SECTION 2: ORGANIZATIONAL DISASTER PLANS

Goal:

Create plans to respond and recover, covering both short- and long-term disaster scenarios.

GPD Requirement:

GPDs must have a written disaster plan that has been coordinated with the emergency management entity responsible for the locality in which the project resides. The disaster plan should include planned responses to various types of disasters (i.e., hurricane, earthquake, and power outages) and evacuation procedures.

Objectives:

Objectives	Outcomes	Tools Checklist
1. Identify the responses for the most likely hazards and disaster scenarios	1. Identified conditions and incidents that would trigger different responses	•  Decision Trees
2. Create all-hazards emergency response and recovery plans	2. Completed disaster response plans	•  Evacuation & Relocation Plan Template  •  Shelter-In-Place Plan Template  •  Emergency Medical Response Plan Template

Additional Resources:

• Existing disaster response plans, safety regulations, or requirements
• Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs)
• Existing property maps
•  Section 1 completed Hazard Vulnerability Assessment (HVA) template

Actions:

A.  Getting Ready

Response Plan	Definition	Hazards
Evacuation & Relocation	The organized, phased, and supervised withdrawal, dispersal, or removal of people from dangerous or potentially dangerous areas and their reception and care in safe areas1	•   Hurricane •   Tornado •   Earthquake •   Property Fire •   Wildfire •   Sinkhole/ Slide •   Volcano •   Utility Loss/Gas Leak		•   Flood •   Severe Weather •   Property Flooding/ Fire •   Tsunami •   Active Shooter •   Bomb Threat •   Terrorism
Shelter-In-Place	The use of a structure to temporarily separate individuals from a hazard or threat1	•   Hurricane •   Tornado •   Earthquake •   Industrial Accident •   Heat Wave •   Extreme Cold •   Volcano •   Pandemic/ Infectious     Disease		•   Flood •   Severe Weather •   Air Quality Daner •   Active Shooter •   Terrorism •   Civil Disturbance •   Workplace Violence
Emergency Medical Response	An illness, injury, symptom, or condition so serious that a reasonable person would seek care right away to avoid severe harm2	•   All hazards that result in illness/injury
1.  Federal Emergency Management Agency (2019). Planning Considerations: Evacuation and Shelter-in-Place. Guidance for State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Partners. https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-07/planning-considerations-evacuation-and-shelter-in-place.pdf
2.  U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Emergency Medical Condition. https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/emergency-medical-condition/

1. To become familiar with which plans will be needed, review the completed HVA from Section 1 for identified priority hazards and likely impacts. Most hazards can be encompassed within two response plans: Evacuation and Relocation or Shelter-In-Place. Emergency Medical Response plans will also be needed for all hazards where illness and injury can occur. Decision Tree 1 and the table below can be used as guides when determining responses to identified priority hazards. Note that some hazards, such as hurricanes and earthquakes, may require both Evacuation and Shelter-In-Place Plans.
   • For hazards with multiple response plans indicated above, useDecision Trees to decide which would be appropriate for the organization. For example, in an extreme heat event, if the building has air-conditioning, shelter-in-place may be appropriate, but if it does not, evacuation may be necessary.
     
     
     
   • Consider the functions necessary to sustain basic safety, comfort, and well-being in the facility (e.g., electricity, air conditioning, showers, heat, toilets, running water), including items that may cause safety, comfort, or convenience issues if disrupted. Remember to include individuals with special needs, such as those with health conditions or refrigerated medication.
   • Some hazards (e.g., bomb threat, power outage) will be identified as a “special situation” action within a response plan template because they have unique response activities that need to be considered.

2. Include a copy of the organization’s building floor plans for each template.
3. All templates except the Emergency Medical Response Plan are blank. Examples of content can be found in Annex 1. Modify the italicized text to fit the organization’s needs.
4. Conducting a debriefing or after-action review after an emergency response can help to identify areas of learning and improvement in response plans. Resources to guide the after-action review process can be found in Annex 2.
5. Resources for psychological wellness for staff and Veterans can be found in Annex 3.

B.  Completing the Evacuation and Relocation Plan Template

These plans can build on the organization’s fire evacuation plan to include other hazards.

1. Planning Tasks
   • Hazards that require evacuation could eventually result in relocation if the facility is not safely habitable (e.g., if a property fire causes enough damage that staff and/or Veterans cannot return to the building and must find alternative shelter).
   • Decision Tree 2 can be used to determine whether to evacuate or relocate and can be used as an aid when writing the plans.
     
