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Appendix DISASTER PLAN Policy

Facility will set forth basic responsibilities and outline actions to be taken to protect life, provide resident care, and protect property in the facility during man-made and natural disaster situations.

Situation

A local disaster, such as fire, high winds, tornado, explosion, utility outage, radiological or chemical incident, may occur at any time and affect this facility.

General Procedures Disaster Warning

The source of a warning of a potential or imminent disaster will depend upon the type of disaster involved and the length of “alert” time available.

The potential sources of disaster warning are numerous. A disaster warning could be received via civil defense sirens, telephone, radio, television, or messenger.

The civil defense “alert” signal is a 3- to 5-minute STEADY tone on sirens, horns, or other devices. The “attack warning” signal means that an actual attack against this country has been detected and that protective action should be taken immediately.

Receipt of Disaster Warning

The person receiving notification of an impending disaster or an actual disaster that could affect this facility will immediately inform, by the fastest means possible, the nurse in charge.

Depending upon the nature and extent of the disaster being reported, the nurse in charge will notify the appro- priate personnel in the order listed below: Administrator

Director of nursing (DON) Assistant DON Office manager CEO

President of the Board Responsibility for Coordinating Emergency Actions

The administrator will normally assume responsibility for coordinating emergency actions. In case of the administrator’s absence, the following personnel will take charge in the order listed: DON

Assistant DON CEO

Office manager Disaster Control Center

All disaster emergency actions will be coordinated at the disaster control center, which will normally be located in the vicinity of the nurse’s station. If this area is affected by the disaster, the secondary location will be announced at the scene.