During a hurricane watch, time and safety are top priorities. In your office, there are many tasks to complete to prepare for a potential emergency. A comprehensive office plan is key to efficiency, organization, and most of all, employee safety.

If your office does not have an emergency plan, it’s time to create one. The Miller School of Medicine has a Disaster Preparedness Plan that you can follow as a guide. If your office already has a plan, it may be a good idea to refresh it. Here are some guidelines on creating and implementing emergency procedures for your office:

1. Create a Plan: All supervisors should create an emergency office plan at the outset of hurricane season. This will prepare you for any emergency situation. Your office plan should include all employee names, addresses, and telephone numbers, in addition to contact information for other services like the Miller School of Medicine Rumor Control Hotline, 305-243-6079. Be sure to include assigned emergency duties, emergency procedures, the office floor plan, and a list of office equipment for insurance purposes.
2. Distribute Important Information: Distribute the office plan to all staff, as well as copies of the office’s telephone tree -- a list of employee contact numbers during an emergency, including telephone, beeper, and cellular phone numbers. Be sure to verify this information and keep it up-to-date. Keep this list with you during the emergency both in the office and at home. It can be used to stay in touch before and after the disaster to account for each employee’s safety and specific needs.
3. Hold a Staff Meeting: Determine which employees need to evacuate, stay home, or remain on campus as a hurricane approaches. If you have special circumstances, such as family obligations or transportation issues, inform your supervisor well in advance and again at the staff meeting. Also appoint an alternate to the supervisor, in case of absence.
4. Compile Emergency Inventory: Make sure your office has all the necessary supplies for any emergency. These include plastic and tape for covering office equipment, which you can buy from Physical Plant, 305-243-6019. It’s also a good idea to keep on hand flashlights and batteries, first-aid materials, and any materials for post-disaster cleanup.

Supervisors should review the office plan and procedures again with all employees when a Hurricane Warning is issued. Following the storm, call your office’s designated contact person or supervisor to begin recovery efforts and let them know you are safe. These guildlines can help you prepare and be safe in the event of an emergency.

Commitment to Patient Care in Emergencies

Keep in mind that emergency preparations on the University’s other campuses (Coral Gables, Rosenstiel School, and the South Campus) will vary from the School of Medicine’s guidelines and decisions.

Clinical departments need to create emergency office plans that include a skeleton staff of essential employees, who may need to stay and care for patients. Patients should be contacted and appointments rescheduled if it is not safe for them to travel to the medical center or, likewise, if it is dangerous for employees to remain on the job.

For up-to-the-minute information, your source is the medical school’s Rumor Control Hotline, 305-243-6079.