Emergency plan development and implementation procedures

Emergency Plan

Business Name: MWV located in Covington VA

Number of Employees 190

Emergency management plan entails a system of managing resources, information analysis and decision making in the event of a tornado hitting the facility (Hubbard, 2009). The emergency management plan acts a guide to the responsible personal, the staff and residents within the facility on the steps to take upon the occurrence of a tornado. The emergency plan gives a description of the role that the pre-appointed Emergency Management Group (EMG) is expected to carry out in the event of a tornado. The Emergency Management group will serve as the overall authority over the activities in the facility relating to the occurrence of a tornado.

The emergency management policy is to ensure the safety of every individual within the facility and bring the facility to normal operations after an accident.

The head of the Emergency Management group is an appointed Incident Commander (IC) who serves as the facility's ground director in normal facility's operations. In the emergency plan, the IC supervises all technical aspects of the response to the incident. The EMG will provide support to the IC by allocating resource, providing an interface with the outside response organization, the media, the community and the regulatory agencies. The chair of the EMG is the director of operations in the facility and in-charge of all aspects of the emergency. The other members of the EMG are departmental managers and have the task and authority to:

Assess the short-term and long-term impact of the emergency,

Give and order to evacuate or shutdown the facility

Issues press briefs

Interact with partnering organizations and the media.

The facility emergency plan is for an expected tornado. In the event of a tornado, the designated safe point within the facility is the basement parking lot. The EMG and IC will coordinate activities concerning the incidence in the security room located in the building's basement packing.

Emergency Management Plan

Emergency management is the process of preparing for, mitigating, 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 coordinating activities with the community are other important functions (Safety, 2002).

Direction and Control

Upon receiving warnings of a possible hit on the facility from the national weather service, the Incidents Commander will:

Immediately set up an incident command base center pre-designated for a tornado,

From this center, the IC will issue orders for the facility's staff and residents to prepare for an evacuation exercise to the designated safety regions within the facility,

Issue an order to house those individuals outside the facility's main building,

Undertake to investigate the condition and capacity of the designated safety location putting in mind the number of people within the facility.

The Emergency Management Group will undertake to:

Assess the situation inside and outside the plant,

Give reports on the current operations within the plant in their respective departments,

Evaluate the set up emergency management plan,

Assess the available recourses within the facility to operate through the incident. The EMG should assess fire equipment; facility's blue print; buildings security system; emergency supplies; facility's data; alternate communication and power equipment; supporting emergency partners; first aid Kits and the responsible personnel,

Assign responsibilities to the departmental heads and the senior supervisor on relevant coordinated actions to take. This will involve giving direction to the staff and residents in the facility, shutting down risky operations undergoing in the facility, establishing alternate communication and power resources and Recommend subsequent action upon the assessment

Upon this assessment, the EMG shall

Define and assign duties to responsible personnel and provide a checklist for all the procedures,

Define a procedure for evacuation, facility operation shut-down and medical and health operations,

Determine succession line and protocol to ensures continuous leadership, authority and responsibility

Ensure the accessibility to the designated arrears and emergency supplies

The staff and facility residents issued with responsibility will be tasked to Recognizing and reporting an emergency

Warn other employees and residents in the area

Take security and safety measures

Ensures safe direction during evacuation and shut down

Close the doors, widows and directing colleagues in creating a safe harbor within their respective safety regions.

This team of responsible person comprises of persons with training in tornado disaster management. They will be required to follow the laid down chain of command to relay any relevant information concerning the incident. Upon receiving the assessment reports and recommendation the IC in liaison with the EMG determine the external response teams to alert and call upon to assist in managing the incident.

Communication

Communication before, during and immediately after the incident will be between undertaken using contingency communication system. The IC will authorize the use of high frequency two way radios for external communication and issue group leaders with low frequency radio equipment for internal communication. The IC will use distinctly audible sirens and loud speakers to give orders for evacuation and shut down. This communications will be issued before the incident occurs. Using the high frequency radio the IC will communicate with:

Outside response organizations

Neighboring businesses

Media

Emergency responders

Government regulatory agencies

The above group shall be kept up-to-date with the situation in the facility and the support groups to be informed on the support the facility may require.

Life Safety

The IC in liaison with the EMG will assess the reports received from the national weather service and the capacity of the facility to with stand the expected magnitude hit. Before the storm hits the facility, the IC will issue an order to evacuate the work place and locate to an area designated. The IC will issue the order to evacuate in a systematic departmental order. The department staff will follow the leadership of appointed evacuation wardens. The evacuation wardens will have the responsibility over their respective departments and give reports to the EMG on their account for persons and their condition. Prior to the incident once the initial warning is issued the evacuation wardens will confirm that the evacuation routes are clear and unobstructed. Upon evacuation, the evacuation wardens will take an account of the personnel under their responsibility.

Property Protection

Prior to incident the IC will

Order for the shutdown of facility running equipment,

Call for a barricading of doors and windows,

Give instruction for movement of movable files and equipment to safe location. For the facility these will include financial, insurance and engineering records,

Covering and securing of facility equipment,

Identify source of backup equipment, parts and supplies.

Community Outreach

Before the incident the EMG will take up the responsibility to alert:

The partner emergency medical service provider,

Neighboring hospitals

Police and government agency that provides emergency assistance services

Telephone and electricity companies

The American Red Cross

Regular communication with the above mentioned personnel and group shall be maintained giving information on:

The level of damage sustained by the facility and the persons within the facility