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Every business owner should prepare for the next big emergency. Learn how to write an emergency preparedness plan using these seven steps.

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A new emergency can strike at any moment, so your business needs to be as prepared as possible. The best way to do this is to create an emergency preparedness plan.

[Read more: How to Plan for Financial Uncertainty as a Business ]

Assess the risks that threaten your business

To get started, you need to assess the biggest threats to your business and its long-term recovery. Different types of disasters or emergency events can be worse than others.

Analyze the potential fallout from the following situations:

  • An environmental emergency, like a flood.
  • A global event, like the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • A physical problem, like a break-in.
  • A digital emergency, like a cybersecurity breach.

Complete a hazard vulnerability assessment

If your business operates out of a physical location, you should complete a Hazard Vulnerability Assessment (HVA). An HVA outlines any risk affecting the facility and day-to-day business operations. You’ll then rate these risks based on the level of probability and severity.

From there, you can conduct a business impact analysis. This assessment predicts the level of business disruption and can help you create a recovery strategy.

Gather employee emergency contact information

It’s important to have emergency contact information for all of your employees before disaster strikes. Gather and file this information in a single location where you can quickly access it.

That way, if an emergency happens, you’ll know how and where to reach your employees. You can inform them about the crisis and what you’re doing to manage the situation.

There is a type of insurance to cover nearly every risk your business might face, and the right insurance can protect your business from financial ruin.

Establish evacuation procedures

If you manage a brick-and-mortar business, like a restaurant or store, you need to outline your company’s evacuation procedures . Imagine various emergency scenarios and how your employees and customers can exit the building safely.

You should explain these procedures to your employees, and it’s a good idea to post them where customers can see them. If necessary, run a few drills with your employees so they know where to go and what to do.

Inspect nearby fire alarms, emergency lighting, escape ladders and any other emergency equipment.

Prepare emergency kits

You should also prepare at least one emergency kit and have it available for employees and customers. This emergency kit list is not exhaustive, but is a good start for medical and survival items you can include:

  • Gauze and bandages.
  • Painkillers.
  • A flashlight.
  • A warm blanket.

This emergency kit could be crucial if you or your employees must wait for emergency services to reach you during a disaster.

Backup important data and files

It’s essential to backup all business data and files. You should store all company data on a secure hard drive offsite. In addition, you can store data in the cloud, which when taking proper cybersecurity measures, can help protect your business against cybersecurity threats.

If you have physical files, make two copies. Store one copy at work and another copy at home. That way, if one location or the other is destroyed, you’ll still have the files you need to get your business back up and running.

[Read more: Guide to Data Management, Protection and Storage ]

Collect and store insurance information

Finally, make sure you have the correct insurance for your business. There is a type of insurance to cover nearly every risk your business might face, and the right insurance can protect your business from financial ruin.

For instance, if you own a restaurant, you’ll likely want to purchase commercial property insurance. If you’re an accountant or lawyer, you might need professional liability insurance. A licensed insurance agent can advise you on the best options for your business.

Make sure you store your insurance information in a place that is easy to access. That way, if an emergency strikes, you won’t be scrambling to locate this information.

[Read more: Ransomware: What Small Businesses Need to Know ]

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Occupational Health and Safety Blog

10 Key Components Of An Emergency Management Plan

In today’s unpredictable world, where both natural and man-made disasters can strike with little to no warning, being prepared is more crucial than ever. An Emergency Management Plan (EMP) serves as a blueprint, guiding organizations and communities through the chaos and uncertainty of unexpected events. But what makes an effective EMP? It’s not just about having a plan on paper, but ensuring it’s comprehensive, actionable, and adaptable.

In this blog, we’ll delve deep into the 10 key components that form the backbone of a robust Emergency Management Plan, ensuring you’re not just prepared, but poised to respond and recover with efficiency and resilience.

What’s Emergency Management Plan?

An Emergency Management Plan (EMP) is a document that outlines the processes and procedures to be followed before, during, and after an emergency or disaster to ensure the safety and well-being of an organization’s employees, facilities, and stakeholders. The goal of the plan is to minimize the impact of disasters and to facilitate recovery efforts.

An Emergency Management Plan (EMP) plays a pivotal role in ensuring an organization or community’s safety, continuity, and resilience in the face of potential disasters. Here’s an exploration of the importance of an Emergency Management Plan:

  • Safety and Protection: At its core, the primary aim of an EMP is to protect human life. The plan ensures that employees and the general public can stay safe during a crisis by detailing evacuation routes, communication protocols, and first-aid procedures.
  • Minimizing Operational Disruption: Disasters can halt operations, leading to financial losses and reduced service delivery. An EMP provides the framework to quickly adapt and continue operations, ensuring minimal downtime and maintaining essential services.
  • Resource Allocation: Knowing what resources are required during an emergency – from manpower to equipment – allows organizations to efficiently allocate and utilize resources when needed.
  • Legal and Regulatory Compliance: Many jurisdictions and industries have laws and regulations requiring entities to have emergency or disaster preparedness plans. An EMP ensures compliance with these mandates, potentially avoiding legal consequences and liabilities.
  • Reputation Management: In the digital age, where news travels fast, how an organization handles crises can significantly impact its reputation. A well-executed EMP can help maintain public trust and stakeholder confidence by demonstrating preparedness and effective response capabilities.
  • Financial Savings: While developing an EMP requires an initial investment, it can result in significant cost savings in the long run. Preparedness can reduce the extent of property damage, lessen business interruptions, and decrease potential liability issues.
  • Psychological Assurance: Knowing a plan in place provides peace of mind to employees, stakeholders, and the community. It fosters a sense of security, understanding that proactive measures have been taken to address potential threats.
  • Continuous Improvement: Regular drills and post-incident reviews contribute to continuous improvement as part of the EMP. They help identify gaps and refine the plan, ensuring it remains effective and relevant.
  • Strengthening Community and Organizational Resilience: Communities or organizations with robust EMPs tend to recover faster post-disaster. They can adapt, reorganize, and grow despite facing adversities, making them more resilient in the long run.
  • Facilitating Coordination and Communication: In emergencies, coordinated efforts are essential to prevent chaos. EMPs provide a clear command structure, roles, and communication strategies, ensuring everyone knows their responsibilities and how to collaborate effectively.

In essence, while the hope is that emergencies and disasters can be entirely avoided, the reality dictates a need for preparedness. An Emergency Management Plan equips organizations and communities with the tools, knowledge, and strategies they need to face such events head-on, mitigate their effects, and emerge stronger on the other side.

Emergency Management Plan

An emergency management plan is a comprehensive framework designed to guide an organization, community, or entity in effectively responding to, mitigating, and recovering from various types of emergencies and disasters. Here are 10 key components that are typically included in an emergency management plan:

1. Purpose and Scope

An Emergency Management Plan’s “Purpose and Scope” section sets the stage for the plan’s existence and its overarching goals. It clarifies what the plan aims to achieve, such as ensuring the safety of all personnel, minimizing operational disruptions, or protecting physical assets. This section also highlights the types of emergencies or hazards the plan is designed to address, ranging from natural disasters like hurricanes and floods to human-made events like chemical spills or cyberattacks.

Additionally, it delineates the boundaries of the plan’s application, indicating whether it applies only to specific sites, regions, or the entire organization. This ensures no ambiguity about when and where the plan should be implemented.

2. Roles and Responsibilities

Knowing one’s role is crucial in any emergency to ensure a coordinated and efficient response. The “Roles and Responsibilities” segment delineates different individuals’ or teams’ duties and expected actions when a disaster strikes. For example, while the primary responsibility of a first response team might be to evacuate people from a hazard zone, the management could be tasked with decision-making and resource allocation.

By defining these roles clearly, the plan ensures no overlap or confusion during the critical moments of a crisis, leading to a smoother and more effective response.

3. Risk Assessment

This foundational analysis informs the rest of the plan. A thorough “Risk Assessment” identifies potential threats to the organization. This could be in the form of natural calamities, technological failures, security breaches, and more. After identifying these threats, the assessment gauges the likelihood of each event occurring and its potential impact on the organization’s operations, reputation, and finances.

Such an analysis helps prioritize which risks need immediate attention and resources, ensuring the organization is better prepared for the most pressing threats.

4. Emergency Response Procedures

The crux of the plan lies in the “Emergency Response Procedures” section. Here, detailed, actionable steps are laid out for different emergencies. For instance, in the event of a fire, this section would specify evacuation routes, meeting points, and how to use fire safety equipment.

The procedure might involve immediate shelter-in-place orders if the risk is a chemical spill. What’s essential is that these procedures are clear and concise, making them easy to follow during high-stress situations.

5. Communication Plan

Effective communication is the lifeline of any crisis response. The “Communication Plan” ensures that accurate and timely information flows seamlessly among all stakeholders within and outside the organization. Internally, this could involve alerting employees about the nature of the emergency and guiding them on the next steps.

The organization might need to communicate with local authorities, media, or affected communities. This section also defines the tools and channels for communication, such as emergency alert systems, emails, or public address systems. The communication must be clear, consistent, and controlled to prevent panic and misinformation.

Key Components Of An Emergency Management Plan

6. Training and Exercise

Ensuring individuals are well-equipped to handle emergencies goes beyond creating a plan—it demands regular training and practice. The “Training and Exercise” section focuses on developing and maintaining a competent response from everyone involved. This involves detailing the frequency, content, and method of training sessions. For instance, employees might be trained annually on general emergency preparedness, while specialized teams undergo quarterly sessions on specific procedures.

Beyond training, this section also emphasizes the importance of drills or exercises which simulate real-life emergencies. These exercises, be they fire drills or mock cyber-attack responses, test the practical application of the plan, offering invaluable insights into its strengths and areas of improvement.

7. Resource Management

In an emergency, having immediate access to the right resources can make a significant difference. “Resource Management” focuses on identifying and cataloging crucial equipment, supplies, and personnel integral to the plan’s execution. This could range from first-aid kits and emergency generators to specialized response teams and communication tools.

However, merely listing them isn’t enough. This section also details logistics, highlighting how these resources would be procured, where they would be stored, and the regular maintenance and check protocols. Effective resource management ensures the organization isn’t lacking when disaster strikes.

8. Recovery and Restoration

Emergencies inevitably lead to disruptions, but the goal is always to return to normalcy as quickly and efficiently as possible. The “Recovery and Restoration” segment is dedicated to transitioning from chaos to routine. This involves steps to assess the immediate aftermath of the crisis, from property damage to data loss, and strategies to address them. Here, business continuity plans come into play, detailing how essential services and functions can be resumed or rerouted.

Furthermore, considering the long-term impact of the disaster, strategies might be outlined to handle repercussions, be it rebuilding infrastructure, addressing reputational damage, or supporting affected employees and stakeholders.

9. Plan Maintenance and Review

Like any strategic document, an Emergency Management Plan is not meant to gather dust on a shelf. The “Plan Maintenance and Review” section underscores the dynamic nature of the plan. It specifies the regularity with which the plan should be revisited—annually or after every drill or emergency. This regular review ensures the plan remains relevant, accounting for organizational structure, technology, or risk environment changes.

This section also identifies who is responsible for this review, whether a dedicated emergency management team, a department, or an external agency, ensuring ownership and accountability in keeping the plan up-to-date.

10. Annexes

While the main body of the Emergency Management Plan offers a broad overview, “Annexes” serve as deep dives into specific topics. These can be considered supplementary material that provides granular details without overwhelming the main document.

Depending on the organization’s needs, these could include specialized response strategies for particular hazards, detailed floor plans highlighting evacuation routes, or in-depth protocols for specific scenarios, like handling hazardous materials. Housing this information in annexes makes the plan accessible and readable while offering comprehensive resources for those needing it.

What is Emergency Management Plan

Implementing an Emergency Management Plan Effectively

Implementing an Emergency Management Plan (EMP) effectively requires a systematic approach, commitment from leadership, and active participation from all stakeholders. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to effectively implement an EMP:

  • Gain Leadership Support: Implementation starts at the top. Secure buy-in from senior management or community leaders. Their support ensures the allocation of necessary resources and underscores the plan’s importance to all involved.
  • Appoint a Dedicated Team: Designate a team or individual responsible for the EMP’s coordination. Depending on the organization’s size and complexity, this can be an emergency management committee or a designated officer.
  • Communicate the Plan: Share the EMP with all stakeholders, including employees, volunteers, community members, and even suppliers or partners. Ensure they understand the plan’s importance, their roles, and responsibilities.
  • Training and Education: Organize training sessions for everyone involved. This can range from general awareness training for all employees to specialized training for emergency response teams.
  • Conduct Drills and Simulations: Regularly test the plan under simulated conditions. This can be tabletop exercises for decision-makers or full-scale mock drills. Real-time simulations help in identifying gaps and provide hands-on experience.
  • Gather Feedback: After training sessions and drills, solicit feedback from participants. They might have insights into the plan’s unclear or impractical aspects.
  • Update and Revise: Update the plan based on feedback and any observed inefficiencies during drills. An EMP should be a living document that evolves based on new risks, organizational structure changes, or exercise feedback.
  • Integrate with External Agencies: Often, emergencies require collaboration with external agencies like fire departments, police, or relief agencies. Ensure they know your plan and discuss how you’ll collaborate in an emergency.
  • Maintain Resources and Supplies: Regularly inspect and replenish emergency supplies and equipment. This includes first-aid kits, communication devices, backup power sources, and other vital resources.
  • Raise Awareness: Periodically remind everyone of the EMP’s existence, importance, and any changes made. Use newsletters, meetings, or dedicated awareness campaigns.
  • Evaluate and Learn from Real Events: Conduct a post-event review if an emergency occurs. Analyze what worked, what didn’t, and where improvements can be made.
  • Review Regularly: Even if no emergency occurs and no gaps are identified during drills, regularly review the EMP. Changes in technology, infrastructure, personnel, or the external environment might necessitate updates.
  • Document Everything: From training sessions and drill outcomes to post-event analyses, document everything. This provides a valuable reference and serves as evidence of due diligence in case of legal or regulatory scrutiny.
  • Promote a Culture of Preparedness: Beyond just the formal plan, encourage a culture where everyone is mindful of risks and the importance of preparedness. This proactive mindset can be invaluable during unexpected situations.

