NEWSLETTER  ARCHIVES



  The Newsletter of the STC Policies & Procedures Special Interest Group ● 3rd Quarter 2006

 

Developing P&Ps for Emergencies

Compiled by the Editor

These days, many of us face an array of security threats and the fear of new diseases such as Avian Flu and West Nile Disease.

The fifth anniversary of “9/11” will have passed around the time of this newsletter’s publication, so emergency procedures should be front and centre in all our minds.

Has your role in communicating policies and procedures been affected?

Many organizations have disaster recovery and business continuity plans in place, but are they effectively written and presented?

How can your own emergency documentation be improved? What resources are out there?

Direction presents a compilation of web links and a suggested checklist you might want to adapt for your own emergency documentation.

But this is just a starting point: you can find a wealth of information on the internet, including links to government organizations in your own country to support your research on emergency procedures.

Links to Useful Resources

Emergency Procedures: Writing for Maximum Results - 10.27.05 Sam Mullen, Principal, MPS Consulting Services" at the following URL:
http://topics.energycentral.com/centers/workforce/view/detail.cfm?aid=1128

Effective Emergency Response Plans (anticipate the worst, prepare for the best results) by Carl Griffith, Trench-It, & Rick Vulpitta, National Safety Council Utilities Division Manager – 1999 at the following URL:
http://www.nsc.org/issues/emerg/99esc.htm#TOP

Checklist for a home emergency survival:
http://ww3.psepc-sppcc.gc.ca/info_pro/checklists/bef_eskit_e.asp

Virginia Business Emergency Survival Toolkit:
http://www.vaemergency.com/business/preparing/prep_main.cfm

Tune Up Your Business Continuity Plan:
http://www.continuitycentral.com/feature0344.htm

Suggested Emergency Checklist

The following will give you some ideas for your own organization’s emergency checklist. It is based on one being developed for a policing organization in Canada.

Suggested Emergency CheckList
Situation Possible Indicators/Symptoms Employee Guidelines
Suspicious Letter or Package
  • No return address
  • Restricted markings, e.g. Personal, Confidential, Rush
  • Excessive postage
  • Misspelled words
  • Addressed to title only
  • Rigid or bulky
  • Badly typed or written
  • Strange odor
  • Protruding wires
  • Excessive wrapping
  • Oily stains on wrapping
  • Lopsided
  • Leave the package where it is. Do not open, shake, smell or empty it.
  • Isolate the article and leave it where it is.
  • Evacuate the immediate vicinity, close the door and notify your supervisor.
  • Call 911 (or the emergency response number in your area).
  • Do not permit anyone to enter the room until the appropriate responder arrives.
  • Wait in a safe place until the responder arrives.
  • If you touched the package, remove all clothing that may have absorbed any substance and seal it in a plastic bag. Wash your hands or shower with soap and cool water. Seek medical attention and advise your physician that you may have been exposed to a hazardous agent.
Avian (Bird) Influenza
  • Typical flu-like illness, e.g. fever, sore throat, cough and body aches
  • Pneumonia, difficulty breathing and other serious complications
  • Do not handle or eat sick game.
  • Wear rubber or disposable latex gloves or use a doubled plastic bag. Avoid contact with blood, body fluids and feces.
  • Thoroughly wash hands and all knives, equipment and surfaces with hot, soapy water and then disinfect the area using a household disinfectant.
  • Do not eat, drink or smoke while handling birds and animals.
  • If you observe wild birds that are ill or you find dead wild birds, contact your local wildlife authority.
West Nile Fever
  • Fever, headache, tiredness, and body aches.
  • Occasionally a skin rash (on the trunk of the body) and swollen lymph glands.
  • While the illness can be as short as a few days, even healthy people have reported being sick for several weeks.
  • Ensure screens and windows are installed or repaired to prevent mosquitoes from entering.
  • Cut long grass around dwelling to reduce moist, cool places.
  • Turn off outside lights when not necessary.
  • Wear light colored long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
  • Apply a small amount of insect repellant to cuffs and collars.
Bomb Threat Received By Telephone  
  • Listen. Be calm and courteous.
  • Do not interrupt the caller.
  • Obtain as much information as possible
    Ask the following questions:
       What time will the bomb explode?
       Where is it?
       What does it look like?
       Where are you calling from?
       Why did you place the bomb?
       What is your name?
  • Initiate call trace action (if available) while the call is ongoing.
  • Using a pre-arranged signal, notify your supervisor