   • Identify rally point(s) for assembly, then mark the rally point(s) and exit routes on the floor plan. For relocation, the rally point(s) will serve as gathering point(s) for transportation or further instructions on where to go.
   • Identify possible relocation sites (e.g., community shelters, other GPD organizations, etc.) and contact them for MOUs or Memoranda of Agreement (MOAs) if needed.
     • Determine how Veterans will be transported to alternate sites.
2. Writing the Evacuation and Relocation Plans
   See the blank template and example plan.
   • Alerts & Plan Initiation
     • Identify the hazards being planned for.
     • Determine whether the organization already has an alert/notification for evacuation and relocation. If not, identify a method or code for conveying the alert/notification. It may be necessary to have different codes for different hazards.
   • Response Actions
     • Initial Reactions
       • Determine first steps that need to be taken for immediate evacuation and consider assigning some or all tasks to specific people or positions.
       • Write any “special situation” actions that may be needed before evacuation in situations such as utility outages, gas leaks, or bomb threats, where specific actions are needed to ensure safety.
       • Write key information that will need to be communicated before, during, and after evacuation and relocation in the plan template.
     • Evacuation Plan Actions
       • In the Evacuation Plan template, write what needs to happen during evacuation (e.g., sweep the building, account for everyone, survey damage, search & rescue, first aid, etc.) and which roles need to be contacted (e.g., leadership, human resources [HR], first responders).
     • Relocation Plan Actions
       • Write criteria for activating relocation plan.
       • In the plan, write what needs to happen during relocation away from the main facility (i.e. informing Veterans, securing facilities, arranging transportation, grabbing supplies).
       • Write or modify any actions that should be taken (e.g., account for Veterans, address Veterans’ needs, assess staff coverage, arrange for support & supplies for Veterans) and identify who needs to be contacted (e.g., GPD Liaison, emergency contacts).
       • Identify staff positions that can accompany Veterans to the relocation site (Section 3 will review this).
       • Write transportation policy, including how staff and Veterans will be relocated to alternate sites.
   • Post-Response Actions
     • Identify the process for getting information from authorities or local emergency responders regarding when the building is safe to reoccupy after evacuation.
     • Write what needs to be done (e.g., assessing damage, filing incident report, etc.) and who needs to be contacted (e.g., GPD Liaison, emergency contacts, HR) after returning to the facility.

Things to Consider When Writing the Evacuation and Relocation Plans

1. Alerts & Plan Initiation
   • How would we know that we need to evacuate for these hazards
   • Are there alerts or notifications we would receive?
   • How much warning or notice would we have?
   • What key information would need to be communicated when planning to evacuate or relocate?
2. Evacuation and Relocation Location(s)
   • Different hazard scenarios may involve different alternate site locations (e.g., local vs. out-of-area).
3. Response Actions
   • What actions are needed for safety during evacuation and immediately after evacuating the building (e.g., sweep the building, account for everyone, survey damage, search & rescue, first aid, etc.)?
   • How many staff would be needed to fill key roles (e.g., guiding people, assisting people with access and functional needs, securing the floor)?
   • How will staff and Veterans be transported? What other systems can help relocate staff and Veterans to alternate sites (e.g., city bus)?
   • What actions need to be completed after arriving at an alternate site? (e.g., Has everyone arrived? Do you need to notify your VA GPD Liaison? Who needs to be contacted during relocation, and how often do they need to be updated? Will staff be able to report to the site?)
   • Special Considerations: e.g., Utility Outage/Gas Leak: Develop additional procedures; Bomb Threat: Develop script to address source.
4. Post-Response Actions
   • How will we know when to deactivate evacuation or relocation (i.e., know when it is safe to reoccupy the building)? The Decision Tree provides questions to consider when determining whether to go to an alternate site, either locally or out of the area, until it is safe to return to the building.
   • What actions need to be completed after returning to the building? (e.g., Is there damage to the building? Do we still need to consider relocation? Is there paperwork to be filled out?)
   • Who needs to be contacted during or after evacuation or relocation?

C.  Completing the Shelter-In-Place Template

Every organization’s Shelter-In-Place Plan is unique depending on their HVA, building layout, budget, number of Veterans they serve, etc. This plan can include secure shelter (i.e., lockdown) if there is a security threat outside or inside of the building.