In summary, effectively implementing an Emergency Management Plan is an ongoing process that demands regular attention, updates, and stakeholder engagement. It’s not just about having a plan on paper but ensuring everyone is ready and equipped to act when needed.

A well-structured Emergency Management Plan is not just a contingency; it’s a vital tool that underscores an organization’s or community’s commitment to safety, preparedness, and resilience. By understanding and integrating the 10 key components we’ve discussed, entities can confidently and clearly navigate the tumultuous waters of unforeseen crises.

Remember, not the absence of emergencies determines our strength, but our preparedness and response to them. With a comprehensive EMP in place, we shield ourselves from potential disruptions and pave the way for a faster recovery and a stronger tomorrow.

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Qaisar S. Chattha

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6 Steps to Creating an Effective Emergency Response Plan [+ Template]

Minutes can mean the difference between a minor impact and a major disaster. Develop an emergency response plan now to keep your people, business, and assets safe during any critical event that may arise.

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What Is an Emergency Response Plan?

  • How to Conduct Response Planning
  • Determine Your Response Plan Steps
  • Develop a Communication Plan

Every emergency management professional will tell you that the best time to prepare for an emergency is well before it occurs. If a hurricane or other severe weather hits, you won’t have time to create an evacuation plan on the spot; you’ll be too busy focusing on immediate hazards. And if your building has a power outage , it’s probably too late to search for generators.

Taking a proactive approach to emergency planning helps you ensure the best possible outcomes for your people and business, allowing you to think holistically about the situation, accounting for many variables. This approach boils down to a holistic emergency response plan for all the threats to your business.

While we can’t necessarily predict when critical events will happen, emergencies are a reality for every business—so you need to be ready. We’ll explore what an emergency response plan is and highlight six steps every organization should take to be prepared for any emergency or business interruption that may arise.

Download Our Emergency Response Plan Template

An emergency response plan is a document that lays out the series of steps your organization will take during a critical event, such as a fire or active shooter threat, to ensure employees’ safety and minimize the impact on emergency operations.

Preview of the AlertMedia Emergency Response Plan Template

Emergency response plans—just like other emergency management planning documents—are meant to help organizations address various types of emergencies, such as hurricanes, wildfires, winter weather, chemical spills, disease outbreaks, and other hazards. The goal is to reduce or prevent human injury and property damage during critical events. In the planning phase, you will document the detailed steps your organization will take in each emergency scenario.

These emergency action plans also take the guesswork out of roles and responsibilities by specifying which staff members should be part of the response team and which first responders you should contact.

You can create your emergency response plan from scratch or use a pre-built template, like ours , to make the process easier.

Why use an emergency response plan template?

An emergency response plan template can make your planning process quicker and simpler. Every business has a unique range of emergencies they face, but there are some consistent response procedures you can personalize to your risks. Templates also give you a single place to collect necessary contact information for your response team and first responders.

You can download this free template to get started building your plan today.

The best emergency response plans include a list of individuals to contact (and their contact information), evacuation routes, how to act during an emergency, how to mitigate risk to your people and facilities, and detailed communication procedures to follow during and after a specific emergency occurs.

That said, plans can vary widely depending on the setting and circumstances surrounding the crisis. Create a plan that accounts for life-saving actions, such as

  • Building evacuations in case of events like fires
  • Shelter-in-place orders during severe weather like tornadoes
  • Complete lockdown in case of an active shooter situation

Now that you’re up to speed on why your organization needs a plan and what it should cover, let’s examine how to create an effective emergency response plan for your business.

How to Conduct Emergency Response Planning

Each organization is unique, so you may find that additional measures are warranted to protect your business from possible hazards—beyond the examples listed. However, by completing these steps, you will be well on your way to ensuring your team knows what you expect of them and when.

Step #1: Perform a threat assessment

Resource-report-2024ThreatOutlook-v1

The first step to creating an emergency response plan is to conduct a comprehensive threat assessment to identify the types of events that may affect your organization and analyze their likelihood and potential impact. Specific threats vary by location, sector, and company, and your mitigation strategies and protective actions will vary depending on the scenario. You may need to plan for the following types of events:

  • Natural disasters — Hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, wildfires, etc.
  • Severe weather — Winter storms, high winds, extreme heat waves , floods, etc.
  • Pandemics and infectious diseases — COVID-19, influenza, etc.
  • Facility emergencies — Structure fires, hazardous leaks or spills, etc.
  • Acts of workplace violence — Active shooters, bomb threats, terrorist attacks, etc.
  • Civil disturbances — Protests, demonstrations, riots, strikes, etc.

Even when lives may not be immediately at stake during a crisis, timely communication is just as important. Other events that require a planned response for the success of the business and the safety of your team may include the following:

  • IT events — Unplanned outages, planned downtime or maintenance, system testing, cyberattacks or security breaches, help desk escalations, etc.
  • Operational events — Logistics coordination, power outages, equipment malfunctions, office closures, travel advisories, safety alerts, shift and overtime scheduling, etc.
  • Corporate/ crisis communication events — Product recalls, negative publicity, layoffs, major company news, etc.

Using the all-hazards approach to your risk assessment is a great way to ensure you are covering all your bases and able to prepare for any kind of threat.

Step #2: Document contact information

In the event of an emergency that could cause physical harm to your employees, the first call you should make is to your local emergency responders. Aside from 9-1-1, you must have numbers for emergency medical services (EMS), the fire department, healthcare providers/insurance agents, and local law enforcement/police department readily available.

Additionally, ensure you have emergency contact information documented for every employee in case someone goes unaccounted for or gets injured during the emergency.

Step #3: Assign roles and responsibilities

Employees will look to their leaders for reassurance and guidance when an emergency occurs. These leaders should be responsible for activating your emergency response plan, answering questions, and ordering an evacuation if needed. When assigning roles, there are essential considerations to acknowledge. You need to ensure your response team is present, reliable, and can react quickly in an emergency.

Here are the leading roles to consider as part of your emergency response plan:

Emergency response team roles and responsibilities

Incident commander.

This employee has overall responsibility for an emergency, including planning and preparation. The incident commander is in charge of emergency response plan activation and is the one all critical decisions should go through.

Communication commander

This person should use the mass alert system to notify employees, call emergency services, and gather reports. If your company uses an emergency communication system, ensure this person is a system admin.

Scene supervisor

This person controls access to the emergency scene and keeps people away from unsafe areas.

Building utilities manager(s)

These team members need to be familiar with the locations and functions of controls for building utility and life safety and protection systems. These systems include ventilation, electrical shutoffs, water and sanitary systems, emergency power supplies, and alarm systems.

Route guide(s)

In the event of an evacuation, these guides play an important role in ensuring that routes are clear and evacuation is orderly and calm. They also help clear evacuation routes and assist those with mobility issues.

Step #4: Take stock of current resources within your organization

Have you inspected those dusty office fire extinguishers, alarm systems, or first aid kits lately? These are critical components of any emergency response plan, so examine them regularly.

Fire extinguishers and alarms

To support your fire safety, the National Fire Protection Association recommends refilling reusable fire extinguishers every 10 years and replacing disposable ones every 12 years. Periodically remind your employees where the fire extinguishers are located in the workplace. Maintain and test any fire alarms on your premises. Run regular fire drills to get your team used to the evacuation process.

This step-by-step video will guide you through the process of conducting a fire drill at work.

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Alarm systems

Inspect fire alarm systems annually, at the very least. OSHA recommends testing non-supervised employee alarm systems every two months. This inspection covers a host of details, depending on the type of alarm system, like inspection of the control panel(s), tests of all associated devices such as smoke detectors and heat detectors, warning systems operations, and batteries and power.

First aid kit

OSHA requires that “employers provide medical and first aid supplies commensurate with the hazards of the workplace.” Since many items in a first aid kit have expiration dates—typically three to five years after manufacture—and can become damaged by frequent use, moisture, and exposure to the air, it is vital to regularly check your first aid kit and replace any supplies as needed. As a proactive approach, restock items after use and inspect first aid supplies every three months. Provide the necessary first aid training so your team is prepared to use these supplies and help their coworkers in emergencies, big and small.

First aid supplies for the workplace

Step #5: Determine your response plan steps

Next, decide what steps to follow in an emergency. Customize each event response so the procedures are specific and clear.

For example, here’s how you might plan for an evacuation response.

Emergency fire evacuation plan example

A good fire evacuation plan for your business will include primary and secondary escape routes.

  • Clear signs should mark all the exit routes and fire escapes.
  • Keep exit routes clear of furniture or other objects that could impede your employees’ direct means of egress.
  • Make multiple maps of floor plans and diagrams for large offices and post them so employees know the evacuation routes.
  • Develop a separate evacuation plan for individuals with disabilities needing additional assistance.

Once your people are out of the building, where do they go?

  • Designate an assembly point for employees to gather.
  • Your response team should be at the assembly point, collecting a headcount and providing updates.
  • Ensure the escape routes and the assembly area can accommodate the expected number of employees who will be evacuating.

Be sure to consider your disaster recovery efforts or what you do once the crisis is resolved. With planning that extends to recovery, your business can move forward and get back to work as normal. For example, if you have a spill of hazardous materials, your emergency response plan will account for how to keep people safe and contain the spill. The recovery section of your template will explain how to clean up the spill and get that area of the building back to safe working conditions.

Step #6: Decide how to communicate with your employees

One of the most critical parts of any emergency response plan is how you will communicate. When developing your emergency communication plan , consider how to notify employees of a critical event, how the information will be delivered and received, and how effective your communication channels will reach every employee in harm’s way.

During critical events, phone calls and emails are no longer enough. Manual phone trees are prone to misinformation and long delays, and an email alert system alone just doesn’t cut it for emergency communication.

Research suggests that only 65% of employees open internal emails. For workers constantly inundated with messages, internal emails don’t create the sense of urgency needed for time-sensitive information. Hourly and frontline employees—such as retail associates and distribution center workers—often do not have a company email address at all, or they don’t have access to it from their personal phones outside of business hours. And if phone lines are down or email is inaccessible—as can often be the case in emergency situations—your employees may never receive the message. For example, if an organization is hit with an IT virus, relying on email as the only communication channel would be useless and perhaps even counterproductive.

Include notification templates in your emergency response plan to send messages about an incident as quickly as hitting a button. Our template includes examples of what those messages might look like and spaces to compose your own.

Leveraging Technology to Improve an Emergency Preparedness Plan for the Workplace

Today’s workforce is more distributed than ever, especially with a drastic shift to remote and hybrid working environments. This distributed model makes emergency communication increasingly important—but also more challenging.

A modern emergency notification system enables the fast, reliable delivery of mass notifications to any size audience, on any device, over any communication channel. And every organization—regardless of size, industry, or location—will face unexpected events they can manage more effectively with the help of emergency communication software.

When evaluating mass notification solutions, it may be easy to fall into the trap of thinking a standalone text messaging tool is sufficient. But a simple mass texting system  doesn’t have the functionality to communicate reliably with your people during critical events. When the health and safety of your people are at stake, only an enterprise-grade emergency communication system can offer the speed, reliability, and user experience you need.

A mass notification system with multichannel delivery, two-way communication , pre-built notification templates , and threat intelligence can help protect your people and business. With a modern emergency communication system, you can rapidly send and receive messages across multiple channels and ensure everyone gets the information they need when they need it. By automatically syncing with your HRIS or Active Directory, you’ll never have to worry about inaccurate employee contact information, which is critical to safeguarding message deliverability.

Designing a Modern Emergency Response Plan

Every business needs a solid plan for communicating with employees during emergencies and other business-critical events. Minutes can mean the difference between a minor impact and a major disaster. The heat of a crisis is not the time to figure out how to effectively communicate and ensure the safety of your employees.

By building out your emergency response plan in advance, your business is prepared to act at the first signs of a crisis. Download this template to make your planning process as simple and effective as possible—so you can get back to leading safe everyday operations.

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The Corporate Emergency Response Plan: A Smart Strategy

By David B. Graham , Environmental Law

In the classic book  The Art of War , Sun-tzu outlines well thought out strategies, tactics, and principles in order to minimize casualties while effectively and efficiently gaining the advantage over the enemy. Similarly, corporate emergency response planning provides well thought out strategies, tactics, and principles in order to minimize losses while effectively and efficiently gaining the advantage over a crisis. Often thought of as a governmental function, it is wise for corporate executives to rely on a properly prepared and comprehensive emergency plan when a crisis unexpectedly threatens their company, their people, the environment, and perhaps even their jobs.

Although an Emergency Response Plan (Plan) works in concert with government responders, the corporate Plan addresses issues that are beyond the concern and scope of the government. This includes such objectives as ensuring continuity of business operations, minimizing fiscal losses, protecting assets, being proactive with public relations, preparing for legal matters, anticipating stockholder concerns, and implementing measures to prevent a recurrence. While most corporate executives agree that having a current Plan is prudent, developing and maintaining it is simply considered to be a low priority and is deferred. Executives may rationalize that a catastrophe or other demand for emergency action will not occur on their watch as they turn to seemingly more pressing issues. Additionally, keeping a Plan current requires a commitment of time and perhaps money. But, as we have seen with the  Costa Concordia  grounding, the  Deepwater Horizon  explosion and spill, and the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station release, emergencies can quickly happen with devastating results.

