Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Pre-Emergency Planning
Have you provided those who respond to emergencies on your campus with the information they need to successfully handle an incident?
The faster that first responders can locate and access an emergency, and then safely operate in a facility, the sooner the incident will be controlled and facility operations restored to normal. A pre-emergency plan can help healthcare and academic institutions achieve this goal.
There are many individuals who have building and facility knowledge that can be useful in an emergency response. These individuals include the architects and designers for the facility, utilities and maintenance personnel, engineering staff, security and public safety personnel, faculty members and other staff.
As a building is designed, a great deal of information is available but rarely recorded in a manner that makes it readily available during a response that might occur years later. Additionally, during the life of a campus facility, modifications are made, but these changes are typically not documented in a way that allows them to be communicated to responders. A system must be in place to collate all of this information in one location and have it quickly available to first responders when they need it.
It is also quite effective for maintenance personnel to access information about shutoffs and other infrastructure so they can manage the day-to-day problems that invariably occur.
Pre-plans May Soon Become a Requirement
Fire codes already require that campus buildings have fire safety and evacuation plans (International Fire Code Chapter 4, NFPA 1 Chapter 10) as well as a prefire plan for structures in the course of construction, alteration or demolition (International Fire Code Chapter 14, NFPA 1 Chapter 16). Pre-emergency planning has also been recommended by numerous National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) firefighter death investigations.
It is also important to note that NFPA 1620 is on track to become a standard, not just a recommended practice (see sidebar on page 55). NFPA officials want to ensure that preplanning is being done and that the recommended process is followed by those conducting the preplanning effort.
Additionally, effective prefire plans can have a positive impact on both the campus and community’s insurance costs.
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