To provide orderly procedures to be implemented in an emergency to minimize the disruptions of client care or services. All employees shall be oriented to the plan and their responsibilities in carrying out the plan.

A disaster can occur at any time. It may be limited to a small area or a large area. The agency must always be prepared to service those clients who may be affected by the disaster. Therefore, it is important for you to know what a disaster/emergency is, the chain of command, the agency's response process, and your responsibilities during a disaster.

DISASTER: any occurrence, natural or man-made causing widespread or local destruction and/or distress.

EMERGENCY: any occurrence that happens unexpectedly and demands immediate action.

The Emergency/Disaster Preparedness Plan may be evoked for any emergency/disaster situation including but not limited to the following situations:

" Natural Disaster: hurricanes, snow storm/blizzard, severe cold, floods, fire, heat wave, etc.

" Civil/Industrial Disaster: gas leaks, chemical spills, explosions, bomb threat, etc.

" Community Disaster: blackout, transportation disruption, telephone outage, strike, etc.

" Agency Disaster: damage to facility, work stoppage, etc.

" DOH/HRA Protocol: any situation deemed an emergency by a representative of DOH/HRA (agency receives a call).