Emergency Plan

5.01 – Emergency Plan

PURPOSE OF EMERGENCY PLAN AND PROGRAM

This Emergency Plan is built on a framework consisting of the Sault College Emergency Policy, prevailing emergency-related provincial and federal legislation, and best practices established for provincial colleges of applied arts and technology, for Canadian post-secondary institutions, and for organizations located in Ontario and Canada.

This Emergency Plan defines the principles on which the Emergency Procedures will be based.

SCALE OF EMERGENCY

It is recognized that perspective defines the perception of “emergency”. In the context of the College, for example, an occurrence which constitutes an emergency for an individual member of the College community may not constitute an emergency at the institutional level. Similarly, an emergency at the institutional level may not constitute an emergency for the municipality, region or province.

Institutional emergencies are those which significantly impair the ability of the institution to deliver core services (i.e., teaching, computing, library services, student records, admission and registration processes, payroll) and/or other academic and administrative services.

The primary focus of this Emergency Plan will be emergencies of an institutional nature.

While the timely and appropriate management of institutional-scale emergencies can serve to promote a sense of security and well-being on campus, the attention paid to these occurrences, which may be early warnings of more serious situations, can be key to:

• Preventing larger scale emergencies
• Mitigating the effects of escalating situations

To that end, the plan advances the concepts of integrated risk management and centralized reporting as mechanisms to effectively address all levels of emergency as they arise.

PLAN DEVELOPMENT

Plan development, evaluation and revisions are based upon the following criteria:

• Hazard identification and risk analysis (A)
• Hazard reduction and mitigation (B)
• Emergency response (C)
•  Emergency recovery (D)
• Education, training and promotion (E)
• Exercise plan and design (F)
• Plan evaluation and revision (G)

A.            HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND RISK ANALYSIS

The purpose of the hazard identification and risk analysis process is:

• To identify existing and potential hazards which could result in outcomes requiring emergency response
• To assess the risks associated with those hazards, in terms of potential demands made on the emergency response system

A summary of hazards is complied based on a review of:

• Occupational illness reports
• Occupational injury reports
• Critical injury reports (Note: Critical is defined as per Ontario Regulation 834, and as defined through the National Fire Protection Association Frequency/Severity Guidelines)
• Existing hazard surveys or audits
• Weather history for the region
• Security occurrence reports
•   Security log entries

The hazards are categorized according to frequency and severity, and are assigned a risk level of high, medium or low. The frequency and severity indices are based on classification systems in use by the National Fire Protection Association (see Diagram A-1) and are intended as guidelines for assessment of hazards.

High and medium risk hazards are given the highest priority in the program development process in terms of time and resources dedicated to:

• Development of mitigation strategies
• Development of emergency response
• Training in and testing of emergency response

DIAGRAM A-1:  Frequency/Severity (Risk) Guidelines (Based on National Fire Protection Association Indices)

Distinguishing Features of Severity Classes

Critical: Fatality or permanently disabling injuries with long-term health care requirements, extreme material (facility/equipment) loss or damage, long-term (more than five years) environmental damage, service delivery interrupted greater than one month, reputational damage* on provincial or national scale.

Severe: Significant illness or injury requiring urgent health care attention, significant material (facility/equipment) loss, medium-term (one to five years) environmental damage, service delivery interrupted greater than one week and up to one month, reputational damage* on regional or municipal scale.

Moderate: Injury or illness requiring health care, moderate material (facility/equipment) loss, short-term environmental damage (one month to one year), service delivery interrupted greater than one day and up to one week, reputational damage* at institutional scale.

Minimal: Minor injury or illness requiring minor first aid, slight material loss, environmental damage (several days to one month), service delivery interrupted three hours to one day, reputational damage at departmental or functional scale.

Negligible: No/slight injury or illness, extremely minor material (facility/equipment) loss, extremely minor environmental damage that can be readily repaired, service delivery interrupted up to three hours, reputational damage* within department.

*Reputational Damage: Negative comments, feelings, behaviours which affect the College’s ability to attract students, funding, faculty/staff and/or result in enhanced attention of enforcement agencies such as Ministry of Labour, Ministry of the Environment, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, Technical Standards and Safety Authority, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, etc.