Consider the  Deepwater Horizon explosion and Gulf oil spill in April 2010. In a matter of minutes, British Petroleum (BP) found itself facing a situation with 11 employee deaths, 17 injuries, a fire, and an unprecedented oil spill. In the following days as the massive oil spill cleanup began, there were wildlife casualties, property damage, severe economic impacts, and negative publicity, followed by government investigations and inquiries, personal injury, and property damage lawsuits, and the replacement of BP’s Chief Executive Officer Dr. Anthony B. Hayward. It does not take an emergency on the scale of such a major incident, however, to cause a severe impact on a business. Examples abound in every state of natural and man-made incidents that have endangered employees, destroyed property, damaged communities, and threatened a company’s reputation.

Possessing a well-constructed Plan is not the end state; it must be implemented as the incident unfolds. As former chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Richard Meserve said in discussing the Fukushima reactor disaster, while emergency planning was not adequate, “The existing plans were not followed.” Peter Behr, Chaos Among Officials Bedeviled Japan During 2011 Tsunami Disaster , Scientific American, Mar. 1, 2012. Executives simply cannot “wing it” when a crisis erupts. An excellent example of this is the successful ditching of US Airways flight 1549 in the Hudson River in January 2009. Even skillful Captain Chelsey B. Sullenberger and First Officer Jeffrey B. Skiles used the aircraft’s Engine Dual Failure Checklist to ensure that they were performing every possible procedure during the few minutes between the bird strike and the aircraft’s ditching. It is noteworthy that despite this unique ditching of the Airbus320 with 155 people aboard, no fatalities, no pollution and no litigation ensued. National Transportation Safety Board Report of Aircraft Accident “Loss of Thrust in Both Engines After Encountering a Flock of Birds and Subsequently Ditching on the Hudson River,” NTSB/AAR-10/03.

The lack of a well thought out plan can lead to highly serious consequences. In September 2010, A pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) natural gas pipeline exploded in San Bruno, California, resulting in eight fatalities, injuries to fifty-eight people, and damage or destruction to 108 houses. The investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board revealed that PG&E lacked a detailed plan for responding to large-scale emergencies, including a defined command structure. Thus, it took PG&E more than ninety minutes to stop the gas flow, during which time firefighters were unable to battle the blaze. This time frame “was excessively long and contributed to the extent and severity of property damage and increased the life-threatening risks to the residents and emergency responders.” “Pacific Gas and Electric Company Natural Gas Transmission Pipeline rupture and Fire,” NTSB/PAR-11/01. Because of the deaths and destruction to the community, PG&E has agreed to provide up to $50 million to the city of San Bruno for infrastructure repairs and other costs of rebuilding the neighborhood plus another $70 million as restitution. In addition, despite PG&E’s acceptance of financial responsibility, residents have elected to pursue punitive damages by continuing with ninety civil lawsuits that are set for a July 2012 trial in San Mateo County court. Additionally, the California Public Utilities Commission is considering financial penalties for failure to comply with pipeline safety rules. If PG&E had promptly executed their Plan, some of the settlement costs and fines may have been mitigated and fewer lawsuits may have resulted.

Several other logical and compelling reasons stand out for developing and maintaining a Plan. A well-constructed Plan will facilitate shutdown and evacuation, thus reducing injuries or fatalities. It will ensure that employees and visitors are accounted for and confirm that all the right people are notified. As a result, the possibility of workers’ compensation claims or personal injury litigation from employees as well as third parties should be reduced or eliminated.

Given that executives and managers are infrequently faced with responding to a crisis, the Plan prompts the leader to act methodically and orchestrate a tailored response. The Plan enables the leader to focus on the most urgent priorities. Plans for Fortune 500 companies often take an umbrella approach that included corporate-wide guidance as well as local instructions for each subsidiary. Not surprisingly, businesses that have a Plan have reported significantly shorter incident durations than companies without one. Conversely, those entities without a Plan experienced crises lasting approximately two-and-a-half times longer than those who invested in preparing one. Steven Fink, Crisis  Management: Planning for the Inevitable, 67  (2002).

A comprehensive Plan will prepare senior management to deal with the multiple simultaneous demands that accompany an incident. Hazardous material (HAZMAT) releases into the air, water, and ground often occur concurrently. They may need to contain physical damage, notify families of deceased employees, and inform news media, employees, shareholders and investigators. While providing too much information to any of these interests could be incriminatory during any follow-on litigation, the company’s reputation could be equally damaged if it is perceived to be manipulating or withholding information. Thus, following a well thought out Plan can be the key to the public’s perception of the incident and the company’s long term reputation. As an example, the chief executive officer of Ashland Oil was well prepared and took a proactive approach when an oil storage tank collapsed into the Monongahela River near Pittsburgh in 1988, thus enhancing the company’s reputation as a responsible corporation despite the substantial petroleum release.

Beyond the commonsense reasons, having a Plan may be legally required. Companies that store, transport, or manufacture certain quantities of hazardous materials or petroleum products or that operate certain facilities are required by U.S. federal law to have a Plan. The Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act (HMTA), The Oil Pollution Act of 1990,.U.S. Coast Guard regulations, Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulations, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations require preparation and adoption of some form of a Plan for companies that meet certain criteria. Many of these regulations contain very specific Plan requirements such as required training, notification of authorities, emergency medical treatment, employee counts, evacuation procedures, and emergency response equipment. Some facilities (e.g., those subject to section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act), are required periodically to review and update their Plans and even notify their employees of any changes (40 C.F.R. §68.95). OSHA regulations also require Plans to be updated based on certain criteria and reviewed with each employee (29 C.F.R. §1910.38). For companies storing certain levels of hazardous materials, having plans to interact with the community and to share information regarding specific materials on hand is a requirement of the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (42 U.S.C. § 11003). This information will assist public agencies in preparing to respond to the potential release of hazardous substances. For facilities that handle oil above specific thresholds, a Spill Prevention Control and countermeasures Plan is required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (40 C.F.R. § 112). Depending on the type of facility, planning for worst-case scenarios is encouraged. A Plan maybe even required by treaty. As a result of the Titanic disaster, the International Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) treaty requires several safety measures, including a fire-control plan for certain vessels. The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), adopted by 150 nations, requires a shipboard oil pollution Plan as well as immediate reporting of any discharge of oil, harmful substances, or noxious liquids.

It is prudent to incorporate other legal requirements into a Plan to serve as a safeguard against unwillingly violating the law in the midst of a hectic response. For example, under the Department of Transportation regulations, pipeline operators are required to conduct drug and alcohol testing of employees within 32 hours of an incident. Also, a spill of certain HAZMAT substances over specified thresholds must be reported to the National Response Center within 12 hours of the spill, and a written report of the incident must b prepared. Additionally, all coal mining incidents are required to be investigated by the owner with a determination of the cause and the means of preventing a recurrence (30 U.S.C. § 813(d)). States also have unique requirements that should be incorporated into the Plan. For example, in Pennsylvania, regulations for the Clean Streams Law require that either the person spilling a pollutant into surface or groundwater or the person owning the premises must immediately notify the state Department of Environmental Protection. Because there is no reportable quantity, all spills into ditches, drains, or sewers are within the scope of this law. For international companies, the laws of the nation in which the company’s facility is located should be incorporated into the Plan. Canada’s emphasis tends toward fire safety, whereas China’s safety focus is on the nuclear arena. Germany concentrates on being environmentally responsible. The variety of these national laws contributed to the complexity of a Plan developed by the authors for a Fortune 250 company with international facilities. Thus, extreme care must be taken to craft each Plan to comply with these national laws. Whether the applicable law is federal, state, another nation’s, or a treaty, the midst of the crisis is clearly not the time to be conducting legal research.

Principles for Developing a Plan

Several important principles provide the foundation for constructing a solid Plan. First, there must be a designation of an on-site decision-maker. This incident director must be someone who is capable of making quick, rational decisions with the best information available at the moment. They must understand that decisiveness trumps the perfect decision, while also recognizing that some decisions may be irreversible. While this person could be the president, chief executive officer, or chief operating officer, it also could be anyone else who has the skills to manage multiple issues in a demanding environment. The designated person must possess strong leadership attributes, have an intimate knowledge of the business, possess the ability to evaluate risks versus benefits, be familiar with employees’ capabilities, and have the acumen to deal with the press. An understanding of the community and the environment is also beneficial.

Second, disaster preparedness at the individual or personal level must be emphasized as well and preferably from the executive tiers down. This emphasis on “at home” preparedness (in addition to “at work” preparedness) is founded upon both a moral concern for the well-being of all employees and the desire to ensure that employees who are assigned to the company’s emergency response crews are well prepared for action. As illustrated by the absence of dozens of New Orleans Police Department officers following hurricane Katrina, employees who are not personally prepared will be consumed in personal and family issues that will likely restrict their ability to report to work.

The third principle is that there must be a “Plan B.” Redundancy with respect to people, equipment and systems is critical. For example, due to the unavailability of the Toyko Electric Power company’s chairman and president until 10 a.m. on the day after the tsunami struck in March 2011, which was the most critical period, the electric company “was consequently unable to make prompt organizational decisions and wound up losing the government’s trust with regard to information sharing and decision making.” Yoichi Funabashi and Kay Kitazawa, Fukushima in review: A complex disaster, a disastrous response , Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 4 (Mar. 1, 2012). Because communications are the backbone of emergency response, the Plan should provide for a backup system in the event of a communications outage or computer failure. A communications failure may cause emergent incidents to deteriorate, as illustrated on several levels with Hurricane Katrina. Redundancy also applies to such assets as databases, power, vehicles, and the emergency operations center itself. While decisions regarding whether to have a redundant system or equipment will be subject to an evaluation of cost versus benefit, having a “Plan B” can turn a potentially major problem into a minor event.

Fourth, certain standard policies must be waived or streamlined during an emergency. Those policies should be articulated along with the conditions under which they will be waived and the designated individual who may grant the waiver. Streamlined emergency policies need to be “on-the-shelf” prior to the incident. After the incident, the policies should be evaluated to determine how well they worked and then modified as necessary. The parameters of a bona fide emergency policy should be clearly and succinctly stated, with internal controls articulated in writing to prevent abuse.

A fifth principle is to establish an emergency response organization that parallels the company’s current organization. People who normally work with each other and know their colleagues will work together more efficiently. One exception is that the company should leverage the hidden talents of its people. Many employees have previous careers or specialized training that may be totally different than those used in their current jobs. These specialized skills may make them more valuable in selected emergency response positions.

The final principle is to understand the capabilities of external organizations that might assist during an incident. These include the fire department, ambulance service, hospital, Red Cross, law enforcement, state department of natural resources, state emergency management agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency, EPA, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or U.S. Coast Guard, and private firms such as HAZMAT cleanup contractors and construction contractors, construction contractors, and security firms. Maintaining a list of local counselors or instituting an employee assistance program may prove beneficial for post-trauma counseling.

The Enemies of a Plan

Executives need to understand the enemies of the Plan (i.e., those forces that will undermine its effectiveness). The first enemy on our list is the hollow plan. This document is a result of a cut-and-paste from another plan and is often used when there is a requirement from government regulators or a partnering company for a Plan. This approach results in a “form over substance” document with no top management support. One example of this is BP’s Deepwater Horizon Plan that depended upon “proven equipment and technology” that reportedly did not exist. Furthermore, BP’s Plan allegedly referred to Arctic wildlife and provided incorrect contact information for oil spill engineers. In re: Oil Spill by the Oil Rig “Deepwater Horizon” in the Gulf of Mexico, on April 20, 2010 , No. 2:10-md-02179-CJB-SS (E.D. La.), First Am. Master Compl. “B1 Bundle” paras. 482-483, ECF No. 1128 (Feb. 9, 2011).

The second enemy is basing a Plan on invalid assumptions. Valid assumptions are foundational to a Plan and need to be thoroughly vetted. For example, the Japanese Nuclear Safety Commission did not include provisions for an extended loss of power in its accident-management policy. On the contrary, its premise was that electric transmission lines or emergency power capability would be restored quickly. The reality was that the Fukushima power plant was without power for six days requiring workers to develop inefficient workarounds. Funabashi and Kitazawa, supra  at 4-5.

The third enemy is normalcy bias – the rationalization that the scenario is not as bad as it actually is. Normalcy bias was demonstrated by the statements of BP’s ousted CEO, when he stated that ‘the Gulf of Mexico is a very big ocean. The amount of volume of oil and dispersant we are putting into it is tiny in relation to the total water volume.’ Normalcy bias is further exemplified by the response by the Costa Concordia  crew. After the ship struck the rock near Giglio Island, passengers were allegedly told by the crew to return to their staterooms. About an hour passed before the order to abandon ship was issued, possibly contributing to the loss of thirty-two lives as well as the $570 million vessel. Thus, normalcy bias will delay critical actions and place the response team behind the power curve; a position from which it is unlikely to recover.

The fourth enemy is misinformation. During a shocking event, people see and perceive different things. During the San Bruno natural gas pipeline explosion, there were reports of an aircraft crash. The fact that the explosion was about three miles from San Francisco International Airport may have lent plausibility to the reports. But such misinformation can cause delays in responding or response with the wrong resources.

