Development Framework


Emergency Management Plan	Evacuation Procedures	Continuity Plans

Identify roles and responsibilities
of key personnel and staff

Develop a database and clarify roles
and responsibilities of emergency management stakeholders

Develop a database of other key stakeholders in emergency scenarios

Develop links with other Aged Care Organisations

Establish internal emergency communication plan

Commentary
It should be remembered that organisations/services still have a responsibility to maintain business and resident/client confidentiality within the disaster/emergency situation, and therefore systems need to be in place to adequately guide staff in these unusual circumstances. All actions during an emergency require effective, speedy, and reliable communication. Communications must be effective and understandable.

The communications plan should address the requirements for controlling and communicating information to staff, residents/clients, relatives, GPs, vendors, suppliers, corporate offices, insurers, external agencies, local authorities, the media and possibly the general public. Again, all getting a bit wordy – another example below of how the same could be said for less
Many communication systems may not work during a power failure. Think about:

Installing at least one analog phone
Procedures to transfer landline calls to mobile phones.
Developing an SMS list for text communication to key stakeholders
IT network dispersion capabilities
Battery or generator back up

All stakeholders should be informed about content of the organisation’s preparedness and emergency management plan, ensuring that:

the information communicated is culturally and linguistically appropriate for all relevant target groups.
emergency management planning is part of staff induction and education program.
emergency management planning is incorporated in resident/client induction and regular meeting forums

Actions
Determine what disasters/incident/emergencies are notifyable events - to State Health Department or Environmental Agencies or departments, and ensure compliance requirements are known and met.

Identify key stakeholder groups for inclusion in emergency communication plan

Emergency management agencies	Regulators and Funders (ie. Commonwealth Dept Of Health & Ageing and Aged Care Standards Accreditation Agency)	Specialist personnel (ie; infection control specialist if outbreak)
Residents/Clients External Service providers	Relatives or Representatives Pharmacy	Public and Community Division of General Practitioners
Key Staff	Emergency management team	Advocacy groups

Determine the limited number of authorised spokespersons during emergency (these may only be internal personnel or it could be external public relations consultants).

Determine the mechanism, modes and frequency for communication with key stakeholders. Establish a framework for reinforcing key messages in all communications (script or text). Clearly identify and publicise the roles and responsibilities of staff in relation to communication (limitations regarding privacy and confidentiality relating to over the phone information dispensement to resident/client next of kin). Ensure that key components of the communication plan are reflected in relevant organisational policy (e.g. media, staff confidentiality). Develop and store template of key communications documents ( e.g. database of key stakeholders). Identify and utilise various communication modes as appropriate.

Allocate one area to be a command post during an emergency so that all emergency personnel and communications can be directed to that area.
Ensure that face-to-face communication avenues do not impinge on the effectiveness of the command post function.

Establish processes for tracking the communication status (and essential details) of residents / clients and employees.
Compile a Crisis and Emergency Information Kit, and distribute it to key personnel who are designated to provide key functions of the emergency communication plan.

The Crisis and Emergency Kit should include: phone listings and addresses of essential personnel (internal and external); government and community emergency resources and utilities; local maps; disaster plans for each building; media response plan and Business Continuity Plan.
The kits should accompany key personnel at home and at locations away from the organisation so that pertinent information is readily available.
Develop identification cards for ‘critical’ personnel. The cards should request authorities to permit their movement in the event of an emergency and allow access to their facilities should access be limited.

Implement a system of data updating/renewal, to ensure that information is always current. Share information about the organization’s emergency preparedness and response plan with key external stakeholders such as:

emergency management agencies
Department of Health and Ageing, and the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency
resident/clients
residents/clients' representatives
contractors (and where appropriate)

A process for recording what communication has been undertaken (date, time and who), throughout a disaster/emergency situation, is paramount, in ensuring essential components of the communication plan have been initiated, assisting with crisis management and providing a time-lined analysis of the plans effectiveness.

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Resource:
Sample crisis communication plan
Media Plan