How Can Your Community Prepare?

The next chapter in local emergency management involves teaching citizens how to get through the first 72 hours following a disaster. 

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

Neighbors Helping Neighbors is a program that teaches citizens the skills needed to help families and neighbors get through the first 72 hours following a disaster. The course involves five sections; participants may take some or all of the curriculum.

Planning for Long-Term Care Facilities

Because of the nature of their clientele, nursing homes, assisted liiving facilities and other long-term care facilities are exceptionally vulnerable during an emergency. Baltimore County strongly urges these institutions to construct emergency plans and to refine and practice them regularly. Maryland House Bill 770 requires such facilities to develop emergency plans that include, among other things, specific procedures for sheltering in place or evacuating.

The Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management is a resource for local long-term care facilities who need guidance with emergency planning.

Emergency planners recommends the five-unit "Emergency Management Principles and Practices for Health Care Systems" as a key planning tool:

• Unit 1: The Emergency Management Program (PDF)
  An overview of the program, with an introduction to emergency management for health care systems.
• Unit 2: Incident Command System (ICS) and Application of Strategic ICS Principles (PDF)
  An introduction to the Incident Command System.
• Unit 3: Healthcare System Emergency Response and Recovery (PDF)
  Discusses emergency operations plans.
• Unit 4: Emergency Management Instruction, System Evaluation and Organizational Learning for Healthcare Systems (PDF)
  Discusses education, training and drills.
• Unit 5: Appendices (PDF)

(Please note: these are lengthy files and may take a few minutes to open.)

Long-term care providers also should consider these resources:

• Preparing for an Emergency: Continuity of Operations Planning for Public Institutions (PDF)
  This document, prepared by the Maryland Emergency Management Agency, is a guide to creating a viable plan that ensures continuity of operations through a range of potential disasters.

• Emergency Readiness for Older Adults and Caregivers (PDF)
  A preparedness guide tailored to seniors, prepared by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration On Aging.

Free Emergency Preparedness Presentations

The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program offers free presentations for community groups that are interested in learning more about the steps individuals can take to become prepared for natural or domestic emergencies.  Each Emergency Preparedness Presentation includes:

• A basic overview of natural and man-made disasters that includes hazardous weather and potential threats from hazardous materials, transportation accidents, fire and explosion, and dam failure.
  
• An overview of our emergency management agencies and their role in providing support during disaster situations.
  
• Detailed information regarding sheltering in place, evacuating, preparing a family communication plan, items to include in a disaster supply kit, designating a family meeting place, and the importance of having a school communication plan.
  
• An overview of the Homeland Security Advisory System.

For more information, contact Baltimore County Volunteers, 410-887-2715.

 (Need PDF help?)

Revised December 20, 2007