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Emergency Preparedness Matters! Since the mid 80s, the emergency management community has preached a clear and consistent message: Prepare businesses, schools and homes to be self sufficient for 3 days. Way back then, some even suggested 7 days! All agreed that after a major disaster, it could be days before outside help arrives. The importance of personal preparedness was re-emphasized after 9/11 by former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge: “We can be afraid or we can be ready.” Today, more than ever before, emergency preparedness matters. We live in a fast-moving interdependent world. When it comes to the basics of life, we look to others to provide our needs – gasoline, food, medical care, water. We are surprised if a gas shortage causes stations to run out of gas. When we turn on the water faucet, it never occurs to us that we’d get anything but clean water. In almost every community, there are 24-hour grocery stores and drug stores we can rely on in the middle of the night. However, our 24/7 connected world includes a host of risks – hurricanes, earthquakes, terrorism, avian flu – just to name a few, that threaten to devastate individuals, businesses and communities. The emergency management community has known and preached a clear message for more than two decades: Preparedness is a personal responsibility. It takes time and money to prepare, and the money spent may never really be needed. But in a disaster, investments in preparedness will return dividends a thousand-fold. Business Responsibility for Workplace Preparedness Risk assessment is a sophisticated area of expertise that can range from self-assessment to an extensive engineering study. The specific industry, size and scope of your individual company will determine your organization’s risk assessment needs. Know what kinds of emergencies might affect your company both internally and externally. Find out which natural disasters are most common in the areas where you operate. You may be aware of some of your community’s risks; others may surprise you.1 Visit Ready.gov for information on various threats: biological threats, chemical threats, explosions, nuclear blasts, radiation threats and natural disasters. Remember…your business is responsible to protect your employees while they are at work. Here are ways you can help your employees – at work, at home and on the road. 1. Prepare to Meet Basic Needs Some important considerations:
Encourage employees to take basic First Aid and CPR training. Offer on-site classes for your co-workers. Keep first aid supplies in stock and easily accessible. Differentiate between routine medical supplies and those for disasters. Encourage employees to talk about medical conditions that may require support or special care in an emergency. Don’t forget critical medications. Keep employee emergency contact information on file and up-to-date. Store a copy with other vital records in your emergency kit and another at an off-site location.
2. Encourage Employees to Prepare Vital Personal Information
Family Communications Plan Your employees and their families may not be together when disaster strikes. It is essential that they plan how they will contact other family members in various scenarios. Ready.gov has excellent information on how to develop a family plan. Out-of-town contacts may be in a better position to communicate among separated family members. Every family member should know the emergency contact name and phone number. Preparing our country must be done at the grassroots level – family by family, business by business, and community by community. Is your company prepared? Are your employees and their families prepared? About the Author References |