Importance of an Emergency Management Plan
In the modern world, emergency situations will inevitably develop, necessitating careful preparedness. The establishment and maintenance of essential components of emergency operations, such as the emergency plan, training and exercise, and collaborative partnerships, is critical for health organizations to build an emergency management program (Rose et al., 2017). Many judgments must be taken in a short amount of time when an emergency occurs. Due to time and situation, the conventional chain of command may not be accessible. Furthermore, the stress of an incident might result in errors or large losses.
Successful emergency management requires detailed preliminary plan design, training for all program participants, and continuing assessment and improvement of the program. The planning process is a crucial component of the program. This procedure can expose a variety of flaws, including a lack of resources (equipment, qualified employees) (Rose et al., 2017). In addition, the contingency plan raises worker safety knowledge and reflects the company’s commitment to worker safety. People’s safety, the environment, property, and company continuity should all be considered while developing the plan, which should be done using available resources, qualified employees, and industry best practices.
The All-Hazards Approach to Emergency Preparedness
Citizens, communities, and infrastructure must be prepared whenever natural catastrophes or natural disasters become huge. The all-hazards approach is primarily about altering mindsets, and citizens, communities, and infrastructure prepare when a catastrophe or disaster is imminent (Penta et al., 2017). When it comes to the all-hazards approach, it is more than just catastrophe readiness. The destructions from 9/11 and the storms of 2004-2005 have prompted those in charge of disaster, preparedness, response, and recovery to refocus on catastrophe management (Penta et al., 2017). Preparation and prevention, mitigation, reaction, and recovery, and rehabilitation became the four key areas of general preparedness. The all-hazards approach is based on how governments tackle preparation and response to disasters, regardless of its origin (Penta et al., 2017). It is also critical that all communities handle readiness in the same way. Thus, the all-hazards approach became fundamental in today’s healthcare.
The Key Elements of an Emergency Management Plan
Every organization’s strategy should comprise four fundamental pillars that should be evaluated and revised annually. First and foremost, there is risk assessment and preparation, implying that organizations should do a risk assessment and take measures to handle any possible threats (Penta et al., 2017). The risk assessment results might assist companies in identifying key aspects that can be incorporated into their emergency plan. Secondly, particular policies and protocols, such as emergency evacuation plans, on-site shelter procedures, and emergency tracking. Thirdly, the communication strategy. As part of their contingency plan, the communications strategy must adhere to federal and state requirements (Rose et al., 2017). Finally, testing and training elements are crucial, thus, most of the healthcare organizations must be cautious about the way training, testing, and exercise are carried out.
The Phases of the Disaster Life Cycle
The first phase of the disaster life cycle is mitigation. Measures to lessen susceptibility to the consequences of natural disasters, such as injury and death, as well as property loss, are included in it. Changes to local construction rules to fortify structures, updated zoning and land-use management, strengthened public infrastructure, and other initiatives to boost society’s resilience to catastrophic disasters might all be part of this (Haith, 2017). The second phase is preparedness, which is the crucial stage, since understanding of the effects of the catastrophe can shape the response to and recovery (Rose et al., 2017). This might involve efforts like involving the business community, strategic planning ahead of a catastrophe, and other logistics preparations (Haith, 2017). It is crucial not to underestimate the preparedness phase since it occupies an important place in emergency management planning.
Thirdly, the main goal is to deal with the disaster’s immediate dangers, such as preserving lives and fulfilling humanitarian requirements. This could be the provision of food, housing, clothes, and other necessary supplies. At the response phase, cleaning up, evaluating the damage, and allocating resources are the essential constituents (Haith, 2017). As the response phase advances, the focus moves from dealing with immediate problems to repairing damage, restoring utilities, coordinating government services, and finishing the cleaning. During this phase, emergency management planning should closely cooperate with different organizations (both federal and private) to ensure swift reaction.
For instance, the restoration of business to the economy begins at this point. Businesses may initially experience difficulties gaining access to their premises, assessing damage, and communicating with employees, suppliers, and customers. Access to money and personnel, repairs to damaged property or inventory, and a dwindling client base are all examples of ongoing issues (Haith, 2017). At this point, the region’s commercial base’s long-term future will be protected or destroyed.
The fourth phase of a catastrophe is recovery, which involves restoring all elements of the disaster’s impact on the community and restoring some sense of normality to the local economy. The impacted region had attained a certain level of physical, environmental, economic, and social stability by this time (Haith, 2017). There are two phases to the recovery process, the short-term, lasting around a year and includes providing instant services to businesses, and the long-term, necessitating careful strategic planning (Haith, 2017). To guarantee long-term economic recovery, communities must have access to and employ various public and private resources.
The Recommendation for Revisions
The Great Plains Community Health Center EOP is a thorough and comprehensive example of EOP. It encompasses all vital areas of emergency planning, and states the necessity of annual reassessment, a crucial component in every EOP. The communication between staff, governmental authorities, and leadership are also adequately discussed. However, some revisions can be made to this emergency plan. The crucial components of EOP, such as mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery, could be elaborated on more, while the community emergency engagement can also be expanded. The drills and necessary exercises should be promoted, as well as extended patient care.
Training Exercise
During functional exercises, personnel can validate plans and preparedness while executing their jobs in a simulated operational environment. The purpose of functional exercises is to train certain procedures and resources. The functional exercise is conducted in real-time in a realistic setting; however, the movement of workers and equipment is generally modeled (Rose et al., 2017). For instance, a communication drill, since when checking for emergency response, the communication system is vital. The senior manager will contact multiple low-level employees throughout the given timeframe to check that each employee has heard the message (Rose et al., 2017). The training should take only a few minutes to complete so that all staff can communicate effectively and rapidly in an emergency.
Reference List
Haith. R., 2017. Disaster Management Lifecycle. University of Salford.
Penta, S., Marlowe, V., Gill, K. and Kendra, J., 2017. Of Earthquakes and Epidemics: Examining the Applicability of the All-Hazards Approach in Public Health Emergencies. Risk, Hazards & Crisis in Public Policy, 8(1), pp.48-67.
Rose, D., Murthy, S., Brooks, J. and Bryant, J., 2017. The Evolution of Public Health Emergency Management as a Field of Practice. American Journal of Public Health, 107(2), pp.126-133.