Disasters and emergencies: Your Emergency Action Plan

As National Preparedness Month ends, it's a good time to reflect on what we have heard time and time again about preparedness. "Chance favors the prepared mind" said renowned scientist Louis Pasteur. Are you ready for an emergency or a disaster, like a power blackout, tornado, flood, chemical release or terrorist attack if it were to happen today or will you leave your survival to chance? Let's face it, the list of possible disasters is long… How do you know what actions to take? Are you sure you will receive the emergency message?

A good way to know for sure is to know your Emergency Action Plan (EAP). Each work center has (or needs to establish) an EAP, which is the foundation for preparedness and provides employees critical information such as:

• Employee responsibilities - protective actions to take during disasters and emergencies
• Supervisor responsibilities - review area EAP with employees twice a year
• Evacuation routes and muster points
• Shelter-in-place locations and associated actions
• Lockdown and Run-Hide-Fight actions
• Emergency communication center phone numbers for fire, police, and Medical assistance
• Natural disaster and severe weather-related incidents and actions

Did you know that EAPs must be reviewed twice a year by every individual assigned to the work center? Why not expand this effort and complete an exercise as part of your program? Why not walk the evacuation routes and test your muster point/accountability process? The opportunity is yours, make the most of it. Checking the block will not save lives. Also don't forget, you are responsible for your visitors as well!

And don't forget to make sure that your contact information in DLA's AtHoc system and other systems from your township, city, county or state are up to date as well.

Lastly, In addition to the work center, consider planning at home as well. Check out the attached "12 Ways to Prepare" and Make A Plan | Ready.gov for more information.

Contact your local emergency services manager for more ways to prepare for emergencies at work and home.