Attachment
SUMMARY OF EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS MEASURES
OPM has developed three emergency guides for Federal managers, employees and their families to use in their emergency preparedness efforts. These guides are available for download from our web site at http://www.opm.gov/emergency/.
Within these guides are several references to basic actions that every Federal agency should be doing right now - at a minimum - to educate, and protect the safety our teammates. The items listed in the three broad categories below are useful as a baseline for agencies as they evaluate whether they have fulfilled the minimum obligations to secure the safety of Federal employees.
I. Agency Planning
- Update Occupant Emergency Plans;
- Conduct Threat Assessments. The Federal Protective Service conducts recurring threat assessments for GSA-controlled property. Appropriate contact numbers for FPS Regional Offices can be found at www.gsa.gov. Federal agencies in buildings not managed by GSA should contact the local FBI Office or local police for emergency preparedness and/or threat assessments.
- Practice Shelter-in-Place/Evacuation/Fire Drills Regularly;
- Ensure Protection for Special Needs Employees;
Survey employee population for employees who may have special physical needs,
Implement "buddy system" for special needs employees, (www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/fa-154.pdf)
- Distribute Emergency Guides.
- Designate Emergency Personnel.
II. Employee Communication
- Conduct "town-hall" meetings with employees to discuss risks and communicate contingency plans, and other building specific evacuation and shelter-in-place plans;
- Actively solicit employee comments/suggestions for improvements via email, homepages, suggestion boxes, etc.;
- Update employees on plans/changes via email and other means of communication;
- Maintain updated emergency contact information for senior executives.
- Meet with union officials to seek assistance with communication of emergency plans;
- Remind employees experiencing stress-related concerns that Employee Assistance Programs are available.
III. Building Operations
- Test fire/safety public address systems;
- Check air handler cutoffs for emergency access;
- Ensure signage for evacuation/egress routes is clearly visible;
- Ensure your safety/security personnel maintain continual communications via walkie-talkie, cell phone, pager, etc.
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