Crafting an Emergency Plan

Emergency situations are unpredictable and quickly evolving. That’s why it’s important for every business to be prepared for managing the situation before the police can arrive. The following are the steps you should follow to create a basic plan:

Step One: Establish a method for reporting the incident.

People need accurate information and clear instructions. The quick delivery of this information is paramount to the plan’s success, and it may save lives.  

Create protocols that are easy to understand for not just those who are issuing the alarm but those who will be following the instructions.    

Step 2: Create emergency escape routes.

Identify safe areas and provide floor to all employees. Also, consider how evacuations will take place when the primary evacuation routes are not available. It is pertinent that you create a primary, secondary, and tertiary route.

Step 3: Create lockdown procedures.

Consider how to effectively lock down the building, and where to send visitors and staff during the lockdown. You need to create shelter-in-place locations.

Optimal sites include thick walls, solid doors with locks, no interior windows, and first aid. Also, be sure that you have created a strategy and delivery system for getting pertinent information to emergency responders. Whether it’s a phone tree, one designated person or a text alert system, something should be in place to let the police know specific details of the emergency. During these situations, time is often premium.

Step 4: Keep training.

Be sure that you have run your staff through a training scenario. Just like you had to do fire drills in elementary school, so should you be doing drills for your plan at least every six weeks.