In
May, a summer camp in Dauphin
County, Pennsylvania was
hit with an E-F1 tornado that rolled through camp cottages at 100
miles per hour. The tornado was strong enough to take down 200 trees
and rip the power lines right off some cottages. Clearly,
Pennsylvania is no stranger to powerful storms including tornadoes.
Here are some tips to prepare your facility for impending storms.
Create
a Storm Response Team
Every
facility needs a trained and knowledgeable emergency response team.
Your storm response team should be made up of members of your
emergency team and any other staff members who can be called on to
take action during a storm.
Your
storm response team should be composed of at least one member from
the following facility areas:
- Senior management
- Facility management
- Security department
- Employee safety
- IT staff
In
addition, a staff member from each department not listed above should
be included in the storm response team or be designated as a point of
contact during storm emergencies.
Consult
with your local law enforcement, fire department, utility companies,
and emergency management officials to create your storm response
team. Encourage the appropriate officials to join your team if you
suspect you'll need heavy police, fire, or other emergency services
after storms hit your facility.
Assess
All Potential Storm Risks
After
you have a well-rounded response team, bring all of the perspectives
together in risk-assessment brainstorming sessions. The goal of the
brainstorming sessions is to make the most complete storm-related
risk assessments you can compile for your facility.
The
facility management team can explain the logistics of entries and
exits before, during, and after storms. The maintenance team can
explain risks to the roof and the parking lot from high winds, hail,
and heavy rains. The security team can explain the risks of vandals
and looters after heavy storm damage. Each team member's input will
help you create a thorough list of all potential risks to your
facility.
Develop Detailed
Storm Preparation and Response Protocols
After
compiling your list of potential storm risks, your team should create
preparation and response protocol lists for each separate risk. For
example, if one risk of heavy storms is an interruption of data
processing, your IT team should create a preparation and response
checklist that includes backup power and computing capabilities.
Response
checklists for each risk should include the following items:
- Responsible team
members' names and contact information
- Tools and supplies
needed for storm preparation and response
- Actions to take to
complete storm preparation and response
- Documentation of
instructions for actions
- Communication
instructions for alerts and status reports
- Contact info for
officials and other key parties
Post-storm
actions are also important, so develop post-storm lists for various
potential scenarios. These scenarios may include:
- Evacuation of staff
- Treatment of
injured parties
- Securing ingress
and egress to your property
- Protecting valuable
assets after building damage
- Surveying storm
damage
Review
and update your preparation, response, and post-storm checklists so
that floor plans, contact information, and other details are current.
Train
All Staff for Upgraded Storm Readiness
A
well-trained staff is your best defense against worst-case scenarios.
When your workers and department heads know how to respond during
emergencies, they're less likely to panic and make poor decisions in
the moment.
Continually
review evacuation procedures and storm-response procedures until all
staff are comfortable with their roles. Host mock emergencies to
assess how your staff responds during crisis.
Ensure
that each department head knows which key components of their area
must be secured before, during, and after storms. Host routine
meetings and educational assemblies to refine your facility's storm
readiness.
If
you're a facility manager in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania region, you
need a contact number for a trusted recovery and cleanup team.
Contact C
& Z Construction to
learn more about our post-storm recovery services for large
facilities, and keep our contact info listed on your storm-response
checklists.