Frequency Index Definitions

Frequent:            Likely to occur repeatedly

Probable:            Reasonable probable, likely to occur several times

Occasional:         Likely to occur some time

Remote:              Unlikely but possible to occur

Improbable:       So unlikely, it can be assumed occurrence may not be experienced

B.            HAZARD REDUCTION AND MITIGATION STRATEGIES

The purpose of the hazard elimination and mitigation process is the identification of strategies which will:

• Reduce exposure to hazards
• Reduce frequency of negative outcomes (i.e., injury, illness, critical injury, fatality, property and environmental loss/damage, interruption to core and support services, damage to reputation)
• Reduce the severity of negative outcomes

All recommended strategies are evaluated with respect to prevailing legislation; recognized health, safety and emergency preparedness standards established by provincial, national and/or international organizations (e.g., Emergency Preparedness Canada, the Office of the Fire Marshal of Ontario, the Ministry of Public Safety and Security, the Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Preparedness, the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, the Education Safety Association of Ontario); and accepted practices at similar educational institutions.

Mitigation strategies are classified as proactive (preventative) or reactive.

 C.           EMERGENCY RESPONSE

Purpose

The purpose of the emergency response planning process is:

• To identify those activities that occur immediately prior to, during and immediately after an emergency event, and required to meet the goals of preserving life, reducing suffering and protecting property
• To identify how those activities will be delivered during the response phase

Emergency Response Activities

Emergency response activities are based on practices mandated in prevailing legislation; recommended by provincial, national and/or international organizations recognized as having expertise in the areas of health safety, emergency preparedness and protective services (e.g. Emergency Preparedness Canada, Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, Royal Canadian Mounted Police); and accepted as best practices at similar educational institutions.

The key emergency response activities identified include:

• Emergency assessment (i.e., identification of an emergency and initiation of response)
• Assessment of harm and needs
• Notification, control and direction of primary responders as required (i.e., Security, Police, Fire, Emergency First Response, Ambulance)
• Search and rescue, including the identification of missing persons
• Evacuation and sheltering (lockdown)
• Alignment and provision of secondary response as required, including but not limited to:

1. Damage assessment and control
2. Hazardous materials response
3. Restoration of telephone and radio communications
4. Establishment of messenger services
5. Information services, including public inquiry and media relations
6. Counselling
7. Medical services liaison
8. Registration and inquiry
9. Provision of accommodation, food services and clothing
10. Utilities management (i.e. maintenance and continued operation of water, gas and electric power systems)
11. Financial and insurance services
12. Supply and procurement o           Security and traffic control o       Transportation
13. Personnel and temporary space requirements
14. Volunteer coordination

• Strategic decision-making including but not limited to:

1. Determining campus and public information needs
2. Determining when the College must be closed, fully or partially
3. Determining when academic and administrative services must be interrupted, fully or partially
4. Documentation, including situation reporting and debriefing
    

Emergency Response Management

During an emergency, the activation of an Emergency Operations Centre (EOC)   becomes crucial for the effective and efficient management of the emergency.

The EOC serves as a single focal point for the management of information, decision- making and resource support and allocation during both the emergency response and recovery processes. A centralized location facilitates coordination among responding departments and provides continuity in the case of a prolonged emergency situation. By maintaining direct links with the Manager of Health and Safety and the Director of Physical Resources, the EOC provides a convenient forum for strategic decision- making.

The EOC is under the control of a member of senior management. As the “Emergency Operations Centre Manager”, he/she is supported by a team representing external primary responders as required (i.e. Police, Fire, Ambulance); Physical Resources, Health and Safety, Information Technology, applicable facilities managers, Marketing and Communications, Finance, Student Services, Human Resources and senior academic management.

