Preliminary Guide For Contingency Planning*
*This, we have been told, is the preferred name for what
we called "Disaster Planning".
The events of September 11th and its aftermath have turned
our attention to disaster preparedness. Because Boards are responsible
for the well being of their agencies, they must oversee the development
and implementation of emergency plans to ensure the safety of staff, volunteers,
and the agency as a whole. Listed below are several important areas to
consider when developing a disaster plan.
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DEVELOP AN EMPLOYEE AND VOLUNTEER EMERGENCY PLAN
People are your agency’s most valuable asset. The Occupational Safety and
Health Administration requires employers to have site-specific employee
emergency plans.
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Make sure that you create a plan or review the current one. Keep it up-to-date
with current events. Emergency plans should include where to meet or get
information during a chaotic situation. Have practice drills.
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Know who makes decisions in an emergency and who is the backup.
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Allow discretionary time off and time at work for employees to catch up
on news, check-in on loved ones, and have fellowship with colleagues.
Financially prepare your agency for recovery.
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Make sure the Board Chair and other key people have emergency access to
funds.
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Make sure your agency has adequate insurance.
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Develop a chief executive succession plan.
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The Board Chair should have access to all critical information pertaining
to the agency in the event of an emergency.
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Create a contingency plan for continuing work if the offices are not usable.
After your agency’s employees, Board, and volunteers, your most valuable
asset is your information.
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Back-up all data on a daily basis and store the backups off-site in multiple
locations if possible.
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Document IT procedures and inventory.
After a disaster has occurred, you will need to alert the community of
your status and future plans.
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Designate a spokesperson and backup spokesperson for the agency.
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Advise employees, Board members, and volunteers not to speak on behalf
of the organization unless authorized to do so.
When preparing your disaster plan take into account various scenarios,
such as fires, medical emergencies, and bomb threats, etc.
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Designate people to take charge of enacting the plan if necessary. Delegate
specific responsibilities.
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Keep a master copy of all employees’ emergency contact information on-site.
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Put into place a written emergency fire evacuation and procedure plan and
what actions are taken when an alarm sounds.
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Make sure you have a primary assembly point.
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Make sure all exits are clearly visible and well-illuminated.
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Prepare staff to handle medical emergencies.
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Teach staff members how to recognize problems and respond appropriately.
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Encourage staff members to learn CPR and to keep their certifications current.
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Advise staff which staff members are trained to administer CPR.
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Designate staff to take responsibility for various emergency scenarios
and provide them with the name and number of the nearest hospital.
If a bomb threat is received by phone:
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Record exact time of the call.
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Record exact words of the caller.
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Record the facts of the call. Take note of who took the call, the telephone
number the call was received at, the date, and to what authority the call
was initially reported.
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Ask questions to keep the caller on the line so authorities have time to
trace the call.
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Take note of the caller’s voice, including any accent, inflection, or lisp.
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Consider whether the voice sounds familiar.
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Take note of any background noises.
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Write down all observations as they occur to you. This will help assist
authorities in their investigation.
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