Current through Bulletin 2024-06, March 15, 2024
(1) The
licensee shall develop and implement detailed written plans and procedures to
address potential emergencies and disasters including fire, severe weather and
missing clients and shall ensure:
(a) written
emergency procedures are periodically reviewed and updated;
(b) the emergency plan is available to the
staff;
(c) staff receives periodic
training on emergency plan procedures;
(d) the emergency plan addresses the
following:
(i) evacuation of occupants to a
safe place within the facility or to another location;
(ii) delivery of essential care and services
to facility occupants by alternate means;
(iii) delivery of essential care and services
when additional persons are housed in the facility during an
emergency;
(iv) delivery of
essential care and services to facility occupants when the staff is reduced by
an emergency; and
(v) maintenance
of safe ambient air temperatures within the facility and an ambient air
temperature of at least 58 degrees Fahrenheit is maintained during emergencies;
and
(e) emergency heating
is approved by the local fire department.
(2) The licensee shall ensure the emergency
plan identifies:
(a) the person with
decision-making authority for fiscal, medical and personnel
management;
(b) on-hand personnel,
equipment and supplies and how to acquire additional resources after an
emergency or disaster;
(c)
assignment of personnel to specific tasks during an emergency;
(d) methods of communicating with local
emergency agencies, authorities and other appropriate individuals;
(e) the individuals who shall be notified in
an emergency, in order of priority;
(f) method of transporting and evacuating
clients and staff to other locations; and
(g) conversion of the facility for emergency
use.
(3) The licensee
shall post emergency telephone numbers near telephones accessible to
staff.
(4) The licensee shall hold
simulated disaster drills semi-annually for staff, in addition to fire drills
and maintain documentation for department review.
(5) The licensee and administrator shall
develop a written fire emergency and evacuation plan in consultation with
qualified fire safety personnel and shall ensure:
(a) the evacuation plan shall delineate
evacuation routes and location of fire alarm boxes and fire
extinguishers;
(b) the written fire
emergency plan includes fire-containment procedures and how to use the facility
alarm systems and signals;
(c) fire
drills and fire drill documentation are in accordance with requirements for
buildings under the jurisdiction of the Fire Prevention Board; and
(d) clients are evacuated during at least one
drill each year on each shift that includes:
(i) evacuation of clients with physical
disabilities;
(ii) filing a report
and evaluation on each evacuation drill; and
(iii) investigating problems with evacuation
drills, including accidents, and corrective action taken.
