DISASTER MANAGEMENT A community-wide assessment should answer such questions as:
What kind of disaster are we capable of handling right now? What expertise do we have in-house? Can we get any expertise we need locally, or will we need national support? What relationships do we currently have with partners such as other assisted living facilities in the area, hospitals, and transportation companies? Do we have generators and the fuel to run them? How are they maintained and updated? A hazard vulnerability assessment is also important to determine
what perils are likely to affect your community. “Historically, much planning has been done in an arbitrary way. In my experience, 80% of emergency management from planning through recovery involves getting your ducks in a row,” said Stan Szpytek, president of Fire and Life Safety Inc. This doesn’t have to be a heavy lift once you know your capabilities, inventory, vulnerabilities, and partners.
Denis Rainey, vice president of operations at ALG Senior, added,
“When people talk about disasters, they often jump to hurricanes, but you need to have a plan that considers all possible disasters in- cluding fires, floods, bomb threats, and active shooters.” Even if such disasters are unlikely, it is important to have a plan to deal with them. “I’m a big fan of checklists,” said Rainey. These can help make sure things don’t fall through the cracks in the midst of a chaotic, stressful situation. Once you know what you’re facing, you can put the details in
place. For instance, you store water and other supplies in buildings and warehouses, ensure you have appropriate generators (and fuel) and that these are well maintained and in working order at all times.
Key Connections There are several aspects of disaster management that require out- side relationships. Among these: • Transportation. It’s not just enough to have vans or buses. Wicker said, “You need vehicles suited to transport frail, dis- abled elders. We send a spec sheet and engage with prospects who can fulfill those requirements You need to make sure that any vendor you engage can meet your needs.”
FIRE SAFETY
HURRICANE SEASON
CYBER SECURITY
ELECTRICITY SUPPLY
All-Hazards Plan
• Hotels. As with transportation, it’s important to connect with hotels that can accommodate your residents in the event of an evacuation. This means easy access to rooms and bathrooms, food and beverage service capabilities, and space for team meet- ings and medical care (such as basic exams, medication admin- istration, and injections).
COMMUNITY SECURITY
• Other assisted living communities. Especially in areas with the high risk of hurricanes, floods, or wildfires, communities identified as evacuation partners should be outside of the risk zone. “We have mutual aid agreements with other communities with whom we share our capabilities in an emergency to get the best possible outcomes. We actually require our communities to have 10 others to reach out to for mutual aid,” said Wicker.
• Hospitals. Much like assisted living partners, you should have relationships and agreements with hospitals outside of the risk area that can house residents and provide care for possible medical emergencies in the event of a disaster. Any agreements should be detailed and documented well in advance. Nothing should be assumed or left to chance.
All-Hazards Plan After assessing strengths, vulnerabilities, and capabilities, the next step is an all-hazards plan. “You need a methodology in place to manage events, and an all-hazards plan to identify and assess disas- ters that can impact a facility and embraces an incident command system to manage an emergency,” said Szpytek. Having knowledge of potential events and integrating this information into manage- ment provides an all-hazards approach. “It’s all about leadership and management,” he said.
• Churches. Not only can these help provide spiritual support for residents and staff during a disaster, but churches may be able to help provide meals and even serve as an emergency shelter. Consider inviting church leaders to your buildings so they can meet your residents and start thinking about working together.
• Animal Shelters/Boarding Facilities. If your residents have pets, it will be important to work with them to ensure their animals are safe during a disaster. It may be viable to make residents and their families responsible for pets. However, there are likely to be situations where they can’t provide care, so it is a good idea to have a viable plan B for pets. Arrange in advance to take animals to shelters or boarding facilities outside of the risk area.
16 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE JULY/AUGUST 2023
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