1. Planning Tasks
   • Some of the hazards listed in the HVA and table above will only require sheltering for a few hours or less (e.g., tornado, active shooter). More severe hazards may require that staff and Veterans shelter-in-place for a longer period (several days [e.g., hurricanes], weeks [e.g., extreme temperatures], or months [e.g., pandemics]).
   • All hazards in this section will require at least short-term sheltering. Review the HVA table and identify the hazards likely to require long-term sheltering in place. Identify the most likely shelter-in-place time frame for each hazard (e.g., days, weeks, months).
   • Consider scenarios that initially require sheltering in place but may require evacuation later.
   • Decision Tree 3 can be used as a guide when deciding whether to shelter-in-place, whether for a short or long –period, or evacuate, and can help with the thought process for writing the plan.
     • For short-term safety threats, identify shelter locations (usually a room in the center of the building with no windows and lockable doors) in all organization buildings. Ensure sheltering locations have enough space for everyone on site, with 10 square feet per person recommended.
     • Mark shelter location(s) on floor plans. These should not be publicly displayed for safety reasons.
2. Writing the Shelter-In-Place Plan
   See blank template and example plan.
   • Alerts & Plan Initiation
     • Identify the hazards being planned for and determine the alert/notification for sheltering in place. It may be necessary to have different codes for different hazards.
     • In the plan template, include key information that will need to be communicated during the initial, sheltering, and post-sheltering phase of the disaster.
     • Identify the process for obtaining situational information from external sources and the process for decision-making while sheltering and include those in your plan.
       
   • Sheltering Locations
     • Write down sheltering location(s) in the plan template and for what hazards they will be used (if applicable).
   • Response Actions
     • Initial Actions
       • Determine first steps that need to be taken to shelter-in-place (e.g., to guide people to safety and to maintain safety of the building) and consider assigning tasks to specific positions.
       • Write any “special situation” actions that may be needed before sheltering (e.g., for safety of the people and building).
     • Sheltering Actions
       • Write any actions that could be taken in the sheltering location to maintain a safe and calm environment for staff and Veterans (e.g., share information, offer support).
       • Write any actions that need to take place while sheltering for “special situations” (e.g., lockdown or pandemics/infectious disease outbreaks).
     • Identify staff positions that can be assigned to remain with Veterans for long-term sheltering and write their names down in the plan. (They will be identified in Section 3.)
     • Identify and write actions that need to be taken to make the sheltering location safe (e.g., board windows, seal gaps around windows and doors, gather supplies [food, water, etc.]). See Section 5 for mitigation and preparedness activities.
   • Post-Response Actions
     • Identify an all-clear signal to indicate when it is safe for staff & Veterans to leave the sheltering location(s). Determine how they will be notified of further relocation and provided with instructions.
     • In the plan, write what will need to be done (e.g., life safety, search and rescue, assessing damage, filing incident report, etc.) and who needs to be contacted (e.g., HR, emergency contacts) after leaving the shelter area.
     • “Special situation” post-response actions may need to be completed for relevant hazards.

Things to Consider When Writing the Shelter-In-Place Plan

1. Alerts & Plan Initiation
   • How would we know that we need to shelter-in-place for these hazards?
   • Are there alerts or notifications we would receive?
   • How much warning/notice would we have?
   • What key information would need to be communicated when the plan is activated and de-activated?
   • What would need to be done before taking shelter (e.g., grabbing supplies, calling staff, etc.)?
2. Sheltering Locations
   • Different hazards may require different sheltering locations. 
3. Response Actions
   • What needs to be done to keep the building and the people inside safe (e.g., board windows, turn off utilities, seal gaps around windows and doors, barricade doors, etc.)?
   • When expecting to shelter-in-place for more than a few hours, or if there is enough warning time to allow us to plan for additional staff to come into the building, what is the ideal number of staff to safely maintain residents and the building?
   • Remember sheltering in place might mean that once staff are in the building, they cannot leave. Factor in the possibility of rotating staff to prevent exhaustion and burnout by having more than one staff shift onsite.
   • Special Considerations
     • Pandemics/Infectious Disease Outbreaks:
       • How will your organization maintain social distancing while sheltering (e.g., restructure sleeping layout to ensure beds are appropriately spaced, staggered meals, create barriers between beds)?
       • What additional procedures will occur to keep people safe from infection (e.g., mandate face masks in common areas, increase cleaning and disinfecting of the facility, routine serial testing, isolate individuals displaying symptoms, transition sick persons to alternate sites such as hotels, food delivery to scatter site housing)?
     • Lockdown: What specific actions need to take place in the event of a lockdown?
4. Post-Response Actions
   • How will we know when to deactivate the plan (i.e., know that it is safe to leave or determine that it is no longer safe to stay in the shelter area)? The Decision Tree provides questions to consider when determining if leaving the shelter area would be safer than continuing in place.
   • What actions need to be completed after we leave the shelter area? (Are there injuries? Is there damage to the building? Are there people missing? Is there paperwork to be filled out?)
   • Are there any “special consideration” post-actions?
   • Who needs to be contacted after sheltering?

