Disaster Preparedness

Critical items such as knowing your building’s evacuation paths, procedures and assembly points along with jotting down information on a “calling-tree card” should be completed. Please take a few minutes to review this information if you have not already done so. Take a few moments to review the Department of Homeland Security guidelines at http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/index.jsp.

The formal threat-condition system outlined by DHS (Dept. of Homeland Security) www.dhs.gov/dhspublic describes “orange” as high, yellow as elevated.

Job-related Implications:

1. CLOSURES: Your client agency may close. Operations may be restricted to essential personnel. Carry contact data for information channels in your wallet or purse. (see item #4)

2. COMMUTING: Allow extra-time. If you usually park within a block of a high density building (even it’s not the building in which you work) you may find temporary restrictions against doing so and have to hunt for a spot. Expect arbitrary vehicle searches and subsequent delays at military gates and increased ID scrutiny, personal searches and searches of packages as a requirement for entering civilian buildings.

3. TIME-KEEPING: Record the time actually worked. Your group manager will announce if paid shut-down applies after the event and issue timecard instructions. In general, delays or closures having reasonable prior warning will be treated as an adverse commuting condition, not as paid shutdown.

4. INFORMATION CHANNELS: Information sources can be telephone, e-mail, DataFlow’s website and news-radio and TV. Maintain the ability to let each other know and stay in contact if conditions are adverse. Keep or create a small card for your purse or wallet with important contact information; sometimes called a “phone tree” or “calling tree”. Your card should contain info for the people you normally work with, your client representative and other key points. It should look something like this:

Fire/Disaster Assembly point: South parking lot, furthest corner from building.
Alternate point: Matheson picnic area, 2 blocks northwest
Anchorage Federal Buildings Status: 566-0023 (recording updated daily)
Group Manager, Eric Hutchins, wrk: 365-2719 cell: 317-1385 DataFlow main: 365-2700
Co-worker #1: wrk: 123-1234 hm: 123-4567
Co-worker #2: wrk: 123-1234 hm: 123-4567
Client Rep: 123-1234 Client POC: 123-1234
Client Reception: 123-1234 hm: 123-4567
Local News Radio: 650 kHz, 700 kHz, 750 kHz
Building Security: 123-1234

5. Rallying Point: Your building’s evacuation or dispersal procedures likely include an assembly point or “rally point” for determining head-count and communicating whether a return to the office or dispersal is appropriate. Get it’s location and write it down on your calling-tree card.

Be sure to back up your data to a secure media and run updated anti-virus software. A free on-line virus scan is available from Trend Micro.

Thank you for your cooperation.