ACOMS Review - Fall 2018 ACOMS Review October 2018 | Page 8

Environmental Emergency Preparedness
Environmental emergencies — such as tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding, blizzards, fires, chemical
spills, radiation exposure, etc. — can have short- or long-term consequences that might range from
minor issues or disturbances to severe damage.
For OMS practices, preparation and planning are essential components of emergency preparedness,
and these activities should take into account what steps should take place if an environmental
disaster compromises staff, infrastructure, or technology.
Major areas of consideration in contingency planning include communication, utilities, technology,
emergency equipment/supplies, sheltering/evacuation, and relocation. This checklist includes basic
questions in each of these categories and may serve as a helpful tool in developing, evaluating, or
updating your practice’s emergency response plan.
Yes
Communication
Has your practice identified primary and secondary methods for communicating
with staff and patients during an environmental emergency (e.g., phone,
email, text, website, social media, etc.)?
Does your communication plan take into account potential loss of critical
services, such as Internet or phone service?
Does your emergency response plan specify who is responsible for internal and
external communication activities, and are staff members aware of what steps
they should take?
Click here to view full checklist.
No