The fifth enemy is failing to customize an emergency response plan template. Although templates are useful and may promote efficiency in developing a Plan, there can be an overreliance on the template. Because of the unique features of any particular facility, the Plan must be customized for the corporation and each facility. The omission of specific details such as the organization chart, management phone numbers, local or international requirements, and reporting criteria will promote errors, omissions, and confusion.

The last enemy is failing to keep a Plan up to date. People move, technology changes, and corporate structures morph. The Plan must be updated with even minute details such as a telephone number change. Contractors may close their business or change their specialty, and certain personnel certifications such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) will expire. For these reasons, a Plan will become obsolete if not updated.

Developing the Plan

To develop the overall Plan, an assessment of the various risks must be conducted that will determine those emergencies the Plan should address. While this is often an A primary key to a successful unconscious step, this a deliberate evaluation is the foundation of the Plan. In addition to the obvious risks such as fire, hurricane, blizzard, or oil spill, the Plan should evaluate other risks that may not normally be associated with an emergency. These are events that can cripple a company and will vary depending on the industry and the location. Examples are supplier or shipper interruption, violent criminal action, Internet service outage, explosion, and alarm failure. The Plan must also include any legal requirements such as notification of authorities. Based on these drivers, policies and procedures can then be developed. In constructing the Plan, one must also ensure that the planned procedures are practical and executable. As demonstrated after the West Virginia Upper Big Branch Mine explosion, management lacked the basic knowledge of how many miners were missing in the mine. A weakness in the accounting of individuals working in the mine resulted in confusion in the command center, criticism of the company over an inaccurate press release, and awkward meetings with families. It took more than nine hours after the explosion to determine the number of miners who were actually missing. J. Davitt McAteer,  et. al., Upper Big Branch, Report to the Governor  37- 39 (May 2011).

It is also vital to craft a streamlined organizational structure for the emergency that identifies key individuals, their functional responsibilities, and their authority to act. An organization that provides for the addition of personnel as an incident grows will be able to meet the expanding informational needs. This is an area that is often overlooked and is yet critical for a well-executed response. Staff must understand how to keep the top decision-maker informed without overwhelming him or her with unnecessary details. Information must flow smoothly, be documented, and cannot “fall through the cracks.” Although this point may appear basic, examples abound of sophisticated organizations that became centers of turmoil when presented with a crisis.

Designating a location as an emergency operations center and promulgating a hard copy of the Plan with comprehensive checklists, facility layouts, organizational charts, phone numbers, and email addresses are essential tasks. It is also recommended that managers have phone numbers and email addresses for key people in their mobile devices since emergencies do not restrict themselves to working hours. For facilities that store hazardous materials, material safety data sheets should be included in the Plan. Another area that is often overlooked is the training and preparation of employees. Personal preparation by employees, especially for incidents such as a hurricane that affect the community, is important from the perspective that employees will not be available for work if they have not personally prepared. In addition, a determination of the level of first-aid response should be made, ranging from maintaining a first aid kit to qualifying staff as emergency medical technicians. Because of the short response time required to treat cardiac arrest, some organizations have invested in Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and trained their staffs in AED and CPR. For example, at Kaufman & Canoles, P.C., we have equipped our seven offices with AEDs supported by fifty volunteer lawyers and staff who have been certified in AED/CPR response.

The selection and staging of emergency equipment are especially relevant for industrial facilities. Such assets as fire fighting equipment, HAZMAT cleanup equipment and personal protective clothing must be readily available and well maintained. In certain circumstances, contractual agreements with certain vendors or contractors should be negotiated during the development of the Plan, since the organization will have little leverage to negotiate when faced with the emergency It is also recommended that insurance policies be reviewed for appropriate levels of property and casualty coverage, including business-interruption coverage. A primary key to a successful Plan is to organize the plethora of commonsense steps and the myriad of federal, state, local, or foreign legal requirements into a concise set of policies and actions.

The Three Phases of an Emergency

Experience has proven that organizing the Plan in three chronological phases that set the stage for a comprehensive and efficient response. These phases apply regardless of the size or type of incident.

The Initial Response Phase commences when an individual reports an incident. The Plan will provide a complete checklist to guide the incident director through the myriad of important time-critical actions. If properly followed, a well-designed Plan will facilitate the flow of accurate and timely information, which guards against the aforementioned normalcy bias. Such information is a key component to the successful launch of an effort that dispatches the right people with the right equipment.

Safety must be the top priority for responders as the damage and injury assessment is developed. The incident director and on-scene supervisors must be vigilant about any developing or previously unreported hazards. Additionally, these leaders must keep mind both their ethical responsibility to conduct safe operations as well as the corporation’s culpability should employees be negligently directed to take unsafe actions. If serious injury or death occurs, the next of kin must be promptly and personally notified. On-scene security must also be established to eliminate the potential for theft and to preserve any evidence for later investigation. Photos taken immediately after the event are an excellent way to provide information and investigative evidence.

Depending upon the type and magnitude of the incident, governmental authorities may need to be notified and their assistance summoned. Reporting an incident is not something that should be taken lightly. As an example, the  Costa Concordia’s captain has been charged with failing to inform Italian maritime authorities of the ship’s sinking. Subject to the size and organizational structure of the company, internal corporate notifications may also be required. It may prove necessary to prepare a news release or to arrange a news conference.

While not initially at the forefront of concern, an accounting process may need to be established to track the costs of any urgent procurements. As the incident progresses, failing to track costs could be problematic if not controlled. Given the pace of operations, it is easy to overlook the status of employees who are not engaged in the incident. All decisions and directions for each employee and contractor should be documented.

For several reasons, an internal investigation should commence early in the incident. The incident may expose the entity to criminal or civil penalties. For example, the Clean Water Act calls for a civil penalty of $1,100 per barrel of oil spilled. If the entity is later determined to have acted in a grossly negligent manner, then the exposure increases to $4,300 per barrel. Another reason to organize an investigation is to prevent or minimize the effects of a future recurrence. Depending on the type of incident, a policy change may be needed, additional employee training may be required, or updated equipment may need to be purchased. Regardless, all evidence needs to be gathered and every potential witness needs to be identified. It is also appropriate for the investigation team to notify and work with the company’s insurance agent.

The Cleanup and Recovery Phase keeps the response effort moving forward, initiates cleanup, and commences recovery. In this phase, personnel issues may arise and logistics may continue to be tracked to prevent uncontrolled spending. Temporary or permanent repairs to damaged equipment and buildings may be required. Families of any missing employees must be kept updated while press releases are issued and news conferences are conducted. Sustainable security levels must be maintained and a strategy to resume business must be developed.

The After-Action Phase involves restoring the facility to complete operation and concludes the incident, although any litigation, reconstruction, or insurance claims could continue into the future. The investigation is then completed by management in concert with legal counsel and should include an executive summary supported by detailed facts surrounding the incident. Any observations that are in dispute or contradictions in witnesses’ statements should be expressly stated. The causal factors of the incident should be identified. These factors fall into four primary categories: an Act of God (e.g., hurricane, earthquake), material failure (e.g., equipment failure, alarm malfunction), personnel error (e.g., transportation accident, operator error), or intentional personnel actions (e.g., sabotage, employee negligence, civil unrest). The incident’s cause can also be a combination of any of the aforementioned factors, which may require in-depth scrutiny to uncover. For example, the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station release was caused by both an act of God and a series of personnel errors. Funabashi & Kitazawa, supra  at 4.

In anticipation of litigation, observations, opinions and recommendations are often presented in a separate privileged document. Of interest will be supervisory oversight leading up to the incident along with any other impact that the supervisor could have had. The investigation should address possible preventative measures and any interim actions taken. Active or potential litigation from both internal and external sources should be identified in the privileged document.

Lessons learned should be developed and shared with management. If the organization or incident is large, a critique of the Plan should be conducted to identify opportunities for improvement. Post-trauma counseling may be required for personnel with severe injuries or employees who suffered traumatic events, such as experiencing the death of a colleague.

The tangible benefits of a comprehensive Plan are clear. Although it may be difficult to allocate the time required, it only takes one serious incident to eradicate a business reputation, destroy assets, and endanger lives. In the unfortunate event of an incident, the up-front investment in developing the Plan will provide immediate payback, thus more than justifying the effort. Like Captain Sullenberger, when a crisis strikes, a smart executive will take command, implement the Plan, and possibly save the company and even lives.

David B. Graham is a partner with Kaufman & Canoles in Williamsburg, VA who specializes in environmental law. He may be reached at [email protected] .  

“ The Corporate Emergency Response Plan: A Smart Strategy ,” Natural Resources & Environment (ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources) Vol. 27 No. 2 (Fall 2012).

The contents of this publication are intended for general information only and should not be construed as legal advice or a legal opinion on specific facts and circumstances. Copyright 2024.

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  • For Businesses

Prepare My Business for an Emergency

Businesses can do much to prepare for the impact of the many hazards they face in today’s world including natural hazards, human-caused hazards or technology related hazards.

  • Natural hazards could be a flood, hurricane, tornado, earthquake or a widespread serious illness such as the H1N1 flu virus pandemic.
  • Human-caused hazards include accidents, acts of violence by people and acts of terrorism.
  • Examples of technology-related hazards are the failure or malfunction of systems, equipment or software.

DHS/FEMA sponsors a resource called “Ready Business” to assist businesses in developing a preparedness program by providing tools to create a plan that addresses the impact of many hazards. The direction recommended is to adopt a standard for Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs called an “all hazards approach.”

Steps to Create a Business Preparedness Program

To develop an “all hazards approach,” DHS has adopted National Fire Protection Association 1600 (NFPA 1600) as the American National Standard for developing a preparedness program.

There are five steps toward creating a business preparedness program:

1. Program Management

  • Organize, develop and administer your preparedness program
  • Identify regulations that establish minimum requirements for your program

2. Planning

  • Gather information about hazards and assess risks
  • Conduct a business impact analysis (BIA)
  • Examine ways to prevent hazards and reduce risks

3. Implementation

Write a preparedness plan addressing:

  • Resource management
  • Emergency response
  • Crisis communications
  • Business continuity
  • Information technology
  • Employee assistance
  • Incident management

4. Testing and Exercises

  • Test and evaluate your plan
  • Define different types of exercises
  • Learn how to conduct exercises
  • Use exercise results to evaluate the effectiveness of the plan

5. Program Improvement

  • Identify when the preparedness program needs to be reviewed
  • Discover methods to evaluate the preparedness program
  • Utilize the review to make necessary changes and plan improvements
  • How Do I - For Businesses
  • Preparedness

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Managing Through Emergency and Disaster

While many organizational officials view emergency and disaster planning as purely a function of risk management and safety professionals, human resource management plays a key role in planning for any disaster or emergency, whether for staffing and workforce planning, training, reorganization or revising plans and policies to accommodate changing needs and priorities.

This article addresses HR's role in planning for and responding to emergency and disaster, reviews basic steps in emergency planning, and briefly highlights specific functions within the HR discipline and issues involved in the disaster management process. The article closes with a brief discussion of specific types of disaster and special circumstances.

HR's Role as Leader in Disaster and Operations Continuity Planning

While community leaders may be involved in dealing with emergencies and disasters that have widespread impact, these leaders will be primarily concerned with public safety and not with the assets of a business or its ongoing operation. Thus, organizations must be prepared by creating and updating plans for the organization's sustainability during disasters. Top organizational officials should drive the plan, with human resource leaders playing a key role in the personnel interface elements of the plan. For businesses with multiple locations, operational leaders who will ensure compliance with the disaster plan may be designated at each location. HR planning is integral to strategic disaster management plans. To the degree that the organization has invested in workforce planning to anticipate the numbers of workers with the appropriate skill sets and competencies, it should also anticipate how changes due to emergencies will affect those plans. Part of the planning process should outline resource allocations, including information on how employees may be deployed into other areas of the workforce should certain workgroups not have the adequate staffing due to illness, death or travel restrictions. The workforce planning component should also identify training needs so that the staff is adequately prepared to take on additional duties in emergencies. 

Because organizations grow and change over time, they should periodically review and update their emergency plan to ensure that it is still operational. Also, given that the plan may contain contacts for disaster resources, company personnel and other data that tend to change over time, this information will need to be reviewed so that all information is current. See HR Pros Weather the Storm .

Basic Steps in Emergency Planning

Ready: Business is a partnership between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help owners and managers of small to midsize businesses prepare their employees, operations and assets in the event of an emergency. According to Ready, the five steps in developing a preparedness program are program management, planning, implementation, testing and exercises, and program improvement.

Program management

A preparedness program should outline the goals and objectives of the program, define roles and responsibilities and identify individuals to develop and update the program. The organization's legal department or legal counsel should review all emergency plans to ensure that risks are minimized. 

A systematic plan for approaching emergencies involves an understanding of the universe of hazards that may occur, followed by an assessment of the probabilities of these disasters occurring. Plans should be focused on those elements with the highest degree of probability.  See SBA Emergency Preparedness .

Implementation

Organizations should then develop a preparedness plan that addresses the following:

  • Resource management.
  • Emergency response.
  • Crisis communications.
  • Business continuity.
  • Information technology.
  • Employee assistance.
  • Incident management.

Operational and closed worksite contingencies. Plans should include contingencies for both operational and closed worksite contingencies. Worksites that remain open during emergencies will need to consider a wide range of issues, including lodging for displaced employees and staff, food and water, and transportation issues.

Alternative business operation sites. To prepare for the possibility that organizations will able to maintain their operations, they should develop plans for identifying potential alternative worksite arrangements and staffing options, as well as the technology structures required to support business operations if worksites are inaccessible.

