Earthquake preparedness and emergency response planning

Earthquake Preparedness

Situations where authorities must prepare earthquake procedures are complex and require the advice of specialists in different fields. The fact that little advance has been made by science in order to forecast earthquakes determines authorities to constantly be prepared for such situations. Being prepared means having the financial resources to address the situation, having the supplies within reach, and training people on what to do in earthquake situations. In this case, the analysis addresses a small company with 50 employees.

Budget

The budget established by the organization must focus on investing in supplies and staff training, but also on ensuring the damages that are likely to be produced by earthquakes. It is important that the company is insured for natural hazards situations. However, there is certain duration between when the hazardous event produces, a team from the insurance comes to verify damages, the amount owed by the insurance company to their client is calculated and paid. During this period, the company must have an available budget for damages produced by the earthquake. The emergency preparedness department must be operated by three people: one from the technical department, one from the administrative department, and one from the human resources department.

Budget Planning

Item

Quantity

Cost

Water

1,500 gallons

$1,875

Food

600 meals

$3,000

Blankets

60

$500

Medical Supplies

6 kits

$1,200

Shelter

60 beds

$1,500

Training programs

2 sessions

$20,000

Repair activities

Not the case

$75,000

Other Items

$5,000

TOTAL

$105,575

Earthquake Policy

Each organization should develop its own earthquake policy in accordance with geographical issues, technical aspects regarding buildings, and the affected population. In this case, the company is not built in a seismic area, and earthquakes do not take place frequently. However, earthquake drills must be performed on a regular basis. It is recommended that the company organizes these drills annually. This ensures that new personnel are properly trained.

The responsibility for stocking supplies belongs to the administrative department and manager. They must ensure that certain space is designated on each floor for storing earthquake emergency supplies (USC CAPS, 2014). The administrative department is in charge with equipping these spaces in accordance with the procedure and with ensuring the food in these spaces is fresh.

The emergency preparedness budget is established by the administrative department and approved by the financial department. This budget should be maintained by the administrative department by ensuring it includes all necessary purchases. In case additional resources are needed, these must be approved by the financial department.

Challenges

There are numerous challenges that must be addressed when implementing an earthquake preparedness procedure. One of these challenges is represented by sustainability of the procedures and the necessary resources (FEMA, 2010). In other words, the company must continuously invest in adapting the procedure to new developments, in keeping an eye on modern procedures developed by other organizations, and on properly training employees. Another challenge is represented by selecting the people that should manage the earthquake preparedness operations. Developing the strategy in normal, calm situations is entirely different from running the operations in the event of an earthquake.

Supplies

An important issue in developing a successful earthquake preparedness plan relies on assessing the supplies needed in such situations. In this case, the company has a three storied building near the central metropolitan area, in which 50 employees work. In addition to this, the company is often visited by clients or by business partners that engage in meetings with the company's employees. Therefore, an additional number of people to the company's employees is considered when developing the plans and procedures. The procedure was thought to consider a two days evacuation process, but the established resources are intended to be used for 5 days situations.

The required supplies in this case are represented by:

Water: 1,250 gallons -- 5 gallons for 60 people for 5 days

Food: 600 meals based on non-perishable foods - 2 meals for 60 people for 5 days

Blankets: 60 blankets

First aid kits: 6 kits

Flashlights: 6 pieces

Personal hygiene items

Maps

Battery powered radios and batteries

Earthquake Preparedness Training and Education

One of the most important success factors in dealing with earthquakes relies on people's training and education. It has been established that the number of victims in such situations could be reduced if people would be educated and would know the correct and incorrect actions that can be made. When earthquakes take place, people get scared and make mistakes. Other people listen to popular sayings according to which they must stand in the doorway in order to be protected. These are actions that can significantly affect people's physical integrity.

It is important that a specialized team can verify the solidity and safety of the building and identify danger and safety areas. The results of these verifications should be brought to employees' knowledge, but customers and business partners should also be informed. The company should display in waiting rooms, meeting rooms and hallways which areas people should try to find shelter in if an earthquake should occur.

In addition to this, the company should invest in training its employees to properly address such situations (National Research Council, 2011). The training programs should be developed by employees in the administrative department in case they have the knowledge and are authorized, by specialized companies, or by collaborating local fire departments. It is recommended that these trainings should not be limited to earthquake situations, but address other disasters, like fires or flooding. These trainings should be performed on an annual basis in order for new employees to be trained also. The knowledge gained from these trainings should be applied practically in drills that should test how the company's employees' are likely to respond in earthquake situations.

The success of earthquake preparedness programs also depend on public training. It should be the state authorities' job to educate individuals on how to behave in natural hazards situations (CDEMA, 2010). Most schools have their own education programs in which they address such issues. It would be fair for the costs of training programs in companies to be supported by these companies and also by the state's authorities. In addition to this, authorities should offer incentives for companies to invest in training programs for their employees. Individuals that learn how to address natural hazard situations through training programs at their companies can also teach their families and friends these techniques, increasing population's efficient response to such situations. It is important that the state's authorities and companies collaborate in order to be able to invest in such programs.