ABSTRACT
Based upon the capabilities of surrounding agencies, vulnerability to disasters, willingness of your own personnel to engage in fire, EMS and HazMat responses, and management commitment to training and equipping a brigade, a mission statement should be developed that serves as the basis for the entire emergency plan. It should detail the purpose of the plan and the total commitment of the company to implementing it. If your employees will do more than evacuate the premises, the response brigade you are creating should also be included in the mission statement. The mission statement should:
• Demonstrate management support and commitment to the planning process
• Give authority for the planning group • Define the structure of the planning group • Define the authority and structure of the emergency response group
or brigade • Detail those activities which the response group will be trained and
equipped to handle • Provide a realistic timeline for implementation • Be signed by the Chief Executive Officer
The plant manager can lead the initial planning but at some point an emergency planning director or manager should be appointed by management. This individual should manage the daily activities of developing and implementing the plan. He or she would also be the company point of contact or liaison with outside agencies for emergency planning. This individual would also be able to answer any questions regulatory or response agencies might have about the plan. In the event of an emergency, this person could command the in-plant response and coordinate support for outside agencies as they arrive.