Categorization of employees by degree of impact. It is likely that employers will have three employee groups based on the nature and magnitude of the emergency: employees who are severely affected (including those who have lost family members or homes and those who are personally affected by severe illness); employees who have experienced issues such as energy or transportation losses as a result of the disaster; and employees not directly affected. The organization should create policies for each employee group with consideration for their needs and issues. 

Compliance with government reporting requirements. Emergency planning should take into consideration government reporting requirements with regard to the Occupational Safety and Health Act, COBRA, state laws requiring delivery of paychecks and Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN Act) notifications, among many others.

Safety and security practices. Business continuity and recovery and emergency response are important elements of a safety and security program. Emergency evacuation plans must be developed and practiced, and key employees should be identified to make decisions regarding safe working conditions.  See   General Business Preparedness for General, Construction and Maritime Industries and OSHA: Exit Routes Are Mandatory .

Communications plan. Communicating with employees, customers and other stakeholders during emergencies is a critical role. Through effective communications, customers may remain loyal, employees will know not only what is expected but also what resources they can turn to for support during the crisis, and others can know about their role in the emergency. See How to Communicate with Employees When a Crisis Hits .

Testing and exercises

Performing testing and exercises to practice the emergency plans are necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of a preparedness program, to make sure employees know what to do and to find any missing parts that employers need to address before an actual emergency situation occurs. See   Are You Prepared to Evacuate Your Workers with Disabilities? and When Simulation Means Survival .

Program improvement

Employers should review and update all plans periodically to determine that they cover the possibility of organizational changes (e.g., new facilities, additional departments, changed organizational structure). Further, the plans should include the latest emergency information, such as updates on epidemics and workplace considerations or changes in protocols for responding to global disasters. In addition, updates on plan resources and contact information should be periodically checked to ensure accuracy.

Staffing Management Practices

The HR function will have the primary responsibility for managing staffing needs during an emergency and should include contingency staffing plans as part of the disaster and emergency planning process.

Essential personnel. Employees should understand who or which positions are considered essential during an emergency or disaster. Essential personnel are typically those individuals required to report to work regardless of conditions, such as health care and public safety workers. See Inclement Weather Policy Should Factor In Safety, Pay .

Alternative work schedules. In times of emergencies, organizations may need to consider alternative work schedules, including part-time, job-sharing or new schedules that will permit nontraditional work hours (such as 24/7 operations).  See   Managing Flexible Work Arrangements .

Alternative worksites and telecommuting arrangements. Establishing temporary worksites or virtual office environments through telecommuting may be viable options when worksites have to be closed, relocated or staffed in innovative ways due to emergencies. 

Transportation services. When operating during disasters, employers may need to provide unique transportation services so that employees can reach the worksite. 

New-hire and recruitment pipeline issues. Human resource professionals may need to modify their staffing procedures during emergencies. In some cases, new employee hiring will need to be placed on hold, yet in other situations, new staff may be required immediately so that new locations may become operational or staff may be replaced.

Temporary staffing issues. In some emergencies, temporary staff will be necessary for the business to operate in new locations or with many full-time employees unable to get to work. Human resource professionals should consider myriad temporary staffing options, including using a pool of temporary employees, using temporary staffing services or deploying consultants or contract workers, depending on the numbers, skill sets and credentials needed. 

Emergency responders. Some employees may be members of the National Guard or volunteer responders that may be called up for duty by the state governor or president of the United States. Job protections are in place for these employees, and some state laws may be implicated to address unique situations.

Employee Compensation

Payroll. A major issue for employers during disasters is providing for employees' pay. Employers will need to consider ways to deliver paychecks to employees and should consider state laws for timelines in doing so. See Do we have to pay employees when we close our business due to inclement weather? and When Disasters Strike: Pay, Leave and Related Issues .

Unemployment compensation. Some employees may be terminated or be unable to work because of a facility closing, and in those situations, employees will need to adhere to unemployment compensation guidelines.

Hazard pay . Employers may consider offering essential personnel differential pay when working conditions are extreme due to emergencies or disasters. See What are some common types of differential/premium pay?

Nonexempt employees. Nonexempt employees are paid for work performed. They may earn overtime compensation as increased demands are placed on them to cover for other employees during a crisis. If employees work from home or do other work away from the business premises, they must be compensated.

Exempt employees. Exempt employees must be paid their salary for an entire week if they work any portion of a workweek, even if the location is closed for part of the week because of an emergency or natural disaster. If the facility is closed for a full workweek and the exempt employee performs no work that week, the employer has no obligation to pay the employee.

Employee Benefits

Leave policies. A common benefits issue during emergencies is providing leave to employees. Allowing for flexibility in paid time off use is common. Some employers consider leave donation programs to assist employees who must be off of work during calamities yet have exhausted their paid leave. 

Insurance benefits. When business operations are suspended due to facility closings, employers will need to determine if benefits plans are to be continued. Human resource professionals should contact insurance companies to determine which benefits will continue, which will be discontinued and how employees will be notified of these changes. Insurance companies and administrators often have specific hotlines for their customers to contact during a disaster since life, health and disability coverages will be affected.

Family and medical leave. Employers covered under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) may encounter employees who need time off from work due to health conditions related to emergency and disaster situations. Organizations must ensure that their employees are aware of their FMLA rights and have access to employer policies and related forms for using FMLA-protected leave. See Employee Leave Eligibility and Natural Disasters .

Employee Assistance Fund (EAF)

Also known as employee relief or crisis funds, these programs offer grants (not loans) to assist employees experiencing financial difficulties due to a personal setback such as a medical issue or loss of housing due to a natural disaster. To establish these funds as tax-advantaged plans, the employer sets up a nonprofit entity that receives contributions and disburses grants to employees.  See What is a tax-advantaged employee crisis fund, and what are the guidelines for establishing such a fund?

The COVID-19 pandemic saw companies using EAFs to support their employees who were affected by child care issues, quarantines and illness, a spouse's job loss or their own. See Emergency Relief Funds Throw Employees a Lifeline During Pandemic .

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation offers employers external EAF management services, tailored to meet the parameters and qualifications set by the employer. They use their many years of experience to provide employers with all the guidance they need to set up a program.

Leave Donation

Leave donation or leave sharing programs allow employees to donate accrued paid time off (PTO), vacation or sick leave to a general pool to be used by fellow employees who experience medical emergencies or who are affected by major disasters and have exhausted all paid leave available to them. Leave donation programs may benefit the employer and enhance employee morale and camaraderie. These employee-friendly programs may also play a role in increasing productivity, reducing absenteeism, and improving recruiting and retention of quality employees. See How to Create a Leave Donation Program and How do employers account for salary differences in donated leave programs?

Global HR Issues

Emergencies can be global in nature or have global impact for international companies. Crises of this magnitude will require HR to anticipate and implement disaster planning across borders and take account of varying international standards and protocols. Decisions such as evacuation of expatriates or emergency medical services must be identified at the onset of international assignments. See How can an organization ensure the safety and security of expatriates and other employees in high-risk areas?

Technology Issues

How will a business maintain its financial and other critical data during emergencies? Will technology be accessible during emergency situations? What should happen if the facility is destroyed and with it the data needed for business operations? These are some of the critical technology issues that must be addressed for emergency planning as well as business continuity and recovery. See IT Disaster Recovery Plan .

Types of Disasters and Special Circumstances

Different types of disasters and emergencies will require differing responses by organizations.

Since the tragedy of Sept. 11, employers are well aware of the potential dangers for employees on U.S. soil, as well as when employees of U.S. employers are at work or on business travel abroad. 

Many businesses are not prepared for the possibilities of a widespread epidemic, such as pandemic influenza, yet experts insist that the possibility for such a disaster is high. See Managing Through Flu and Other Epidemics in the Workplace .

Natural disasters 

Natural disasters include emergencies caused by flood, hurricane, earthquake or other weather disasters.  See Express Request: Hurricane Preparedness and How to Protect Against Winter Weather Hazards, Extreme Cold .

Workplace violence

An increasing issue of importance to human resource professionals is how to deal with workplace violence. Whether it is a disgruntled employee or a case of domestic violence that has entered the workplace, these are issues with potentially grave consequences. See Understanding Workplace Violence Prevention and Response and Safeguarding Employees from Workplace Violence .

Additional Resources

Adverse Weather Conditions Policy

Emergency Evacuation Procedures

Inclement Weather Policy

Leave Donation Policy

Critical Personal Leave of Absence Policy (Non-FMLA and Non-Military)

Disaster Preparedness: Medical Emergency Procedures Policy

Safety Policy: General

Security: Visitors Policy & Procedures

Workplace Violence Policy

Workplace Violence Prevention Policy

Weapon-Free Workplace Policy

Sample forms

Checklist: Emergency Preparedness for Human Resources

Leave Donation Request

Leave Donation Authorization

Employee Emergency Contact Form

Additional resources

Fact Sheet on Obtaining and Using Employee Medical Information as Part of Emergency Evacuation Procedures

HIPAA Disclosures for Emergency Preparedness - A Decision Tool

How to Plan for Workplace Emergencies and Evacuations (OSHA Publication)

OSHA's Evacuation Plans and Procedures eTool: Emergency Standards

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GRI: 3-3, 201-2 UN SDG: 11 S G | Published: May 31, 2023

Disaster: Forklift with pallet of goods

We aim to effectively prepare for and respond to disasters, with a focus on associate well-being, serving customer needs through the swift and safe recovery of business operations, and supporting impacted communities.

Key Goals & Metrics

Disasters and business disruptions can happen at any time. In any given year, communities face risks related to natural and weather-related disasters, including storms, wildfires, and tornadoes, whether as a result of climate change or otherwise. 3  Our stores and clubs may also be affected by geopolitical events, pandemics or other contagious outbreaks, or other events such as civil unrest or acts of violence.

Disasters have a direct impact on Walmart’s business and stakeholders. They can put associates and customers in harm’s way, interfere with our operations, disrupt product supplies, compromise communications and information security, damage property and infrastructure, and result in high recovery costs. These events can also disrupt the communities around our stores and clubs. Effective preparation and response to disasters helps Walmart continue to serve the basic needs of associates, customers, and communities and builds trust in our company. Conversely, failure to prepare for and respond to a business disruption in a timely and effective manner may have a direct impact on Walmart’s ability to perform critical business functions, negatively impacting Walmart in the eyes of customers, associates, investors, media, and the communities in which we operate.

Walmart’s Approach

To enhance the resilience of our business in the face of disaster and disruption and help mitigate the impact of disaster on the communities where we operate, we focus on the following:

  • Effective governance, including policies, procedures, and executive oversight
  • Disaster planning and preparation through risk assessment, business continuity planning, training, and supporting the resilience of communities around our clubs and stores
  • Disaster response, including ensuring associate safety and well-being, swift and safe recovery of business operations for the benefit of our customers, and collaboration with community leaders to support local relief and recovery.

Ensuring the well-being of our associates and their families

Customers and Members

Maintaining and restoring our operations to serve customers and members swiftly and safely

Communities

Helping vulnerable communities build resilience before disasters and supporting impacted communities after disasters

Effective Governance & Oversight  |  Advance Planning & Preparation  |  Disaster Response & Recovery

Effective Governance & Oversight

Walmart’s disaster preparedness and management efforts are part of the company’s Global Security Program, a risk-based approach to protecting our people, facilities, information, supply chain, and inventory.

Walmart’s Global Emergency Management team oversees disaster preparation and recovery efforts. The team takes a full lifecycle approach and is responsible for preparedness, business continuity and crisis planning, emergency operations, and recovery from events such as natural disasters, infrastructure failures, man-made hazards and events, and other crises. Key functions include:

  • Enterprise Resilience Planning Team:  This team is responsible for the company’s business resiliency efforts, working with the company's global business partners to identify and implement response and recovery strategies for Walmart's most critical business functions through continuous assessment of resource capabilities and risk mitigation.
  • Emergency Operation Center (EOC):  The EOC serves as the central command center for preparation and response activities, operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days per year. The EOC provides continuous monitoring and coordination of response for natural disasters and human-caused events that could affect Walmart associates, operations, and communities. The EOC provides a scalable and flexible response to events and can assemble its support teams either virtually or physically 24/7.

Senior executives oversee our disaster preparation and response efforts, including through the following:

  • Corporate Crisis Management Team:  Advisory body comprising senior leadership and corporate functional officers for enterprise-wide emergency planning and response policy efforts.
  • Emergency Support Functions (ESF):  Adapted from FEMA’s National Response Framework, Walmart groups decision-makers, responders, and resources into Emergency Support Functions. These ESFs, which include associates from our People, Operations, and Walmart.org 4   teams, work together to ensure an effective and consistent response from the company.
  • Joint Business Continuity and IT/Disaster Recovery Resilience Council:  This cross-functional team of corporate officers is tasked with providing thought leadership, guidance, and support on matters related to the Enterprise Business Continuity and IT Resilience programs. The Council is comprised of corporate officers from relevant segments of the company, including Audit, Global People, Legal, Compliance, and Security.

When the EOC is activated, management monitors the matter and Walmart’s corresponding response. In some instances, based upon the surrounding facts and circumstances, executive management may inform the Board of Directors about a particular matter and Walmart’s response.

Advance Planning & Preparation

Recognizing that disasters could adversely affect our business performance 5 , Walmart invests in disaster planning and preparedness, including risk assessments, business continuity and crisis management planning, and training. We also provide support to communities to build disaster preparedness and resilience programs ahead of disaster events, with a particular focus on communities that are prone to natural disasters and that have been historically underserved.

