© Summit Health Consulting
Emergency Preparedness
You never know when an emergency will happen. But you can take proactive steps to prepare for
emergen-cies so you will know what to do in the event that one does occur. Fires, floods, tornados and winter storms,
just to name a few, leave thousands of people across the United States in need of help each year.
PCHS has a plan to continue necessary client services in cases of natural or man-made emergencies. This
emergency preparedness plan is designed to allow PCHS to provide, to the best of our ability, on-going care
during and following a emergency. To that end, our clients are classified into three priority levels, based upon
their health condition and the urgency of their need for care.
It is your responsibility to read, understand and follow the PCHS Emergency Preparedness Plan. By knowing
what to do in case of an emergency, you may be able to help save lives. During supervisor visits and surveys
by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, you may be asked questions about the
Emer-gency Preparedness Plan and will need to be able to verbally display your understanding and ability to follow
the plan. If you have questions regarding the Emergency Preparedness Plan, contact your supervisor
immedi-ately.
PeopleCare Health Services
Emergency Preparedness Plan
2014
Office Hours
Monday through Friday
Delta Office: 8:00am 4:00pm
Denver Office: 9:00 am-5:00 pm
Address
Delta Office: 1565 Highway 50, Suite B Delta, CO 81416
Denver Office: 1045 Lincoln St., Suite 304, Denver, CO 80203
Phone Numbers
Delta Office: Phone: (970) 874-0136 Fax: (970) 874-1827
Denver Office: Phone: (303) 479-4346 Fax: (303) 479-4346
After Hours
An after-hours answering service is available to assist incoming
callers. The answering service will contact the designated
“on-call” staff member with any emergencies. Emergencies will be
responded to as soon as possible. All other inquires will be
handled the next business day.
Emergency Preparedness
All-Hazard Emergency Preparedness Policy
This plan uses the term “all hazard” to address all types of incidents. An incident is an occurrence, either caused by humans or a natural phenomenon, which requires or may require action by home care and emergency service personnel to prevent or minimize loss of life or damage to property and/or the environment. This plan will be implemented immediately in the event of an all hazard emergency.
Examples of incidents include: Fire, both structural and wildfire
Weather related emergencies including severe snow and ice storms, heat, flooding and tornadoes Hazardous materials accidents
Power outages
Transit and worker strikes Natural disasters
Terrorist/WMD events and civil disturbances Incidents of naturally occurring disease outbreak
Planned Public Events, such as political conventions, sports events Plan Activation/Deactivation
The company’s Administrator serves as Incident Commander and will have the authority to activate and deactivate this Emergency Preparedness Plan based on information known to her/him at the time which indicates such need. The Director of Operations serves as the 1st Backup Incident Commander, and the Agency Program Manager serves as the 2nd Backup Incident Commander. If the
Administrator is not available, first the Director of Operations, and then the Agency Program Manager will have the authority to activate the Emergency Response Plan.
To allow for the smooth transition of client services as necessary and ensure continuity of care for PCHS clients, prioritized on the basis of client need, while taking appropriate steps to safeguard client and employee safety.
To identify the chain of command for the Incident Command System. To identify primary and alternative command centers.
To allow for the timely identification of the clients who are affected in the case of an emergency. To provide those clients with the care and assistance that they need in the event of an emergency. To assess client’s home environment for safety and assist them to a safe environment if needed. To coordinate PCHS staff members in client care and evaluation.
To identify staff roles and responsibilities.
Goal
Emergency Director
The Administrator serves as the Emergency Director and Incident Commander and is responsible for: Administer, establish, and maintain command.
Central point for information dissemination. Point of contact for other agencies.
Anticipates, detects, and attempts to correct unsafe situations. Monitors costs, contracts, and financial reporting.
Acquisition of equipment. Assistant Emergency Director
The Director of Operations serves as the Assistant Emergency Director and is responsible for: Directs all incident tactical operations.
Collects and analyzes key information. Formulates incident action plan. Maintains documents.
Prepares for demobilization. Monitors time reporting.
Acquisition of clients and facilities. Emergency Assistant
The Agency Program Manager serves as the Emergency Assistant and is responsible for: Acquisition and maintenance of staff and materials
Supporting the Emergency Director and Assistant Emergency Director.
