Putting It Into Practice
Preparing a Disaster Plan
Maintaining the Disaster Plan
Once you have prepared a disaster plan, remember that it will not be effective without reviewing and updating, whcih should occur yearly (at a minimum). It is often a good idea to assign each member of the disaster planning team responsibility for updating a specific section. Once updating is complete, make sure that you replace all existing copies of the plan (in all locations) with the new version.
The importance of training all staff in emergency procedures and implementation of the disaster plan cannot be overstated. Staff members are often the first line of defense against disasters, because they observe problems as they occur. At a minimum, hold periodic staff meetings to review basic preventive measures and proper implementation of the disaster plan (e.g., how to recognize a potential threat, how to respond, how to report a problem, who to call, how and when to activate the plan). Also review specific evacuation routes and general emergency procedures.
Periodic emergency drills and testing of the plan can give your staff confidence, as well as point out "weak spots" in your plan. Even if a full-scale disaster drill cannot be held, consider a "table-top" exercise, in which staff members meet to go through a scenario and discuss how they would respond.
Real Life Example: The Seattle Art Museum, which has an extensive disaster plan, found several weak spots during emergency drills: its public address system was not sufficiently audible in all rooms; its "buddy system", in which staff members check on each other to ensure that all areas in the building are clear, was not working properly because staff members forgot about it in the rush to leave the building; and arrangements had not been made for access to emergency cash or credit outside business hours.