Risk Assessment

Walmart's Global Emergency Management team, staffed by Walmart associates with experience in law enforcement, meteorology, emergency management, and resilience planning, uses data to identify, assess, and help manage risks related to weather, environmental, public health, and security events. For example:

  • We gather information from government authorities regarding emergency declarations at the federal, state, county, and city levels that may impact our operations, supply chain, or associates. This information is made available to our business to evaluate whether action is necessary to mitigate the impact of a disaster or assist with our response.
  • We use data from previous events to anticipate customer and community needs following storms, help us determine where we may need to direct necessary supplies and personnel for potential disasters, preemptively prepare associates in the field with knowledge about available resources, and help us develop plans to maintain or quickly restore operations if similar situations arise in the future.
  • Using data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Hurricane Center and Weather Prediction Center, we assess risks from developing events, such as hurricanes and ice storms, several days in advance of impact, so that we can start moving resources and building and implementing plans for the areas we anticipate will be most impacted.

Public-Private Collaboration

A key aspect of disaster planning and preparation is knowing the community: community and business leaders who will likely be the main points of contact and communication; local businesses and organizations that may be vulnerable and need assistance following a disaster; and the government agencies and offices that will activate during a crisis event. Establishing relationships with these stakeholders before a crisis event and including them in disaster planning efforts promotes coordinated disaster response efforts, drives information sharing, helps us to direct resources where they are most needed, and can lead to more targeted support for communities in need after a disaster. In 2022, Walmart convened its first Preparedness Summit, bringing more than 100 representatives from corporations, governmental agencies, NGOs, and local nonprofits to Walmart's Home Office campus for working sessions on topics including disaster preparedness and technology, strengthening partnerships, the role of supply chains in disaster relief, and improving and increasing coordination and innovation in the disaster preparedness space.

Building Enterprise Resilience

Our enterprise resilience process is aligned with Disaster Recovery Institute International and Business Continuity Institute recommendations and aims to equip Walmart's business units to respond to business disruptions and crises in an efficient and cohesive manner. Our Enterprise Resilience Planning team, part of the Global Emergency Management team, facilitates this process by engaging with and training business units to implement and update business continuity and crisis plans.

The Enterprise Resilience Planning team works with company leaders to identify critical business functions that could impact Walmart's ability to operate and serve customers and develops plans designed to recover those business units and critical business functions within designated timeframes.

We regularly test our crisis/incident management plans through mock scenarios and tabletop exercises, with at least half of our plans tested each year. These exercises help us learn and identify improvements that we integrate into our plans. Walmart's Joint Business Continuity and IT/Disaster Recovery Resilience Council reviews the overall performance and provides feedback on our Business Continuity program on a quarterly basis.

Disaster: Woman working in EOC

Disaster Preparation for Associates

Our associates play a critical role in disaster planning and preparation, and they receive role-specific training in crisis management and business continuity planning, processes, response, and recovery procedures, including participating in hands-on preparedness exercises.

Walmart also offers training and resources to help associates prepare themselves and their families for emergency or crisis situations:

  • Walmart offers online training and resources to associates on how to create a personal emergency plan, which guides associates through exercises including how to set up communication plans, build an emergency supplies kit, and set a family meeting place.
  • Walmart has developed multiple methods of alerting associates who work in Walmart facilities to emergency situations at or near their work location so that associates can receive alerts via Walmart-issued mobile devices, text, email, or phone. In addition, corporate and field management associates can sign up for location-based severe weather alerts.
  • All associates are assigned training on Workplace Violence Awareness on an annual basis and receive quarterly refresher training. Skills taught include identifying and reporting concerning behaviors and protocols to be utilized in the event of an active shooter or active attack scenario. This program is designed as an awareness tool that will empower and instill confidence in associates, helping them understand “What You Do Matters” in an active shooter event.

Disaster Preparation for Customers

Because millions of customers rely on Walmart for essential products and services, we take action in our stores and clubs to keep customers informed of events that could impact their area and stock the products they may need before, during, and after an event. We also prepare our physical facilities to help lessen the impact of disaster events on our physical facilities so that we can maintain or resume operations for our customers swiftly and safely in the event of a disaster.

Examples of Walmart's disaster preparation activities include:

  • Pre-shipping truckloads of water and other needed products to stores and clubs
  • Changing TV broadcasts within stores in impact zones to show weather forecasts or disaster preparedness videos
  • Conducting roof checks and facility walks to identify and address potential damage points
  • Pre-staging refrigerated trailers and mobile generators at locations that are at risk of losing power

Disaster Preparation for Communities

While responding in the moment is important, we also aim to help communities build resilience before disasters. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation help support organizations working to build disaster preparedness and community resilience, particularly for those at risk of being disproportionately impacted. 6

Example philanthropic investments in FY2023 to help organizations prepare to support communities after disasters include:

  • Expanding access to hygiene and communication services.  Addressing the immediate hygiene and communications needs of affected communities helps people with critical needs in the first days following a disaster. A grant awarded to  Matthew 25: Ministries  will support the construction of additional mobile laundry and shower trailers that can be deployed to Walmart parking lots following disasters. With Walmart's grant support, the  Information Technology Disaster Resource Center  (ITDRC) is developing five new hotspot and device charging trailers that will deploy to Walmart parking lots during and after disasters to help communities and first responders connect to emergency alerts, check in with loved ones, and find recovery services.
  • Building capability of response organizations to deliver disaster resources more quickly.  A Walmart Foundation grant to  American Logistics Aid Network  (ALAN) will help disaster-focused nonprofits build their logistics and supply chain capabilities to ensure that humanitarian aid and resources reach communities affected by crisis rapidly and at a reasonable cost.
  • Building frameworks for more equitable disaster benefit access and distribution.  The Walmart Foundation awarded grants to The Brookings Institution and the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) focusing on increasing access to and equity in disaster recovery benefits. The Brookings Institution grant will support research to inform how survivors access benefit resources after a disaster and to adjust the emergency management framework to better support vulnerable individuals and populations, including renters. BPC's  Disaster Response Reform Task Force —a group of emergency management experts with diverse experiences from prior roles across government—will champion targeted reforms to federal disaster assistance programs to improve the delivery of critical aid to communities in crisis and foster quicker and more equitable disaster recovery.

Walmart's Multi-Year Disaster Preparedness Grants in the Gulf Region

In FY2022, the Walmart Foundation made a multi-year $3 million investment in the Gulf region in areas prone to disasters with higher numbers of Black, Latinx, and Indigenous communities. Concentrating these investments in the Gulf Coast allows us to test solutions and learn how we can use philanthropy to help communities build the capacity to respond to disasters more effectively and equitably. We supported two-year grants for projects including The Nature Conservancy's  SUNS project  (Scaling-up Nature-based Solutions), focused on building nature-based solutions to disaster preparedness; the Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Disaster Management's Bridging Support for Underserved and Indigenous Communities in Landfall Disasters ( BUILD ) program, which arms community leaders with skills to combat systemic exclusionary practices and cultivate communities that are stewards of resilience and sustainability; The St. Bernard Project's  Leader Practitioner Course , which helps government leaders more effectively deliver disaster resources to low-income, high-population communities of color; and the  Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy  at the Tulane University School of Social Work, which will work with 10 grassroots community organizations to help create equitable disaster response and funding plans. These projects, which are currently in their second year of the grant commitment, will provide valuable insight into community resilience that will help inform future resilience-building programs in the Gulf Coast and beyond.

Walmart also takes steps to ensure that our local store and club operators are ready to support their surrounding communities when disasters or crises occur. Each disaster response is different, and each community may not present the same needs, but Walmart is often one of the first places that community members go after a disaster. Our Disaster Response Guide for store and club operators includes information and guidance on how to prepare before a disaster event.

The Guide encourages store and club operators to build relationships with local emergency managers, public officials, and community nonprofits so that the relationships and lines of communication are already established when disaster strikes and those organizations can relay their needs quickly.The Guide also provides information on Walmart's post-disaster support resources, including activating community response tools like gift cards for nonprofits supporting recovery, planning disaster response activities in Walmart parking lots, enabling product donations to community organizations and municipal governments, and activating associate and customer support and giving campaigns.

Disaster: Water donations

Disaster Response & Recovery

When disasters occur, Walmart focuses on (1) the well-being of associates and their families; (2) recovering store and club operations swiftly and safely for the benefit of our customers; and (3) supporting impacted communities. Our response is coordinated centrally through our EOC but includes associates from a broad array of teams and on-the-ground associates in impacted areas.

Activating Walmart's EOC

Every day, our EOC fields calls and reports of incidents at Walmart's stores, clubs, and facilities around the world. In FY2023, the EOC logged more than 118,000 phone calls and recorded more than 11,000 incidents reported via Walmart's Emergency App. EOC team members assess and triage each situation, provide guidance, and coordinate support from the EOC facility at Walmart's Home Office.

When a disaster is larger in scale, we activate an expanded team of decision makers, responders, and resources in our Emergency Support Functions (ESFs). 7  Associates from teams including People, Supply Chain, Operations, Facilities, and Walmart.org convene with the EOC team and work together to ensure open communications and a comprehensive and consistent response from the company.

In addition to activating Walmart's EOC at our home office in northwest Arkansas, Walmart EOC team members are often deployed to local and state EOC locations when disasters strike. The team embeds onsite with local emergency managers, government responders, and other organizations to facilitate communication between the Walmart EOC and local entities on the latest forecast and event impact information, coordination of response and recovery efforts, priorities, and support needs. Walmart first deployed one of its EOC team members into a state EOC during Hurricane Ike in 2008, and that practice continues—as it did when Walmart EOC responders embedded with the Florida EOC for more than a week when Hurricane Ian struck Florida and the Carolinas in September 2022.

After each event, the Global Emergency Management team conducts after-action reviews to identify lessons for continuous improvement. Valuable information and recommendations from after-action reviews are incorporated into our future disaster preparedness and response plans.

Establishing the Well-Being of Our Associates

Our Global Emergency Management team works with our Facilities and People teams to check on the well-being of our associates and their families and to connect them to resources they may need in the wake of a disaster.

Through OneWalmart.com, our associate-facing website, we provide recommendations and best practices for what to do before, during, and after a natural disaster or when a store experiences a security threat or other business disruption. Resources and personal and work preparedness plans and kits are available for download. Walmart provides evacuation assistance for those forced to leave their homes due to mandatory evacuation, as well as opportunities to work in nearby stores and clubs should their location temporarily close.

Real-time updates on weather and other potential business disruptions are shared with associates by email, OneWalmart.com, and through an associate hotline. The Associate Emergency Information Line provides return-to-work information and the ability for associates to request assistance. Information on this line is automatically updated and tailored to the caller’s work location.

Following a disaster, we also conduct associate wellness checks, directly reaching out to associates in the most impacted areas to assess their well-being and connect them to resources. In situations where multiple Walmart locations are impacted, this outreach could include thousands of associates, as it did following Hurricane Ian in 2022.

Maintaining & Resuming Operations for the Customer

In the case that one of our stores, clubs, or other facilities is impacted by a disaster situation, we aim to restore our facility operations swiftly and safely for the benefit of the customers who rely on Walmart for products and services.

Once we identify stores or clubs that are at risk of being impacted by a disaster, Walmart deploys teams and supplies ahead of the event to prepare for potential impacts. For example, ahead of storms, we prepare for potential power outages by staging mobile generators near facilities in the path of the storm so that we can restore power as soon as it is safe to do so. Mobile generators kept stores, clubs, and distribution centers powered for more than 8,300 hours while grid electricity was unavailable in 2022, helping to make our facilities available to customers when they needed food, pharmaceuticals, and other necessary items.

Other recovery activities include:

  • Publishing on Walmart's website which stores are open, closed, or have modified hours or services
  • Assessing properties and buildings for water damage, flooding, roof damage, or other issues, and deploying restoration technicians and experts who aim to restore our facilities to operational status
  • Assessing the safety and viability of transportation routes to facilities in the impacted area so that we can resume deliveries of products to stores and clubs, and rerouting if necessary
  • Connecting facilities to generator power
  • Designating fuel lines for associates and first responders to be able to fuel vehicles and generators

Technology & Disaster Response

Walmart has developed supply chain tools with fast simulation capabilities that enable us to model and implement rapid supply chain network changes in the event of disasters that impact our facilities. In 2022, after Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida, several distribution centers (DCs) and the roads connecting them to stores were severely impacted. This resulted in the disruption of food and water replenishment. Our network strategy team quickly collaborated with operations to develop a new alignment of DCs and stores for more than a dozen affected stores. They evaluated the feasibility of the plan using the simulator and implemented the new configuration within a day, successfully re-enabling the delivery of supplies to impacted areas.

Supporting Impacted Communities

We draw on our strengths as a retailer to support relief efforts. As noted above, the primary way we support communities in times of disaster is by operating our business. We work to reopen stores as quickly and safely as possible so that people can access pharmacy, grocery, and other essential products and services.

But often, communities need more than an open store or club, and we are committed to helping meet those needs. Since FY2019, Walmart, Sam’s Club and the Walmart Foundation have provided more than $105 million for disaster preparedness, response and relief efforts supporting communities around the globe. Because each disaster is unique, our Walmart.org and emergency management teams coordinate with response organizations on the ground and relay real-time information back to our EOC. We use this information to determine the level and nature of support needed, which can range from product donations (such as food and water) to fast and flexible-use gift cards to local nonprofits to enable them to immediately procure critical supplies, to major grants to relief organizations and community foundations.

For example, our support in FY2023 included using our space to coordinate services, in-kind donations to shelters and nonprofits, and cash grants to emergency response organizations.

