How to Develop an Emergency Response Plan

You have probably heard the words "emergency response plan" so often that you have become accustomed to them. However, have you thought of actually getting down to it, and creating one for yourself, your business, or your family? You might believe that the chances of a major emergency in your area are slim, but you should know that you absolutely need to be prepared with an emergency response plan. It doesn't matter if you are dealing with terrorism, weather, or any other type of emergency. You have to have a plan for yourself and your family or your business. This is the most important.

There are several things that you should do in order to develop an emergency response plan. First of all, you have to decide what should be done. Secondly, you have to decide where to go, and thirdly, you have to decide what to do next. It is in these three vague statements that you will find yourself set for an emergency response plan.

What Should Be Done

The issues that revolve around developing an emergency response plan include figuring out what you should do. This means that you should actually have several forms of your emergency response plan. You should theoretically have two versions of the emergency response plan. One should be what you are going to do if there is an emergency and you need to leave your home. The second should be a plan that revolves around what you should do if there is an emergency and you either cannot or should not leave your home. These are two very important versions of your emergency response plan.

For both of the versions, your emergency response plan should include first of all, what you should do. For the version that requires you to leave the house, you should have the steps that you should take as you do so. The items that you have to take with you and any animals or other things that you need to deal with before you leave or as you leave should be listed on the plan. You should also include things like shutting off lights, locking doors, or pulling down the drapes. Remember, if your plan includes all of these important factors, you will be sure not to miss them. For the version that has you staying in your home, you need to include what you should be doing. Locking the doors, sealing windows or other exits, or doing other things as you work to protect your family should all be included.

Where You Should Go

For the version of your emergency response plan that has you staying in your home, this section of the plan should include several things anyway. You should have the names or numbers of anyone who should be coming to your home to seek refuge. You should also have details about how long you are going to stay in your home, which other circumstances might require you to leave the home, and who, if anyone, you will let into your home.

For an emergency response plan that requires you to leave your home, where you should go is a very important aspect. You need to have a set and detailed plan for where you should be going. This might be depending on what has been happening or what the emergency is, but you should have several locations in mind to go to depending on what is going on. For instance, you should have a flood location, a fire location, and a terrorism location. Also, you absolutely need to have a meeting point for your family and other people that you care about. This is one of the most important aspects of an emergency response plan, because there is no guarantee that an emergency will strike when you are all at home. You must have a location that everyone in your family will head to first, in order to regroup and to continue on.

What Next?

Along with including in your plan the items that you need to take with you when you leave your home, your emergency response plan should also include a section about what to do next. Remember that it is very important that you meet up with your family at some point and that everyone knows what they should be doing. Don't rely on electricity or telephone service to get this accomplished. Remember that those might not be working. There are many ways that you can make sure your family knows what to do next, even as simple has having a town bulletin board that you will post a note on, and having your entire family know where to look for this note. These are all important aspects of your emergency response plan. Remember that if you develop it well and you have made sure that everyone in your family is well aware of the plan and what it means, you should be able to survive any emergency, together.

About Author:
Craig Elliott is a writer for efilmgroup.com. Efilmgroup.com is a leading provider of Safety Training Videos | Terrorism Response Videos

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