Current through Register Vol. 41, No. 3, September 23, 2024
A. The facility shall develop a written
emergency preparedness and response plan that shall address:
1. Documentation of initial and annual
contact with the local emergency coordinator to determine (i) local disaster
risks, (ii) communitywide plans to address different disasters and emergency
situations, and (iii) assistance, if any, that the local emergency management
office will provide to the facility in an emergency.
2. Analysis of the facility's potential
hazards, including severe weather, biohazard events, fire, loss of utilities,
flooding, work place violence or terrorism, severe injuries, or other
emergencies that would disrupt normal operation of the facility.
3. Written emergency management policies and
procedures for provision of:
a.
Administrative direction and management of response activities;
b. Coordination of logistics during the
emergency;
c.
Communications;
d. Life safety of
residents, staff, volunteers, and visitors;
e. Property protection;
f. Continued services to residents;
g. Community resource accessibility;
and
h. Recovery and
restoration.
4. Written
emergency response procedures for assessing the situation; protecting
residents, staff, volunteers, visitors, equipment, medications, and vital
records; and restoring services. Emergency procedures shall address:
a. Alerting emergency personnel and facility
staff;
b. Warning and notification
of residents, including sounding of alarms when appropriate;
c. Providing emergency access to secure areas
and opening locked doors;
d.
Conducting evacuations and sheltering in place, as appropriate, and accounting
for all residents;
e. Locating and
shutting off utilities when necessary;
f. Maintaining and operating emergency
equipment effectively and safely;
g.
Communicating with staff and community emergency responders during the
emergency; and
h. Conducting
relocations to emergency shelters or alternative sites when necessary and
accounting for all residents.
5. Supporting documents that would be needed
in an emergency, including emergency call lists, building and site maps
necessary to shut off utilities, memoranda of understanding with relocation
sites, and list of major resources such as suppliers of emergency
equipment.
B. Staff and
volunteers shall be knowledgeable in and prepared to implement the emergency
preparedness plan in the event of an emergency.
C. The facility shall develop and implement
an orientation and semi-annual review on the emergency preparedness and
response plan for all staff, residents, and volunteers, with emphasis placed on
an individual's respective responsibilities. The review shall be documented by
signing and dating. The orientation and review shall cover responsibilities
for:
1. Alerting emergency personnel and
sounding alarms;
2. Implementing
evacuation, shelter in place, and relocation procedures;
3. Using, maintaining, and operating
emergency equipment;
4. Accessing
emergency medical information, equipment, and medications for
residents;
5. Locating and shutting
off utilities; and
6. Utilizing
community support services.
D. The facility shall review the emergency
preparedness plan annually or more often as needed, document the review by
signing and dating the plan, and make necessary plan revisions. Such revisions
shall be communicated to staff, residents, and volunteers and incorporated into
the orientation and semi-annual review for staff, residents, and
volunteers.
E. In the event of a
disaster, fire, emergency, or any other condition that may jeopardize the
health, safety, and welfare of residents, the facility shall take appropriate
action to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the residents and take
appropriate actions to remedy the conditions as soon as possible.
F. After the disaster or emergency is
stabilized, the facility shall:
1. Notify
family members and legal representatives; and
2. Report the disaster or emergency to the
regional licensing office by the next day as specified in
22VAC40-73-70.
Statutory Authority: §§
63.2-217, 63.2-1732, 63.2-1802, 63.2-1805 , and 63.2-1808
of the Code of Virginia.
