Emergency action plans are living documents. Periodic assessments have to be conducted to validate the plan’s content and then revisions have to be made to keep it current. The points of contact specified in the emergency action plan change more than anything else. Even though it is critical for a respondent to know who to contact in the case of a specific emergency, it is common to see these plans with names of people who have left the organization long ago. The individuals responsible for updating the emergency action plan also have to stay informed of local threats and problems to ensure the plan addresses these issues. Some issues are temporary in nature, such as a health epidemic, and can be addressed in a corresponding “temporary issue” section of the document.
All facilities face the risk of emergencies. Emergencies can manifest themselves in a variety of ways including health, crime, natural disaster, service outages, terrorism, or other actions that result in an immediate disruption of normality. Distressed people are usually unable to think clearly and make informed decisions that are ideal since many situations are complex and require significant consideration. Emergency action plans remove that stress by outlining exactly who to contact, what to do, what to not do, where to go, and how to handle a wide variety of emergency situations. This information is invaluable if an unfortunate event occurs that constitutes an emergency.
Experts like Orion Security Solutions can provide critical assistance in developing an appropriate emergency action plan for your facility. Please don’t hesitate to call today and ask about our services so that you can rest well knowing that you are prepared to handle emergencies should they arise.
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Emergency Action Plan
Emergencies can happen anywhere. The question is, “Are you properly prepared if emergencies arise?” Like anything requiring a response, emergencies will likely be handled properly if there is a plan in place that the respondents know and will likely be mishandled if each respondent is responsible for deriving a solution on the fly. Emergency action plans provide step by step instruction for anticipated emergencies and general instruction for unique or unforeseen emergency situations. Emergency action plans should be created by people who have been properly trained to handle these types of situations so that the instruction is accurate, concise, and legitimate. Once an emergency action plan is developed, designated personnel simply need to ensure that recurring training is offered and that the plan is updated periodically as changes occur with the facility, personnel, or perceived risks and threats.
