Emergency Response and Emergency Management

Emergency response plans are typically, but not always, associated with the protection of personnel and the environment and includes procedures for safety and evacuation of personnel, company assets, and the environment. There are also contacts for external public authorities such as police, fire, and ambulance.

Emergency Response is closely related to Business Continuity in the sense of ‘business recovery’.  There may be only an emergency response plan, but often both a business continuity plan and an emergency response plan.  A continuity plan usually refers to and emergency response plan.

Here are a number of useful links to learn more about business continuity in general:

• www.redcross.org
  Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross in 1981. Since then it has been the premier emergency response organization. The American Red Cross mission is to ensure nationwide disaster planning, preparedness, community disaster education, mitigation, and response.
  

• www.aiha.org
  Founded in 1939, American Industrial Hygiene Foundation (AIHF) is a nonprofit organization that promotes, protects, and enhances industrial hygienists and other occupational health, safety and environmental professionals in their efforts to improve the health and well being of workers, the community, and the environment
  

Hazardous Materials
Hazardous materials such as toxic agents or chemicals can cause harm to people and environment.  It is vital to have proper handling and storage procedures for hazardous materials.  Safety equipment such as gloves, fire retardant materials (sprinklers, blankets etc) should always be available.

• hazmat.dot.gov
  Office of Hazardous Materials Safety. It's mission is to promulgate a national safety program that will minimize the risks to life and property inherent in commercial transportation of hazardous materials.
  
  
• www.hazmatmag.com
  The Hazardous Materials Management magazine offers a variety of services and solutions for safety including electronic newsletter, news articles, events calender, and printed magazine.
  

Family Emergency Response
It is not just about corporate emergency planning-- you need to protect family too.  Here are a few hints for a family emergency response:

• Prepare a family emergency response plan
  The US Department of Homeland Security has information on how to prepare such a plan. See www.ready.gov
  
  
• Prepare booklet of important contacts
  Ensure that have addressed financial contacts (bank officer, account number, etc), doctors phone numbers, family and relative contact information, etc.
  
  
• Create an emergency supply kit
  This should contain essential such as blankets, clothing, food, first aid supplies, etc.