  • Hurricane Ian.  After Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm in September 2022, hundreds of Walmart stores, clubs, and distribution centers in its path were affected—losing power and suffering damage from wind and water. Many of our customers, members, and associates saw significant damage to their homes and were left without utilities and water. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation donated more than $6 million in disaster relief funding and in-kind support and used our store and parking lot spaces to stage water and meal distributions, host laundry and shower trailers, and offer free wellness and injury exams. As part of our $6 million commitment, the Walmart Foundation granted funds to CORE Community Organized Relief Effort and The Smile Trust, who used the investments to ensure disaster resources reached the most marginalized and vulnerable communities in the impacted region.

20 EOC coordination calls

Nearly 13,000 associates accounted for through wellness checks  

3,800 loads of additional water sent into impacted areas

>1 million additional miles driven by delivery teams to supply stores and clubs outside of their normal service area after a Walmart distribution center suffered storm damage

>$6 million in funding from Walmart, Sam's Club, and the Walmart Foundation for recovery and relief efforts

Hurricane Ian Response Advance through the gallery to learn more about Walmart's efforts in service of associates, customers, and communities during and after Hurricane Ian.

Before Landfall

Landfall & after, days following.

WEEK BEFORE LANDFALL

1 DAY BEFORE LANDFALL

Leader speaks in front of people

  • EOC begins daily situation calls and reports, including weather forecasts and actions to prepare facilities for the storm
  • More than 400 facilities are under hurricane or tropical storm warnings/watches
  • Walmart associates arrive to Florida's state EOC and stay embedded through the course of the storm

Ensure associate well-being

  • Facilities Maintenance teams conduct roof checks and facility walks in areas most likely to see wind and rain impacts from this storm

Large room full of people looking at big screens with information about the storm

Customers & Members

Restore operations swiftly and safely

  • Walmart begins airing hurricane preparedness videos and weather channels on screens and TVs in stores and clubs
  • Facilities Services pre-stages resources and mobile generators to deploy post-storm
  • 600+ additional truckloads of water and 20+ truckloads of disaster merchandise are delivered to stores and clubs in the expected impact area
  • Facilities Maintenance and Energy teams pre-stage refrigerator trailers at facilities near the landfall area in case of power outages

Support impacted communities

  • Disaster Response Guide distributed to store operators in expected impact area
  • Corporate donation dashboard launches that allows teams to request and coordinate donations for nonprofits and local organizations

1 DAY AFTER LANDFALL

A satellite picture of hurricane Ian

  • Landfall as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 155 mph; more than 200 facilities in the path of Hurricane Ian close
  • Hurricane Ian re-strengthens to a hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean and is expected to make landfall the following day in South Carolina
  • Preparations made for associate wellness checks
  • Associate wellness checks begin and Evacuation Assistance activates for associates based at more than 50 facilities in mandatory evacuation zones
  • Transportation team positions 400 drivers in Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia to support recovery efforts, while transportation safety teams assess routes to facilities to restart deliveries in the impacted area
  • Walmart posts a public-facing map showing store and club closures, which updates in real-time
  • 34 facilities operating on generator power

Screenshot of John Furner tweet about commitment to Hurricane Ian relief

  • Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner announces commitment of $6M to support relief efforts at governor's briefing in Florida

2 DAYS AFTER LANDFALL

WEEK AFTER LANDFALL

A lineman's truck with tree limbs on the ground

  • Hurricane Ian makes landfall near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina with winds near 85 mph
  • Dozens of facilities in Florida and southern Georgia are closed, and more facilities in South Carolina close ahead of the storm's second landfall

Map showing realigned Supply Chain and Merchandise deliveries in impacted area

  • Evacuation Assistance activates for associates based at additional facilities now in mandatory evacuation zones
  • Walmart's People Team continue wellness checks on nearly 13,000 associates in the most impacted areas
  • An Associate Resource Center opens at a Florida Walmart supercenter to assist impacted associates
  • Designated vehicle fuel lines created for associates and first responders at Sam's Club facilities in Cape Coral, Fort Myers and Naples, Florida
  • Walmart offers complimentary wellness and injury exams at several Walmart Health Centers
  • 33 facilities operating on generator power
  • Walmart deploys an additional 30 trailer loads of disaster merchandise and more than 100 additional trailer loads of water to impacted areas
  • With a distribution center temporarily closed due to damage, Supply Chain and Merchandise teams realign merchandise and deliveries to continue supporting stores
  • Walmart activates matching campaign in-store and online for customers, members, and associates to give to the American Red Cross in support of hurricane relief efforts
  • Walmart.org partners with Cajun Navy, World Central Kitchen, Tide Loads of Hope, Salvation Army and others to provide community support at Walmart and Sam's Club locations across impacted areas
  • Water giveaway events continue at local community organization sites and Walmart facilities
  • The Walmart Transportation Mobile Relief Kitchen arrives on site, and transportation team members serve more than 84,000 hot meals to Floridians impacted by Hurricane Ian
  • Walmart deploys 15 shower and restroom trailers and 10 laundry trailers to store parking lots in Florida
  • Hurricane Fiona.  Hurricane Fiona left much of Puerto Rico without electrical power in September 2022, creating a need for mobile generators to power critical services. Walmart sourced generators and partnered with UPS to ship them to the Hispanic Federation's team on the ground in Puerto Rico. The donated generators were distributed to individuals and families with medical needs and were used to power community-based relief kitchens. Walmart also worked to get stores and clubs operating and the Walmart Foundation provided $850,000 in support to organizations helping with the Hurricane Fiona recovery in Puerto Rico and Canada.

Disaster: Volunteers with generators

  • Uvalde school shooting.  In the wake of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas in May 2022, Walmart mobilized to help support the community's immediate and longer-term recovery. Working with nonprofit Family Services, which has provided human services in Uvalde for more than 20 years, we donated space inside our Uvalde Supercenter for a new Family Services clinic. In this space, individuals and families in Uvalde and the surrounding area could receive crisis support, mental health services, or other human services needs. Walmart also provided Family Services with a $250,000 grant supporting comprehensive mental health services for the Uvalde community.
  • Flooding in Kentucky.  Heavy rain, flash flooding, and rising river floodwaters overwhelmed communities in eastern Kentucky in July 2022, affecting hundreds of Walmart associates and thousands of community members. Walmart, Sam’s Club, and the Walmart Foundation committed $750,000 in water, food, and funding to organizations providing relief, while simultaneously working to make essential resources like water, food, vaccinations, showers, and laundry available in our parking lots. Walmart drivers deployed our Mobile Relief Kitchen to provide hot meals to the community. Mobile showers were made available, and community members could do their laundry thanks to Procter & Gamble’s Tide Loads of Hope. Walmart also offered vaccination events in four locations, as floods can increase risks of tetanus and hepatitis.
  • Flooding in India.  When flooding devastated communities in Assam, India in the summer of 2022, the Walmart Foundation (through the Walmart Foundation Disaster Relief Fund, a donor advised fund) and the Flipkart Foundation together allocated $250,000 toward Doctors For You to supply relief kits with essential food items, medicines, and hygiene-care products and offer healthcare and psychological support to the affected population. As floods continued in several parts of India, under the initiative of the Flipkart Foundation, Flipkart also activated customer and associate giving campaigns to raise funds to provide additional critical medical supplies and essential relief materials for flood relief efforts in the country.

Read more:  Serving Communities

  • While we use available data to prepare for and anticipate storms and other disruptions, these events are inherently unpredictable. Moreover, storm intensity, frequency, and unpredictability are expected to increase with climate change.
  • The primary way we serve communities is by operating our business; our success in serving communities in times of disaster and disruption is, therefore, dependent on our ability to keep operating and/or resume operations.
  • Stakeholders and communities have more needs than Walmart can meet alone, creating the need to focus on our core capabilities and collaborate to extend impact.
  • Successfully serving communities and recovering from disasters and disruptions are dependent on the engagement of associates, suppliers, and customers. Associates serve our customers, suppliers produce and distribute products, and customers contribute to relief efforts.
  • Disasters disproportionately impact marginalized communities and communities of color that tend to be both the most exposed to damages from an event and the least able to recover financially.
  • Navigating the federal emergency assistance grants process is challenging for households already struggling with limited time, resources, and access to technology.
  • National and global catastrophic events, including pandemics, can exacerbate many of the above factors.

About our Reporting

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  • Serving Communities

1. Walmart's donations toward disaster recovery and relief efforts fluctuate from year to year in response to the needs of our communities and the frequency and severity of disaster events. For example, FY2021 and FY2022 numbers were substantially elevated due to Walmart's contributions to COVID-19 response causes.

2. We activate the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) beyond normal operations to respond to specific situations or events, such as a tornado, civil unrest, or a public health issue. In FY2021, this metric included increased activations due to COVID-19. In FY2022 and FY2023, the EOC did not activate beyond normal operations for COVID-19.

3. Some of the most impactful disasters—those related to weather and climate—are on the rise: the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tracks that between 1980 and 2019, the U.S. averaged  seven billion-dollar climate and weather disasters per year ; for the time period from 2020 through 2022, the average jumped to  20 per year .

4. Walmart.org represents the combined philanthropic efforts of Walmart and the Walmart Foundation.

5. As stated in Walmart’s annual report on Form 10-K.

6. Walmart's analysis suggests that approximately 50% of communities currently served by Walmart U.S. facilities may face significant, long-term disruption from climate-related factors by 2050. Our analysis also suggests that climate change has the potential to disproportionately impact vulnerable populations, including communities of color. Read more:  Climate Change

7. Adapted from FEMA’s  National Response Framework

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Crisis Communications Plans

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Identifying Audiences

Contact Information

Working with the media, message development, contact and information centers.

The need to communicate is immediate when an emergency occurs. Many different audiences must be reached with information specific to their interests and needs.

The crisis communications plan is an important component of a business’ preparedness program. A business must be able to respond promptly, accurately and confidently during an emergency in the hours and days that follow.

Identifying Audiences and How to Reach Them

There are many potential audiences that will want information during and following an incident; each has its own needs for information. The challenge is to identify potential audiences, determine their need for information and then identify who within the business is best able to communicate with that audience.

Possible audiences include:

  • Government officials and regulators

Contact information for each audience should be compiled in advance and be accessible during an incident. Existing information such as customer, supplier and employee contact information may be exportable from existing databases. Include as much information for each contact as possible (e.g., organization name, contact name, business telephone number, cell number, fax number and email address). Lists should be updated regularly and secured.

News media will be on scene or calling to obtain details if the incident is serious. There may be numerous requests for information from local, regional or national media. The challenge of managing large numbers of requests for information, interviews and public statements can be overwhelming.

Determine in advance who will speak to the media and prepare that spokesperson with talking points, so they can speak clearly and effectively in terms that can be easily understood.

Prioritizing requests for information and development of press releases and talking points can assist with the need to communicate quickly and effectively.

One of the goals of crisis communication planning is to make sure that messages are consistent. Each audience will seek information that is specific to them during and following an incident.

Messages can be pre-scripted as templates with blanks to be filled in when information is available and tailored to each incident. Pre-scripted messages can be developed, approved by the management team, and stored on a remotely accessible server for quick editing and release when needed.

There initially may be limited information about the incident or its potential impacts. Having a coordinated review and distribution process allows the business to adapt to changing information. As days and weeks go by, this messaging will transition from reacting to the incident to moving toward recovery. Messaging for each step of this process also can be developed in advance.

Communications before, during and following an emergency is bi-directional. Stakeholders or audiences will ask questions and request information. The business will answer questions and provide information.

Contact and information centers receive requests for information from each audience and disseminate information to each audience.

  • The contact center fields inquiries from customers, suppliers, the news media and others. The contact center should be properly equipped and staffed by personnel to answer requests for information. The staff working within the contact center should be provided with scripts and a “frequently asked questions” (FAQ) document to answer questions consistently and accurately.
  • The information center consists of existing staff and technologies (e.g., website, call center, bulletin boards, etc.) that field requests for information from customers, employees and others during normal business hours. The information center and its technologies can be used to push information out to audiences and post information for online reading.

Last Updated: 09/07/2023

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Storm Recovery: Managing Storm Debris

Proper management of storm debris is important because it protects human health, safety, and our environment. Local officials, emergency response personnel, and residents can all benefit from understanding how to handle excess storm debris and being prepared.

Where possible, reuse and recycling are the preferred methods for managing storm debris. Check out our Strom Debris Use Webpage  for a crafty way to put storm debris to use and help wildlife. To find recycling options:

  • Contact your local waste provider to see what yard waste services they offer,
  • Call your local municipality to find a drop off location, or
  • Search our map of registered composters , the  Michigan.gov/RecyclingDirectory  (residential), or Michigan.gov/RMMD  (commercial).

If recycling is not possible, explore other options.

Printable version of this page

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Plan before the storm

Ideally, areas where solid waste is to be regularly stored and processed should be identified in each county’s or region’s solid waste management plan . These plans are soon to be updated to materials management plans . The plans are developed in coordination with EGLE materials management planning staff  and local county planning staff .

If additional capacity is desired for storm response, consider updating the Emergency Management Program , Emergency Operations Plan to include emergency debris staging areas or transfer site locations that can be used in the event of an emergency. It will facilitate an emergency authorization review in the event there is a need for emergency storm response. However, emergency approvals are not required to be in the approved solid waste or materials management plans.

Emergency Disposal Authorizations

EGLE’s Materials Management Division (MMD) has the authority to issue emergency solid waste disposal authorizations  to counties and municipalities recovering from a disaster or emergency.

A request resulting from an emergency declaration from the Governor must be submitted by the Local Emergency Management Coordinator  using the Michigan Critical Incident Management System  (MI CIMS). Once submitted using MI CIMS, the request is automatically routed to the State Emergency Operations Center , which coordinates with the EGLE, MMD, which has the authority to issue the emergency approval. 

