What are the 5 roles in emergency response? (2023)

The emergency plan includes:

• All possible emergencies, consequences, required actions, written procedures, and the resources available.
• Detailed lists of emergency response personnel including their cell phone numbers, alternate contact details, and their duties and responsibilities.
• Floor plans.
• Large scale maps showing evacuation routes and service conduits (such as gas and water lines).

Since a sizable document will likely result, theplan should provide staff members with separate written instructions about their particular emergency response duties.

The following are examples of the parts of an emergency plan. These elements may not cover every situation in every workplace but serve as a general guideline when writing a workplace specific plan:

Objective

The objective is a brief summary of the purpose of the plan; that is, to reduce human injury and damage to property and environment in an emergency.It also specifies those staff members who may put the plan into action. The objective identifies clearly who these staff members are since the normal chain of command cannot always be available on short notice. At least one of them must be on the site at all times when the premises are occupied. The extent of authority of these personnel must be clearly indicated.

Organization

One individual should be appointed and trained to act as Emergency Co-ordinator as well as a "back-up"co-ordinator. However, personnel on site during an emergency are key in ensuring that prompt and efficient action is taken to minimize loss. In some cases it may be possible to recall off-duty employees to help, but the critical initial decisions usually must be made immediately.

Specific duties, responsibilities, authority, and resources must be clearly defined. Among the responsibilities that must be assigned are:

• Reporting the emergency.
• Activating the emergencyplan.
• Assuming overall command.
• Establishing communication.
• Providing medical or first aid.
• Alerting staff.
• Ordering response, including evacuation.
• Ensuring emergency shut offs are closed.
• Alerting external agencies, as necessary.
• Confirming evacuation is complete.
• Alerting outside population of possible risk, as necessary.
• Requesting external aid.
• Coordinating activities of various groups.
• Advising relatives of casualties.
• Sounding the all-clear.
• Advising media.

This list of responsibilities should be completed using the previously developed summary of responses for each emergency situation. Sufficient alternates for each responsible position must be named to ensure that someone with authority is available onsite at all times.

External organizations that may be available to assist (with varying response times) include:

• Firedepartments.
• Mobile rescue squads.
• Ambulance services.
• Police departments.
• Telephone companies.
• Hospitals.
• Utility companies.
• Industrial neighbours.
• Government agencies.

These organizations should be contacted in the planning stages to discuss each of their roles during an emergency. Mutual aid with other industrial facilities in the area should be explored.

Pre-planned coordination is necessary to avoidconflicting responsibilities. For example, the police, fire department, ambulance service, rescue squad, company fire brigade, and the first aid team may be on the scene simultaneously. A pre-determined chain of command in such a situation is required to avoid organizational difficulties. Under certain circumstances, an outside agency may assume command.

Possible problems in communication have been mentioned in several contexts. Efforts should be made to seek alternate means ofcommunication during an emergency, especially between key personnel such as overall commander, on-scene commander, engineering, fire brigade, medical, rescue, and outside agencies. Depending on the size of the organization and physical layout of the premises, it may be advisable to plan for an emergency control centre with alternate communication facilities. All personnel with alerting or reporting responsibilities must be provided with a current list of cell phone numbers and addresses of thosepeople they may have to contact.

Procedures

Many factors determine what procedures are needed in an emergency, such as:

• Nature of emergency.
• Degree of emergency.
• Size of organization.
• Capabilities of the organization in an emergency situation.
• Immediacy of outside aid.
• Physical layout of the premises.

Common elements to be considered in all emergencies include pre-emergency preparation and provisions for alerting andevacuating staff, handling casualties, and for containing the hazards.

Natural hazards, such as floods or severe storms, often can be predicted at least with some advance notice. The plan should take advantage of such warnings with, for example, instructions on sand bagging, moving equipment to needed locations, providing alternate sources of power, light or water, extra equipment, and relocation of personnel with special skills. Phased states of alert allow such measures to beinitiated in an orderly manner.

The evacuation order is of greatest importance in alerting staff. To avoid confusion, only one type of signal should be used for the evacuation order. Commonly used for this purpose are sirens, fire bells, whistles, flashing lights, paging system announcements, or word-of-mouth in noisy environments. The all-clear signal is less important since time is not such an urgent concern.

The following are "musts":

• Identify evacuation routes,alternate means of escape, make these known to all staff. Keep the routes unobstructed.
• Specify safe locations for staff to gather for head counts to ensure that everyone has left the danger zone. Assign individuals to assist employees who may need help evacuating quickly.
• Carry out treatment of the injured and search for the missing simultaneously with efforts to contain the emergency.
• Provide alternate sources of medical aid when normal facilities may be in the dangerzone.
• Ensure the safety of all staff (and the general public) first, then deal with the fire or other situation.

Testing and Revision

Completing a comprehensive plan for handling emergencies is a major step toward preventing disasters. However, it is difficult to predict all of the problems that may happen unless the plan is tested. Exercises and drills may be conducted to practice all or critical portions (such as evacuation) of the plan. A thorough and immediatereview after each exercise, drill, or after an actual emergency will point out areas that require improvement. Knowledge of individual responsibilities can be evaluated through paper tests or interviews.

The plan should be revised when shortcomings have become known, and should be reviewed at least annually. Changes in plant infrastructure, processes, materials used, and key personnel are occasions for updating the plan.

It should be stressed that provision must be made for thetraining of both individuals and teams, if they are expected to perform adequately in an emergency. An annual full-scale exercise will help in maintaining a high level of proficiency.

What is the role of the emergency response team?

The Emergency Response Team (ERT) is responsible for creating, implementing, updating and maintaining an appropriate plan of action.

What are the 5 steps of an emergency situation?

What is the role of the emergency?

the saving of life and rescue of people. protection of properties and prevention of escalation. the carrying out of other specialist services, including flood/water rescue services. to assist people where the use of fire service personnel and equipment is relevant.

What are the four roles of an emergency?

ISC's role and responsibilitiesEMAP provides funding to First Nations communities so they can build resiliency, prepare for natural hazards and respond to them using the 4 pillars of emergency management: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.