Strategies to Respond to Different Types of Emergencies
Tornado Checklist
Standard Operating Procedures
Tornadoes travel at a speed of about 30 miles per hour. Their destructive damage will
be over in a few minutes. Move quickly to a safe location and wait there until the storm
has passed.
Checklist:
X
Before the tornado
Responsible
party
In the event of inclement weather, designated team member will be
tuned in to local forecasts. This team member understands that time is
vital and warning notice may be short.

During a tornado watch, watch your local radio or television
station or Internet (http://www.noaa.gov) for further information.
 Download the “Ready TN” app for your Android or iOS device:
http://www.tnema.org/ReadyTN/mobile-app.html.
During a tornado watch, alert staff that a tornado watch is in effect
and advise them to be prepared to move to designated areas.
Develop a phone redirection strategy (e.g., if your telephone service is
unavailable, how will customers or clients contact you?)
When you establish your timeline for workplace preparation and
closure, consider that employees will need to prepare their families
and take care of personal matters as well. Allow enough time for them
to execute their personal preparedness plans.
Identify critical employees, and make sure they understand what is
expected of them during a disaster. For example, you may need
certain employees responsible for IT functions to work during a
disaster to protect and reestablish your technology systems. If you
need those employees to work remotely, make travel, hotel, and meal
arrangements in advance, and ensure they know what equipment and
support they will need to perform their duties.
If employees will be required to return to the workplace to assist in the
recovery process before all services are restored, obtain an adequate
supply of water, nonperishable food, first-aid supplies, generators,
cleaning supplies, batteries, flashlights, and other necessities.
Develop a plan to allow your payroll, benefits, and HR functions to
operate during a disaster, after a disaster, or during any period in
X
which access to your workplace is restricted.
Update your employee contact information regularly and at the
beginning of any season during which natural disasters are more
likely. January/February would be a good time to do so in Middle
Tennessee because of the threat of severe weather and flooding during
the spring and early summer.
Put your crisis management plan in writing and give it to all
employees.
Designate a shelter area or areas that can adequately fit all of your
employees and customers, if applicable.
When a tornado warning is issued/during the tornado
Responsible
party
Stay indoors and away from windows.
Listen to your radio for the latest information and instructions. Do not
tie up the telephone lines.
Move personnel to designated shelter areas within the building.
Mobile homes/work trailers, even if tied down, offer little protection
from tornadoes and should be abandoned.
Bring a battery-powered radio and flashlights to the shelter to listen
for further developments. Do not use matches or candles, electrical
switches or appliances in case there is a gas leak. Rely on flashlights
and emergency lighting.
During tornado, do not use the telephone for anything other than
reporting emergencies.
Wait for danger to pass.
X
After the tornado
Responsible
party
If there are damages, or outages anticipated to last more than 24
hours, the executive team will contact/be contacted to instruct the
emergency management team to activate the emergency plan.
Assess any injuries or damages and report to management. If there is
no damage, assess power sources and conduct a walkthrough to make
sure all systems are operative.
Flood – Internal and External
Standard Operating Procedures
The purpose of this section is to provide the framework in which staff can quickly and
effectively implement emergency protective actions in response to an internal or
external flood.
Checklist:
X
Procedure Description
At first sign of excess water on floor, power down all equipment
in the area.
Contact building maintenance to turn off all power and activate
emergency lighting.
Try to determine source and cause of water.
Attempt to stop flooding if possible.
Have personnel move low-lying items to higher places (for
example, remove filing cabinet draws and stack them on top of
the filing cabinet, etc.)
If flooding continues for 10 minutes, enact the evacuation
procedures.
Assemble in break room (or other designated location) and
await instruction from the recovery team manager/alternate.
If team manager/alternate is unavailable, proceed to evacuate.
Direct and assist in the evacuation of people from the building.
a Notify employees to vacate the premises.
b Verify that any handicapped individuals are assisted.
c Direct the evacuation of visitors from the building.
d Check for people in restrooms, storage rooms, and other
areas.
e Check assigned areas to ensure everyone has evacuated and
provide assistance, as needed.
Take as many "critical" items as possible with you.
Count personnel to confirm all employees are out of building.
Direct emergency officials and answer questions.
Wait for further instruction from team manager.
DO NOT GO HOME OR RETURN TO WORK UNLESS
INSTRUCTED TO DO SO.
Winter Storm
Standard Operating Procedures
Responsible
Party
The purpose of this section is to provide the framework in which staff can quickly and
effectively implement emergency protective actions in response to a winter storm
threat. Winter storms (blizzard, freezing rain, sleet, etc.) usually provide a few hours'
warning.
Checklist:
X
Before the storm
X