Incident Command Center
Unless the emergency renders the company office unusable, the Incident Command Center will be located at the main office located at 1565 Hwy 50, Suite B, Delta, Colorado 81416. The alternate site will be located at the acting Incident Commander’s personal residence. The main office will maintain onsite and remote data backup along with both land-line phones and access to one or more mobile phones. Each potential alternate site will maintain internet access along with either land-line or mobile phones or both. Administration
Each office will keep and maintain a current list of contact information for staff, vendors, emergency services, clients, hospitals, and other appropriate community resources.
The Emergency Director will ensure the existence of an Incident Command System and team to respond to emergency situa-tions.
All staff shall receive emergency preparedness training appropriate for their position on a yearly basis.
Organization Chart for Disaster Response Team – Emergency Planners
Planning
Upon commencement of care, the Assistant Emergency Director will assign each client a priority code, identifying that client’s emergency rating. The Assistant Emergency Director will obtain a list of contact numbers. All information will be kept in the cli-ent’s file and shall be kept in paper as well as electronic format.
Also , upon commencement of care, each client will be given the following web-link (http://www.fema.gov/pdf/areyouready/ areyouready_full.pdf) to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) “In Depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness”, an emergency preparedness information guide that contains information and resources that the client is recommended to review, pre-pare, and have available for use in the event of an emergency.
Any client requiring power for life support equipment will be advised to register with the local utility companies and with local emergency offices.
A list of vendors who supply each client’s medical supplies may be requested and kept in the client’s file.
Once the Emergency Response Plan is activated, the Emergency Director will notify the Assistant Emergency Director and the Emergency Assistant to initiate the staff phone tree procedure. If they are unable to reach an employee/caregiver on the telephone, they will proceed to the next person on the list. The Assistant Emergency Director and Emergency Assistant will list the employ-ees/caregivers available to provide assistance. The Assistant Emergency Director and Emergency Assistant will make a second attempt to contact those employees/caregivers who were not reached on the first round of calls and will notify the Emergency Direc-tor of all employees/caregivers found to be available to provide assistance.
Employees/caregiver staff who indicated their availability to provide assistance should ensure that they remain reachable by means of a working land-line phone and/or a mobile phone.
Information about the emergency, those affected, and the assignment details will be provided as soon as practicable. Employees/caregivers should wear their PCHS name badge so they can be easily recognized by other cooperating agencies.
The Assistant Emergency Director will assign staff to specific tasks, and the Emergency Assistant will help to assist in identifying clients affected by the emergency and assisting employees/caregiver staff to check on those clients by utilizing the pre-arranged pri-ority classification system.
The Emergency Director or Assistant Emergency Director will make assessments regarding the security of the office or command center, the safety and travel conditions for employees, and will make arrangements for relocation of the command center, transporta-tion and/or safety escorts as needed.
Client Care & Planning
Plan Activation – Emergency Phone Tree Procedure
After Receiving Notification of an Emergency – Caregiver Staff
Assignments
Security
The Emergency Director or Assistant Emergency Director will reach a decision regarding the information, if any, to be released to the media. The Assistant Emergency Director will also be in charge of determining alternate means of contacting staff employees.
Each employee/caregiver making emergency home visits to clients must contact the Incident Command Center upon arrival at each client’s home. New assignments may be made at that time. If a client needs to be moved to another site, the following procedure will apply:
If the client is unharmed but the home is damaged or unsafe, notify the client’s emergency contacts and make arrangements for the client’s transportation. Note where the client is being relocated and gather all necessary contact information. Notify the Assistant Emergency Director with details and/or to make alternate arrangements as needed.
If the client is injured and needs transport, contact the Assistant Emergency Director for arrangements to be made for transport to a hospital/emergency room/triage site, depending on the need determined.
Before entering a client’s home, determine if the area is unsafe (e.g., gas leak, exposed electric wire). If unsafe conditions exist, contact emergency services or call 911.
LEVEL 1 – High Priority
Level 1 clients need uninterrupted services and require daily care. They may have unstable conditions which demand every possible effort be made to see these clients.
LEVEL 2 – Moderate Priority
Level 2 clients require care less frequently than Level 1 clients. They may have somewhat unstable conditions and require regular care that could be postponed without harm to the client. Service for these clients may be postponed with telephone contact. LEVEL 3 – Low Priority
Level 3 clients are stable and may have access to informal resources to help them. These clients can safely miss a scheduled visit with basic care provided safely by family or other informal support or by the client personally.
Public Information
Emergency Assessments
Unsafe Home Situation
Priority Classification