A request resulting from an event that did not result in an emergency declaration from the Governor may be initiated by county and municipal staff, solid waste disposal vendors supporting county and municipal operations, or both, depending on the circumstances.  A request associated with an emergency that is not declared an emergency by the Governor must be submitted to either EGLE's MMD Solid Waste Section staff at [email protected]  or to the appropriate  EGLE MMD Solid Waste District Office staff , or both.

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EGLE encourages local planners and emergency responders  to coordinate with local solid waste, compost, and recycling vendors, and  use the Storm Debris Planning Tool  to assemble the information needed to submit when seeking an emergency solid waste disposal authorization. See the  Storm Recovery Emergency Solid Waste Disposal Authorizations Webpage  and guide for more details on the information needed for emergency authorizations.  

This tool is made available to help emergency planners prepare for storm recovery.

To submit an official request seeking an emergency solid waste disposal authorization , submit the e-mail generated using the planning tool along with the site map to:

  • MI CIMS for an emergency declared by the Governor and
  • EGLE's MMD Solid Waste Section staff at  [email protected]  and the appropriate  EGLE MMD Solid Waste District Office staff  for events that are not declared an emergency by the Governor.

Reasonable requests to expand services, hours of operation, materials accepted, or to make other operational changes to accommodate excess debris at existing transfer stations and landfills are reviewed by MMD on a case-by-case basis.

For questions about emergency disposal authorizations, contact the appropriate  EGLE MMD Solid Waste District Office staff  or the MMD Solid Waste Section staff at  [email protected]  or 517-899-5594.

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Learn Before You Burn

Debris from homes and businesses should not be burned . This includes structural materials, roofing, insulation, siding, appliances, carpet, furniture, and other household items. “Open burning” is the burning of unwanted materials, such as paper, trees, brush, leaves, grass, and other debris whose smoke and other emissions are released directly into the air.

During open burning, air pollutants do not pass through a chimney or stack, and/or the combustion of solid waste is not controlled. Only the burning of trees, logs, brush, and stumps is allowed as long as it is conducted further than 1,400 feet from the boundary of an incorporated city or village and does not cause a nuisance. The open burning of these materials may require a burn permit. Visit Michigan.gov/BurnPermit  to find out if one is required in your area.

Woody and Vegetative Waste

Cutting, splitting, shredding, chipping, or mulching untreated wood and woody debris for reuse as fuel, in flower beds, etc., is one of the best options for handling excess wood and woody materials.

When handling storm-generated vegetative debris , like leaves, grass, plants and small branches, composting is the preferred option, unless you can use it to create wildlife habitat . Search our  Compost Web Map ,  Michigan.gov/RecyclingDirectory , and  Michigan.gov/RMMD  to find woody and vegetative debris recycling options.

Emergency authorizations are not required for accumulating inert materials like trees, stumps, or other land clearing debris, so long as the debris remains on the site of origin or another site, with the approval of the owner. Trees, stumps, or other land clearing debris materials can also be buried so long as the following conditions are met:

  • The debris is buried on the site of origin or another site, with the approval of the owner of the site.
  • The debris is not buried in a wetland or floodplain.
  • The debris is placed at least 3 feet above the groundwater table as observed at the time of placement.
  • The placement of the debris does not violate federal, state, or local law or create a nuisance.

Storm-generated woody and vegetative debris from a catastrophic event like a flood, tornado, infrastructure failure or extreme erosion can be disposed in a licensed solid waste landfill if EGLE has granted an  emergency disposal authorization . Search our map of solid waste landfills to find disposal options.

See details above for requesting an  emergency disposal authorization  for disposal of storm-generated woody and vegetative debris in a landfill. For questions about emergency disposal authorizations and composting of wood and woody or vegetative debris, please call the appropriate  EGLE MMD Solid Waste District Office staff  or contact the MMD Solid Waste Section at [email protected] or 517-899-5594. See our story map to learn more about how landfills work .

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Household and Non-hazardous Business Debris Disposal

As a precautionary measure to protect public health, construction and demolition debris that are emergency or storm-related can be treated as potentially containing asbestos and maintained in a wet condition from demolition to disposal. Construction and demolition debris may be disposed in a licensed solid waste landfill. For more information on handling asbestos waste, visit Michigan.gov/EGLEAsbestos , or call the EGLE, Air Quality Division, Asbestos Program  staff.

Appliances can be picked up and taken to a recycling center. To find a recycling center, contact your solid waste hauler, visit Michigan.gov/RecyclingDirectory  or Michigan.gov/RMMD .

Non-hazardous solid waste from businesses and households should go to an authorized transfer station or licensed solid waste landfill. Search our map of licensed solid waste landfills for disposal options. Where available, EGLE encourages households to manage household hazardous waste through a local household hazardous waste collection. See our Household Hazardous Waste Webpage  to find local drop-off sites and details on common types of household hazardous waste and their hazards. For questions about disposal of non-hazardous business and household debris, including construction and demolition debris, call the appropriate  EGLE MMD Solid Waste District Office staff .

Hazardous Business Debris Disposal

Debris contaminated with hazardous waste from businesses must be managed as a hazardous waste. To find hazardous waste disposal options, see the Hazardous Waste Facilities Web Map and list of vendors that assist with hazardous waste disposal .

Important Contact Numbers

Pollution Emergencies: 800-292-4706

Environmental Assistance Center: 800-662-9278

EGLE, MMD, Solid Waste Section: 517-284-6588

Disaster Debris Planning Resources

  • Michigan State Police (MSP) MIREADY for residents
  • MSP Emergency Management and Homeland Security for public officials
  • MSP Disaster Declaration Process Video
  • MSP Local Disaster Debris Management Planning Handbook
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA)  All Hazards Waste Management Planning Tool (AHWMPT)
  • U.S. EPA Disaster Debris Recovery Tool
  • U.S. EPA Planning for Natural Disaster Debris guidance

Storm Recovery Resources

Faq: storm recovery, storm debris planning tool, michigan materials management facilities, household hazardous waste, michigan recycling directory, recycled materials market directory.

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2022–2026 FEMA Strategic Plan

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Wide-ranging and long-term, the goals defined in the plan respond to the changing landscape in which we find ourselves. While some activities in this plan can be quickly realized, some will require efforts through 2026.

The plan outlines three bold, ambitious goals to meet this challenge. These goals position FEMA to address the increasing range and complexity of disasters, support the diversity of communities we serve, and complement the nation’s growing expectations of the emergency management community.

Read the Full Introduction

View the Table of Contents

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Letter from the FEMA Administrator

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"The field of emergency management is at a pivotal moment. We are seeing tremendous change in the landscape of risk and in our professional roles. While our mission of helping people before, during, and after disasters has not changed, our operating environment has."

— Deanne Criswell

Read Criswell's Letter

Strategic Plan Updates

We positioned ourselves in 2023 to continue building a resilient nation that can withstand current disasters and future threats. We made progress in each of the goals set out in our 2022-2026 Strategic Plan by addressing stakeholder needs and providing resources to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters. Read more about our recent accomplishments .

Previous Updates: 2022-2023

FEMA completed the first year of its 2022-2026 Strategic Plan, developing stakeholder informed, actionable plans that build the foundation needed to achieve our ambitious goals. During this planning phase, the agency also identified and executed immediate actions that could be taken to bring us closer to each of these goals. Read more in our press release .

Three Bold, Ambitious Goals

The goals and objectives laid out in the Plan will help ensure success for our agency, emergency management community, and those we serve.

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Goal 1: Instill equity as a foundation of emergency management

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Goal 2: Lead whole of community in climate resilience

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Goal 3: Promote and sustain a ready FEMA and prepared nation

For the latest incoming storm projections, see : National Weather Service Forecast

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LA City Disaster Recovery Services

Servicios de Recuperación de Desastres de la Ciudad de Los Ángeles

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State of California and LA County Disaster Recovery Services

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR HOMEOWNERS, RENTERS AND BUSINESS OWNERS:

If you suffered damages from the February rainstorm, please fill out this damage assessment survey hosted by LA County.   Completing this online survey will help LA County collect information on estimated business- or home-owner repair costs from early February storm damage. The data will be used to determine if cumulative damages are enough to qualify our area for state- or federally-funded disaster assistance. This form does not guarantee eligibility and is not an application for assistance. However, it is the County's first requested step. Completion of this survey does not guarantee a disaster declaration will be received or that County residents will be eligible to receive assistance. 

LA City residents are encouraged to connect with MyLA311 if they require assistance.

Nongovernmental Recovery Services 

NOTE: The details herein about disaster service providers is for general informational purposes only. It is offered in good faith; however, the City of Los Angeles ("City") makes no representation, promise or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness of the contents herein. All references are for the convenience of the public and do not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. The City is not responsible or liable for any loss or damage incurred as a result of the use of or reliance on the services provided by organizations not a part of the City.

American Red Cross

In the immediate aftermath of a disaster, the Red Cross helps to meet the urgent needs of those affected and focuses on providing safe shelter, food, emotional support, first aid, and health services. 

The Red Cross also plays a critical role in helping families and communities recover in the weeks and months after a disaster. To help communities recover, the Red Cross often brings groups and agencies together to plan recovery activities.

Residents affected by this month's rain event and in need of Red Cross disaster assistance can visit RedCross.org/Get-Help .

Additional resources to follow ...

City response.

Mud and Debris Flow

City agencies are responding to reports of mudslides and debris flows particularly along canyon roads and hillsides.

Building and Safety Inspectors are assessing homes near the affected areas, and the Bureau of Engineering team has assessed the need for restoration of slope stability and has already begun to reconstruct the affected hillsides.

Department of Transportation Traffic Officers have been deployed to support multiple closures and direct drivers away from impacted areas. As recovery work continues, drivers are advised to avoid canyon roads which may be subject to sudden and intermittent closures as city crews work on assessment and repairs.

Heavy winds and rain caused multiple power outages across Los Angeles. Thanks to the work of LADWP crews, more than 100,000 households have had their power restored since the start of the storm. Angelenos can report outages at LADWP.com/Outages .

Stormwater Capture

In collaboration with LA County Flood Control and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, preliminary estimates show that more than 7 billion gallons of stormwater have been captured in Los Angeles alone since the beginning of Sunday’s storm event.

Shelter Response During The Storm

With the alert of severe weather in the forecast for our region, Los Angeles established a coordinated approach in partnership with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority to outreach and connect with unhoused Angelenos across the City. Targeted outreach was done in the waterways and high flooding areas, including in the L.A. River and Sepulveda Basin. We secured hundreds of hotel vouchers and opened additional recreation and park shelters to keep unhoused Angelenos safe and dry with access to supportive services.

The work doesn’t stop there, we are shifting the way we recover by including a plan after the storm with the goal of connecting unhoused Angelenos in a shelter with ongoing services and interim housing options. Visit  Ready.LACity.gov to learn how you can plan for any emergency and create an emergency kit for any disaster. 

Frequently Asked Questions After The Storm

Angelenos can report damage to 311. The Department of Building and Safety has been activated to go out and assess reports of damage.

If my house has damages, where can I receive assistance now?

Angelenos are recommended to contact their insurance company and document their damage. Document every loss and expense. Take photos, keep receipts and contact your Insurance Agent. A recovery plan can take these things into account and help you make the most of your time and money.  

How do I find out which roads are closed?

The city maintains an Interactive Road Closure map .

What if my backyard is stable, but I'm worried it's about to collapse? Where can I find help?

We recommend Angelenos to seek advice from a geotechnical expert. A professional can advise on the best ways to prevent or reduce landslide risk without creating further hazards.

My house was yellow or red tagged, what do I do? Where do I get updates from?

If evacuated, return home only when it has been indicated and safe to do so. The Department of Building and Safety will continue to communicate with impacted households until repairs have been completed. Find more information on how to determine when there is a threat of flash flooding and debris flows  here .

What if there is a broken pipe in my apartment or home?

Floodwaters damage materials, leaving mud, silt and contaminants that can promote the growth of  mold . You need to  safely and thoroughly dry your home to reduce these hazards and the damage they cause. LADWP recommends having an emergency supply of water in case the pipe infrastructure in your area receives damage during an emergency. Find disaster preparedness resources from LADWP   here .

How can I prepare for future flooding?

During the storm season, local Fire Stations offer free sand and sandbags. Find your local station  here .

How to report a power outage?

  • 1-800-DIAL DWP (1-800-342-5397) Available 24/7 for emergency and outage calls
  • Hearing/Speech Impaired (TDD) (1-800-432-7397)

Submit a Request to 311

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  1. Emergency Response Plan

    10 Steps for Developing the Emergency Response Plan Review performance objectives for the program. Review hazard or threat scenarios identified during the risk assessment. Assess the availability and capabilities of resources for incident stabilization including people, systems and equipment available within your business and from external sources.

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    Tips to prepare your business for an emergency situation - before it happens. Develop an emergency management plan. Learn how to prepare a plan to protect your business before, during and after an emergency. Respond. What to do in an emergency. Find out what to do in an emergency and who to contact.

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  24. 2022-2026 FEMA Strategic Plan

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  25. February 2024 Storm Recovery

    REMAINING LOCATIONS: Fri. February 16, Noon - 8 PM; South Los Angeles Sports Activity Center. 7020 S. Figueroa St, L.A. 90003. Sat. February 17, 11 AM - 7 PM; Pan Pacific Senior Activity Center. 141 S. Gardner St, L.A. 90036. For more information, call 3-1-1 or visit MyLA311. If unable to attend in-person, see online resources below.