm Tracker Apps Various Storm Tracker and weather apps are available, both national and local, to download for Android and iOS. These can help you track various natural weather systems heading your way and send you warning push notifications to your phone.


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Safety Skills & First Aid Training Be sure your staff have been trained in safety skills and use of safety equipment, such as fire extinguishers, as well trained in CPR and first aid. The American Red Cross chapters provide classes. Consider what would happen if there was an attack on first responders or subsequent attacks on hospitals, police and emergency responders. Attacks may also target command and control capabilities or computer information systems. Consider

Community

Emergency

Response Team (CERT) training for key staff. Not only will this give you an advantage if a crisis happens in your business, but also prepare you for a community crisis. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. To learn more visit http://www.fema.gov/community-emergency-response-teams


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Special Considerations Your Employees Can’t Get Home After An Emergency Consider what you would do if the staff can’t get home ! Here is a list of supplies you might need if your staff need to stay at work:            

Water, food, paper plates, cups, utensils, non-electric can opener Warm clothing Blankets / sleeping bags Personal hygiene items Toilet paper, moist towels Soap, liquid detergent Alcoholic-based hand sanitizing gels Feminine supplies Plastic garbage bags for trash/waste disposal Plastic bucket with tight lid Disinfectant & cleaning supplies Household chlorine bleach

Special Needs Cases Consider the needs of staff or the public who may : • • • •

Be hearing impaired Be mobility impaired Not speak English as their first language Be single parents who need to collect their children from school Also take into consideration any animals that may need care and protection


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Disaster Supplies List                    

Key Staff Contact List Map of main turn off for gas, electricity, water Floor plan & escape routes First aid kit(s) Protective equipment / dust masks Battery-powered radio Flashlight and batteries Company Credit cards & cash Building keys / access codes / cards Fire extinguisher Small tools e.g. pliers, hammer, saw Duct Tape Compass Whistle Signal flare Matches in waterproof container Shut-off wrench to turn off gas, electricity and water Utility shut-off location map Map of the area (for locating shelters) or phone app Address/phone for local medical facilities


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Resources • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

National Hurricane Center FEMA Ready.gov, from FEMA International Code Council American Red Cross National Weather Service (NWS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) The Weather Channel, and WC’s Hurricane Central OSHA EPA Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Department of Health and Human Services Institute for Business and Home Safety The Utility Connection Department of Treasury Department of Homeland Security, Business Emergency Preparation Department of Homeland Security, Active Shooter Response - Poster Department of Homeland Security, Active Shooter Response - Pocket Card Department of Homeland Security, Active Shooter Response - Booklet Disaster Recovery Journal ASIS International International Code Council (ICC) Disaster Response Network


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