EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANS
What is an Emergency Response Plan (ERP)?
An ERP is a formalized document that identifies the necessary steps for an organization to effectively respond to an emergency event. These documents are tailored to the respective organization and include core business information useful during an emergency response.
Emergency Response Plans should be developed through a collaborative process to identify the capacity of response at every level within an organization. The Emergency Management Program Committee should meet and discuss the purpose, objectives, and scope of the project as a critical first step. Within the planning process the following should be considered:
- Roles and responsibilities of individuals managing the response through an Incident Management Team.
- Interaction between external entities and stakeholders.
- The mobilization of critical resources in the response.
- Internal communication strategies.
- Requirements for testing and revisions to the plan
The Incident Management System
To effectively manage the emergency event a predetermined management team should be developed. This team is referred to as an Incident Management Team (IMT) which is a collective group tasked with responding to and managing emergency responses. Each member of the IMT can be prescribed a unique role and subsequent responsibilities. These can include the following:
- Incident Commander responsible for Operations Section
- Information Officer responsible for Planning Section
- Safety Officer responsible for Logistics Section
- Liaison Officer responsible for Finance/Administration Section
Each member will have a unique responsibility related to the emergency response including leading the team, allocating resources, contacting external vendors/stakeholders, or managing financial information. The extent of the IMT and exactly what roles need to be filled will depend on the organization’s needs, individuals can assume more than one role, as necessary.
Emergency Operations Centre
For the IMT to manage an emergency response as efficiently as possible a predetermined location should be established for the team to meet. This location referred to as the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) should have the capacity to provide all necessary communication equipment, accessible by all, and accommodate all IMT members.
Alternatively, a digital location such as a Microsoft Teams Group, or conference call could be used as an EOC if it can satisfy all the response needs.
Activating the Plan
A critical component of an ERP is determining when it should be used. This is considered “activating” the plan, unique criteria should be met before the plan is considered in operation. The purpose of plan activation is to formalize the response and initiate early intervention to the emergency situation. Activation of the plan can be escalated through tiers of increasing severity or danger, for example a minor incident could partially activate the plan, requiring one of the IMT members to respond. A major event could require full activation requiring all members to meet at the EOC and manage the response of staff and external entities.
How to get started on an EMP?
Initiating an emergency management program can be daunting, LRI Technical Consultants are knowledgeable and equipped to support you and your organizations goals.
To get started contact us at info@lrifire.com or visit our website at www.lrifire.com. Forward any questions you may have, and we will be happy to answer!
