Every veterinary practice’s insurance and risk-mitigation strategy should include a comprehensive team emergency response plan. Emergencies and natural disasters often occur quickly and with little to no notice. Therefore, a well-planned and communicated strategy is vital to protecting your employees, clients, property and patients to the greatest extent possible. However, any emergency response plan is only as good as the knowledge of those in the building and their ability to implement it. Routine training meetings and drills, along with the posting of highly visible signage, are critical to successful execution during an actual emergency.
Your plan should vary depending on your practice’s geographic location, regional perils, such as earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes and floods, and the building’s size and layout. A well-defined strategy for civil unrest and overly aggressive or violent clients or intruders also should be a core component of your hospital’s overall plan.
Here are basic recommendations when developing, updating and executing an emergency response plan.
Contacts
Maintain a list of emergency contacts for reference. They should include:
- Emergency management offices
- City or county law enforcement
- Nearby hospitals
- Local utilities
- American Red Cross
- Property insurance agent
- Insurance claims reporting
Animals
Develop an evacuation, transportation and relocation strategy for hospitalized animals in the event of a preemptive building evacuation. Have a reciprocal agreement with two or three other veterinary hospitals to accept hospitalized animals in an emergency.
Equipment
Keep on hand:
- Flashlights and spare batteries
- Battery-operated radio
- Access to fresh bottled water
- Alternate electrical source, such as a generator
- Nonperishable food
- Satellite phone
Postings
Post:
- A building floor plan showing emergency exits, the location of fire-protection equipment, utility shutoffs and other vital features, such as a safe room.
- Fire hazards and their location, such as a kitchen, boiler room, chemical storage closet and laboratory. That way, anyone unfamiliar with your building can be warned to stay away from places most likely at risk of catching fire or exploding.
Training
- Review the emergency response plan with all new hires and routinely review it with employees.
- Update components of the plan as necessary.
Fire
The management team should:
- Dial 911.
- Signal employees and clients to evacuate upon hearing the fire alarm or seeing smoke or fire.
- Ensure that all employees leave. You might need to check restrooms and other contiguous rooms.
- Assist any disabled people.
- Close interior and exterior doors upon evacuation if possible. Do not lock the doors.
- Meet at a predesignated location outside the building.
- Account for all employees and clients.
- Immediately report any missing people to fire department personnel.
Patients
The standard recommendation, difficult for veterinary team members to accept, is to evacuate the hospital immediately and leave all animals behind. Opening cage doors and runs is another option while exiting the building. However, closing interior and exterior doors is recommended to limit access and reduce airflow to the source of the fire.
Earthquake
If indoors:
- Drop to the ground, get under a sturdy table or another piece of furniture, and hold on until the shaking stops. If a table or desk isn’t nearby, cover your face and head with your arms and crouch in an inside corner of the building.
- Stay away from glass, outside doors, walls and anything that could fall, such as lighting fixtures or furniture.
- Use a doorway for shelter only if it is nearby and has a strongly supported, load-bearing frame.
- Stay inside until the shaking stops and going outside is safe. Research shows that most earthquake injuries occur when people try to move to a different location inside a building or attempt to leave.
- Be aware that the electricity might go out or sprinkler systems or fire alarms might turn on.
- Do not use elevators.
If outdoors:
- Stay there.
- Move away from buildings, streetlights and utility wires.
- Once in the open, remain until the shaking stops. Ground movement during an earthquake is seldom the direct cause of death or injury. The greatest danger exists directly outside buildings. Most earthquake casualties result from collapsing walls, flying glass and falling objects.
If trapped under debris:
- Do not light a match or create a spark. Gas leaks are common when significant structural damage occurs.
- Do not move about or kick up dust.
- Cover your mouth with a handkerchief or clothing.
- Tap on a pipe or wall so rescuers can locate you. Use a whistle if one is available. Limit shouting because it can promote inhaling dust and other particulate matter.
Tornado
Move to an underground shelter, basement or other structurally sound safe room if possible. If none is available, a small, windowless interior room or hallway on the lowest level of the building is the safest alternative.
Hurricane
Before:
- Evacuate hospitalized animals, if possible.
- Back up computer data.
- Fill fuel tanks serving emergency generators.
- Raise critical medical and computer equipment off the floor.
- Remove loose items from roofs, and secure equipment doors and covers. Repair coverings and flashing as time allows.
- Confirm roof drains are clear of trash and obstructions.
- Confirm sump or dewatering pumps work correctly.
- Confirm outside storm drains and catch basins are clean.
- Remove outdoor debris that could become wind-swept missiles.
- Remove loose outdoor equipment.
- Turn off the water supply and nonessential electrical systems.
Following an earthquake, tornado or hurricane:
- Call for help.
- Give emergency first aid. Do not move seriously injured people unless they are in immediate danger of further injury.
- Check for gas leaks. If you smell gas or hear a blowing or hissing noise, open a window, and quickly leave the building. Turn off the gas at the outside main valve, if possible, and call the utility company.
- Look for electrical damage. If you see sparks or broken or frayed wires or smell hot insulation, turn off the electricity at the main fuse box or circuit breaker, if possible, using extreme caution.
- If water or sewage lines are damaged, shut off the water supply pending repairs.
Civil Unrest
I recommend that you:
- Stay informed about potential issues related to scheduled demonstrations or marches near your hospital.
- Remove combustible materials from the building’s exterior, such as trash bins.
- Advertise the presence of alarms and video surveillance cameras.
- Close and evacuate the hospital if the potential exists for significant violence.
- Board up exterior windows and doors if time permits.
- Possibly hire a security company to provide round-the-clock surveillance.
Aggressive People or Violent Intruders
Virtually all veterinary hospitals are soft targets for overly aggressive or violent clients and other intruders. In today’s environment, creating policies and procedures and training your team to deal with an aggressive or violent intruder are critical.
COMMON SENSE
During an emergency is not the time to develop and implement an emergency action plan. Learn more in Dr. Ed Branam’s previous articles: “Prepare for the Unthinkable” (bit.ly/prepare-TVB) and “Fear Factors” (bit.ly/fear-TVB).