Facility Managers Guide To Prepare For Public Health Emergency

ld is currently facing a possible pandemic outbreakfacility, the emergency preparedness and
of the H1N1 strain of the Influenza A virus,response plan should be comprehensive enough to
causing a global uproar with governmentscontain the following key elements involving
everywhere scrambling to prevent the spread ofpeople, resources and functions:
the disease." Communication lines must be established for
Public health emergencies like the H1N1 flu orearly detection and mitigation;
"swine flu" can bring devastating effects to the" Key emergency providers must be identified
human population, causing serious illnesses that can(medical providers, police and ambulance services,
lead to death. The protracted spread of pandemicamong others);
flu can last for a long time, unlike physical or" Continuity of mission-critical operations, and the
natural disasters that are limited in time andkey people to maintain them;
scope.And unlike natural calamities that primarily" Operating procedures must be enabled in the
bring damages to physical assets and structures,event of disruption of important business
the H1N1 outbreak hits humans primarily. Andactivities, supplies and resources;
when people are stricken, incapacitated or dead," Command or administrative center must be
disruption to key businesses and institutionsorganized to support the logistical requirements
inevitably follows, causing financial damages on the(utilities, resource inventory, medical support, food
side.and transportation, etc.)
2. Public Health Emergency Stakeholders4. Importance of the Emergency Preparedness
What does the pandemic flu mean to smallerPlan
microcosms of the world such as residential,The facility manager understands how important it
commercial or industrial buildings where peopleis to current and future tenants that an
conduct their daily lives and businesses?emergency preparedness plan is established and
It falls on the facility manager to coordinate theactivated whenever events such as the pandemic
creation and execution of an emergencyflu occur. Often the emergency preparedness plan
preparedness plan within the facility, taking intois one of the key elements in tenants' decision to
consideration the inputs and concerns of buildinglease or buy. Tenants need to be reassured that
tenants, facility employees, third-party servicenot only their assets but also their personal safety
vendors or suppliers, and external stakeholdersare protected in the facility premises.
such as the local government.The emergency preparedness plan must be
The facility manager should have the commitmentreviewed and tested to ensure its effectiveness
to tenants, customers, employees and otherin the event of actual emergency, through regular
stakeholders that, in times of public emergenciesemergency drills and constant dialogue with
like the swine flu outbreak, the facility will providetenants. On a regular basis, the facility manager
a safety plan encompassing emergency responsecan communicate to tenants with preventive and
procedures, as well as early prevention andinformative reminders posted on restrooms,
detection, effective communication, control,bulletin boards, and small signs, among others.
mitigation, evacuation and recovery actions.These reminders contribute to the prevention of
In turn, tenants and employees have thea possible outbreak, and when the worse does
responsibility to know, participate and cooperate inhappen, the tenants are already well-prepared to
the creation and execution of the emergencydo their part in activating the emergency
plan, when the situation arises.response plan, increasing the likelihood of
3. Elements of an Effective Emergency Responsecontrolling and resolving the crisis.
As part of the business continuity plan of any