Slide Into Safety!

Greetings, Safety Savvies!

This week we are talking about “Disaster Management,” or DMs for short! Yes, we’re sliding into your DMs, but in a totally responsible, life-preserving way, of course. The plan we’ve crafted below gives you a 72-hour, pre-vetted, plug-and-play blueprint for home and for work.

“You’re welcome (((hair flip)))!” Because the only thing you should slide into in a real emergency is safety, a warm blanket, and a coffee mug. Where’s the lie?

Why 72 hours?! We are glad you asked, Candice! In a major emergency where you are cut off from all resources, food, and water, even, dare we say, no WIFI (((gasp))). We know, you can’t even!

The first 72 hours are the most crucial until more resources arrive and a “state of emergency protocol” can be activated. More on that in another lesson. Below is a down-and-dirty thing we put together.

Why? Because we care, and our training staff have all given their free time and lives up in order to educate and train you… the people reading this. We are kind of not joking on that! We need more of you to be prepared, so we want to make it easy for you to take action.

HOME DM (Disaster Management for Home)—easy-to-follow, DIY-friendly

Purpose

- Keep your family safe, well-fed, hydrated, connected, and able to communicate with the outside world when the lights go out or the water stops.

Hazard focus (pick top 3 for your area)

- Severe weather (storms, hurricanes, blizzards)

- Power outages

- Flooding or wildfires

- Medical emergency, or pandemics/illness spikes

- Cyber or utility failures (less dramatic, more practical)

Roles and responsibilities

(assign one adult as “Incident Commander” for the home, with backup.)

- Incident Commander (IC): overall decision-maker during a crisis

- Communications manages the “out-of-area contact.”

- Safety/First Aid Lead: keeps first aid kit ready and knows basic first aid/CPR

- Pet/Family Support Lead: ensures pets and family members with special needs are accounted for

- Resource Lead: manages supplies (food, water, meds)

Communications plan

- Primary contact method: family group chat or a pre-agreed app

- After-disaster contact: an out-of-area contact (someone not in the disaster zone) to check in with everyone

- Battery-powered radio or a solar charger as a backup; write down emergency phone numbers and critical contacts on a laminated card

Emergency supplies (home 72-hour kits)

- Water: 1 gallon per person per day (minimum 3 days per person)

- Food: non-perishable, easy-to-prepare items (3 days’ worth per person)

- Medications and a basic first-aid kit (including prescribed medicines and copies of essential prescriptions)

- Flashlights, extra batteries, a hand-crank radio

- Whistle, multipurpose tool, duct tape, plastic sheeting, garbage bags

- Cash (small bills) and copies of important documents (in a waterproof bag or safe)

- Comfort items for kids/pets; pet food and leashes

- Fire extinguisher(s) and smoke/CO detectors with fresh batteries

Home safety basics (quick win items)

- Working smoke detectors on every level; replace batteries twice a year

- CO detectors near sleeping areas

- Fire extinguisher accessible in kitchen/garage (and know how to use it)

- Plan and practice two escape routes from each room; designate a meeting point outside

Medical readiness

- Keep a simple list of medical conditions, medications, allergies, emergency contacts

- Include a non-emergency plan for family members with special needs

- If relevant, CPR/AED basic training (certified course) for at least one adult; refresh every 2 years

Shelter-in-place vs. evacuation decision criteria

- Evacuate if advised by authorities, if home is unsafe (fire, flood, CO), or if you’re in a high-risk zone

- Shelter-in-place in a sturdy interior room with supplies if evacuation isn’t feasible

Recovery and documentation

- Inventory your home and belongings; take photos/video for insurance

- Contact your insurer within 24–48 hours of stabilization

- Review and update emergency plan after drills or actual events

Drills and testing

- Hold a quick 5-10 minute family DM drill every 3 months; practice evacuation routes, communications plan, and 72-hour kits

- Review and refresh supplies every 6–12 months

Starter action items for this week

- Assemble or verify your 72-hour home kit contents

- Confirm two escape routes from each key area; share the plan with everyone

- Schedule a 15-minute family DM drill this month

Plan WORK DM (Disaster Management for Work)—straightforward, business-ready

Purpose

- Keep essential operations alive, protect staff, protect data, and minimize downtime when disaster strikes.

Hazard focus (top risks to prioritize)

- Natural disasters (storms, floods, fires)

- Utility outages (power, water)

- Cyber or data breach

- Supply chain interruptions

- Physical security threats (shut-ins, site access issues)

Incident Command System (ICS) for small teams

- Incident Commander (IC): overall incident lead; authorizes decisions

- Safety Officer: ensures staff safety and emergency compliance

- Liaison Officer: coordinates with stakeholders, regulators, vendors

- Public Information Officer (PIO): pre-drafted messages for staff/clients

- Operations: person(s) who run critical business functions

- Logistics: procurement of resources (IT, facilities, supply chain)

- Finance/Administration: track costs and insurance needs

Business Impact Analysis (BIA)—essential, no fluff

- Identify Critical Functions (CFs): e.g., client support, order processing, IT services, customer communications

- Define Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO) for each CF

- RTO: how quickly a function must be back online

- RPO: how much data loss is acceptable (in hours/days)

- Map dependencies: people, systems, vendors, facilities

Continuity strategies (pick practical ones you can actually implement)

- Alternate facilities or remote work capabilities; set up a tested remote access plan

- Data kept in offline or air-gapped backups

- Protect critical data: encryption, access controls, two-factor authentication

- Vendor and supply chain planning: identify secondary suppliers, stock critical spare parts

- Manual processes and cross-training: ensure cover for key roles if staff are unavailable

- Communications playbook: pre-drafted notices for staff/customers; clear escalation paths

IT disaster recovery and data protection

- Regular, tested backups with restoration drills (at least weekly incremental and daily full backups in some setups)

- Offsite or cloud backups with fast restore capability; verify restore procedures quarterly

- Inventory of critical IT assets and license protections

- Endpoint protection and security incident response plan

Emergency communications plan (internal and external)

- Clear channels for staff (text, chat, email) and pre-approved external messages for clients

- Out-of-area contact for staff to check-in (if appropriate)

- Press/media handling guidelines for PIO (even if just a small business, plan helps)

Facility and safety planning

- Evacuation routes, assembly points, and headcount procedures

- Shelter-in-place protocols for chemical/biological threats or severe weather

- Facility safety audits (fire extinguishers, alarms, emergency lighting, exit signage)

Critical supplies and continuity resources

- consider generator plan with proper safety and fuel logistics

- Office supplies and equipment: essential printers, phones, and IT equipment

- Alternate work sites and travel arrangements (if applicable)

Insurance and financial resilience

- Review business interruption insurance and policy limits

- Record-keeping and documentation processes for claims

- Pre-approved vendor contracts for emergency sourcing

Testing, training, and drills

- Tabletop exercises semi-annually; full drills annually

- Cross-train staff for critical roles; maintain a skills matrix

- Review and update the plan after drills or actual events

Recovery and lessons learned

- After-action review (AAR) within 2–4 weeks of a disruption

- Update continuity plans based on findings

- Rebuild with more resilience where gaps were found

Questions? We’ve got you. Health Industry Services offers help, training, supplies, and ongoing support—plus a full suite of digital resources (both paid and free) and swag delivered whenever you need it. And no—this isn’t limited to CPR and first aid certifications. We’re your partner for broader disaster management, readiness planning, and health industry resilience.

If you want tailored guidance, on-site or virtual training, or perhaps a customized resource pack, just ask! Until next week, this is Health Industry Services signing off with sass! Byyeee!