Winter storms (blizzard, freezing rain, sleet, etc.) usually
provide a few hours' warning. Listen to weather reports.
Double-check functionality and fuel supply for any
available emergency power generators, should they be
needed.
Keep battery-powered equipment handy (radio, flashlight,
etc.). Provision supplies.
Names and phone numbers of your heating contractor,
plumber, fire department, insurance agent, building owner,
and facilities manager should be easily accessible.
Once an impending winter storm has been announced,
Executive management assesses situation in light of
emergency levels and assessment matrix.
Executive management issues incident action plan and
convenes emergency management team to:
 Decide appropriate action (business as usual;
activate remote access for critical workers; pre-stage
alternate location; workforce re-deploy).
 Coordination with critical customers.
 For critical business functions, review the list of
critical employees and communicate expectations.
 Use emergency communications checklist to
communicate with vendors and customers about
conducting business in potential degraded
environment.
Administration recovery team readies any sheltering needs
for employees.
During the storm
Keep driveways, walkways, and doorways clear of snow
and ice.
Open water faucets slightly to let them drip so that water
keeps flowing through the pipes and makes freezing less
likely.
Activate the communications tree, communicating the
approved information to employees. Have employees fuel
Responsible
party
Responsible
party
automobiles prior to the storm hitting. (Gas stations may be
inoperable for many days after the storm due to interrupted
power.)
Have someone assigned to check indoor temperatures at
your place of business if power is interrupted for a period of
time and/or the building is vacant.
Administration recovery team provides temporary bedding
and food for employees who might be required to stay
overnight.
Executive management maintains regular conference bridge
call. Monitor emergency levels. Maintain communications
using emergency communications checklists.
Chemical Spill
Standard Operating Procedures:
The purpose of this section is to provide the framework in which staff can quickly and
effectively implement emergency protective actions in response to a chemical spill.
Checklist:
X
Procedure description
If an internal or external chemical spill/release is detected,
contact local officials.
Convene the emergency management team.
Local officials will determine if the area is to be evacuated.
If the chemical spill is within your building, evacuate staff.
If the chemical spill is outside your building, turn off air intake
handlers. Use plastic sheeting and duct tape to seal windows,
exhaust fan openings and bay doors.
If contamination is airborne, officials will direct an evacuation
of all persons located downwind of the spillage area. Follow
evacuation procedures as directed by officials and security.
DO NOT drink any tap water; contamination is likely
(beverages in sealed containers should be drinkable).
If officials direct people to return home, use check-out process
directed by security.
Team manager/alternate should contact recovery team
manager to receive instructions.
If evacuation is deemed necessary, follow evacuation
procedures.
Responsible
party
Shut off all equipment while evacuating.
DO NOT collect personal belongings.
GO HOME if you have your own transportation.
Stay home until further instructions from the team manager.
If your home is in the evacuation area, contact the team
manager with your temporary location.
The emergency management team convenes at backup
location, makes decisions about business resumption, and
activates communications tree.
Bomb Threat
Standard Operating Procedures
The purpose of this section is to provide the framework in which staff can quickly and
effectively implement emergency protective actions in response to a bomb threat.
Checklist:
X
Prevention of a bomb being placed
Responsible
party
Keep work areas clean and orderly. Report anything that
appears out of the ordinary.
Keep closets locked when possible.
X
If you find a suspicious package or device, DO NOT ATTEMPT
TO TOUCH OR REMOVE IT.
Be observant for any unidentified person(s) who act strangely,
seem overly curious, or ask unusual questions.
Response to a bomb threat
If the threat is by letter or note:





Remain calm.
Call 9-1-1 as soon as possible to report the threat.
Contact the emergency director or business continuity
coordinator.
Make every possible effort to retain evidence such as
fingerprints, handwriting, paper, postal marks or any
other means to trace its origin.
If the threat was hand-delivered, write down a
Responsible
party
description of the person who delivered the letter or
note. Also, note information about anyone
accompanying the person, as well as his/her mode of
transportation and direction of travel.
If the threat is by telephone:




Remain calm.
Call 9-1-1 as soon as possible to report the threat.
Immediately refer and complete a details list.
Notify the business continuity coordinator or
emergency director, who will alert the staff to evacuate
the building until it is safe to go back in.
If the threat is in person:




Remain calm.
Call 9-1-1 as soon as possible to report the threat.
Be observant; find out as much as possible (when,
where, why, what, who).
Notify the emergency director or business continuity
coordinator, who will alert the staff to evacuate the
building until it is safe to go back in.
After the bomb threat situation has been completed, complete a
debriefing session for all staff involved to see if any individual
needs additional assistance.