YOU CAN'T PREDICT WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN, BUT YOU CAN PREPARE FOR IT.

There are all kinds of emergencies: natural disasters, medical, and civil disturbances, to name just a few. While you can't predict which might occur or when, you can plan for them - and deal with them effectively if they do happen.

Above all, your company must have an emergency response plan in place. For a plan to be effective, you should consider the worst case scenario and the following:

• Your plan should cover all types of emergencies: fire, medical, suspicious persons or devices, accidents, hazardous materials, robberies, and natural disasters
• Your plan must also include everyone in the workplace - take into account any disabled or non-English speaking employees, and possible visitors to your business
• Create a chain of command to direct all actions in an emergency - teamwork saves lives, so make certain everyone knows their roles and responsibilities
• Designate multiple escape routes so employees will know which exits to use in the event of an evacuation
• To make it easy to account for all employees, select a pre-determined, post-evacuation meeting location so any missing employees can be identified
• Create - and maintain - emergency kits that include essentials like bottled water, toilet paper, medications, non-perishable foods, a wireless phone, flashlight, radio, and batteries
• Your office should have fire extinguishers and first-aid kits placed throughout your building - and everyone should know their locations and how to use them
• Be sure to provide annual first aid and CPR training
• In the event of fire, crawl under the smoke to breathe cleaner air, NEVER use an elevator - and always go directly to the nearest fire- and smoke-free stairwell
• Gather personal information - such as home phone numbers - that may be essential if an employee is in an emergency... family members may have crucial information on health conditions, medications, etc. that may be needed by emergency officials
• Contact local safety, law enforcement and fire officials for help in creating a plan that's right for your business
• During an emergency, stay calm, use common sense, take steps to protect yourself, follow the emergency plan you developed, and call for help as soon as possible
• Once your plan is in place, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE - the less you leave to chance, the better your odds of limiting damage or personal harm

Be sure to check government web sites for additional planning information. Local law enforcement and fire departments are also be a good source of help. Plus, we can provide you with many of the emergency tools you need.