D.  Completing the Emergency Medical Response Template

1. Planning Tasks
   • Review the current emergency medical response procedures (e.g., Illness & Injury Prevention Plan [IIPP]), if your organization has them to determine if they need updates.
   • Consider what kinds of medical emergencies may occur in your organization, including: minor injuries (small cuts, bruises, scrapes, burns); major injuries (life-threatening lacerations, gun shots, severe burns, trauma); illness (viral or bacterial); heart attacks; strokes; allergic reactions; drug overdoses; etc.)
   • Consult with staff with CPR training to identify best practices on how to diagnose, triage, and determine actions needed for most common injuries or illnesses. Review the American Red Cross’s First Aid Steps (i) and American Heart Association’s CPR & ECC Guidelines (ii).
     • https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/first-aid/performing-first-aid/first-aid-steps
     • https://cpr.heart.org/-/media/cpr-images/courses-and-kits/hands-only-cpr/5_28_2020/ds16233_cprweekhocprvscpr.pdf?la=en
   • Decision Tree 4 can be used as a guide when deciding what type of emergency medical response is necessary and can be used as an aid when writing the plan.
     
2. Writing the Emergency Medical Response Plan
   See blank template and example plan that has been filled out according to best practices in EMR response but can be modified based on organizational needs.
   • Alerts & Plan Initiation
     • Determine alert/notification for medical emergencies (e.g., “Code Blue”).
     • Write or modify what will need to be communicated to staff and/or Veterans following a medical emergency and who will be responsible for that communication.
   • Response Actions
     • Identify staff positions that will be required to be First Aid/CPR/AED Certified and write those positions and the relevant certifications into the plan template. (They will be identified in Section 3.)
     • Depending on the medical emergency, write or modify detailed response actions based on the American Red Cross’s First Aid Steps and American Heart Association’s CPR & ECC Guidelines.
     • Identify transportation that may be needed and who will be responsible for transportation, then write it in the plan.
     • Identify nearby hospitals where severely injured or ill persons may be taken, then write it in the plan.
   • Post-Response Actions
     • In the plan, write or modify what will need to be done (e.g., incident report) and who needs to be contacted (e.g., HR, emergency contacts of injured or ill persons) following a medical emergency.

Things to Consider When Writing the Emergency Medical Response Plan

1. Alerts & Plan Initiation
   • How will we know there is a medical emergency if we are not in the vicinity when it happens? What alerts or notifications can we use?
   • Most likely there will be little warning, and medical action will need to be taken immediately.
   • What key information will need to be communicated when the plan is activated and de-activated?
2. Response Actions
   • When a medical emergency occurs, who will be initially contacted to assist the injured person(s)?
     • Who is First Aid/CPR/AED Certified and is willing to treat medical emergencies?
     • Will 911 be called immediately?
   • What are the proper response procedures if an injury or illness:
     • IS NOT life-threatening but requires medical attention? Who will perform the necessary first aid? Will isolation be necessary?
     • IS life-threatening and the individual(s) IS breathing and responsive?
     • IS life-threatening and the individual(s) IS NOT breathing and responsive?
   • How will the injured person get to a hospital or advanced medical care facility?
   • If a medical emergency is severe and requires further medical attention, where will the injured/sick person be taken? Who else may need to be contacted in the event of a medical emergency?
3. Post-Response Actions
   • What actions need to be completed following a medical emergency?
   • Who needs to be contacted after a medical emergency? What paperwork should be completed?

Templates

• Evacuation and Relocation Plan template
• Shelter-In-Place Plan template
• Emergency Medical Response Plan template