It should be recognized that, due to the College’s involvement within the community, the EOC may become a secondary response centre for a city-wide emergency if one should occur. Some of the services that may be required of the EOC are listed below:

• Damage assessment and control
• Hazardous materials response
• Restoration of telephone and radio communications
• Establishment of messenger services
• Information services, including public inquiry and media relations
• Counselling
• Medical services liaison
• Registration and inquiry
• Provision of accommodation, food services and clothing
• Utilities management (i.e. maintenance and continued operation of water, gas and electric power systems)
• Financial and insurance services
• Supply and procurement
• Security and traffic control
• Transportation
• Personnel and temporary space requirements
• Volunteer coordination

D.            EMERGENCY RECOVERY

Purpose

The purpose of the emergency recovery planning process is:

•  To identify those activities that occur after emergency response has been initiated, and that are required to meet the goals of reducing suffering, restoring property, restoring College services.
• To identify how activities will be delivered during the recovery phase

Emergency Recovery Activities

Emergency recovery activities are based on practices recommended by national organizations recognized as having expertise in the areas of health, safety, emergency preparedness and protective services (e.g. Emergency Preparedness Canada, Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Preparedness, Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety); and accepted as best practices at similar education institutions.

The key emergency recovery activities identified include but are not limited to:

• The ongoing provision of secondary response services initiated during the response phase:

1.  Damage assessment and control
2. Hazardous materials clean-up
3.  Information services, including public inquiry and media relations
4. Counselling
5. Medical services liaison
6. Supply and procurement
7. Personnel and temporary space requirements
8. Volunteer coordination

•  Restoration of services based on procedures identified by the EOC.
• Submission of damage assessment reports to provincial and federal agencies, and to insurers for potential reimbursement of costs incurred during the emergency
• Strategic decision-making including but not limited to:

1. Establishment of target dates for the resumption of services based on priorities set by the EOC.
2. Prioritization of salvage operations and reconstruction
3. Coordination of financial and legal issues

E.            EDUCATION, TRAINING AND PROMOTION

Purpose

The purpose of the education, training and promotion process is to identify those activities which are required to ensure that members of the College community have adequate knowledge to meet their obligations with respect to emergency preparedness, response and recovery.

Key Activities

Education, training and promotion activities are based on practices recommended by provincial and national organizations recognized as having expertise in the areas of health, safety, emergency preparedness and protective services (e.g. Emergency Preparedness Canada, Office of the Fire Marshal of Ontario, Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Preparedness, Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety) and accepted as best practices at similar educational institutions.

The key activities include:

General promotion of the concepts of emergency preparedness to members of the College community and in particular to those who have authority over other members of the College community

• General promotion to all members of the College community of key emergency response functions: Emergency calling (e.g. 911, or Security at 2712), evacuation and lock-down
• Specific emergency response training to staff of Security Services, Physical Resources, Emergency Wardens, Emergency Operations Centre team members, and individuals who use, handle and/or store chemicals

Schedule of Activities

A two-year sliding schedule of education, training and promotion activities to be maintained by the Manager of Health and Safety.

F.            EXERCISE PLAN AND DESIGN

Purpose

The purpose of the exercise plan and design process is to identify those activities which are required to test the competence of members of the College community with respect to their obligations in emergency response and recovery.

Key Activities

The key exercise plan and design activities are:

• To design and conduct specific exercises which will include general testing of emergency response functions such as but not limited to emergency calling, evacuation and lock down.

Schedule of Activities

A five-year sliding schedule of exercise plan and design activities to be maintained by the Manager, of Health and Safety in conjunction with the Director of Physical Resources.

G.           PLAN EVALUATION AND REVISION

Purpose

 The purpose of the plan monitoring, evaluation and revision process is to identify those activities required to ensure that the Emergency Plan remains reflective of College needs and that the program effectively delivers services which meet the goals of the Emergency Plan.

Key Activities

The key plan evaluation and revision activities include:

• Completion of situation reports during an emergency
•  Completion of debriefings (if required) at the termination
• Annual summary of emergency preparedness (i.e. education, training and promotion, exercise planning and delivery), response and recovery activities prepared by the Manager of Health and Safety in January of each year covering the previous calendar year and copied to the Director of Physical Resources
• February submission of recommended revisions to plan and/or program to College Executive by the Manager of Health and Safety