Emergency Operations Planning Step 7: Train

Everyone involved in the plan needs to know their roles and responsibilities before, during, and after an incident.

Key training components include:

  • At least once a year, hold a meeting to educate all parties on the plan. Go through the plan in order to familiarize these stakeholders with it.
  • Visit shelter in place locations, evacuation routes, and evacuation sites.
  • Provide appropriate and relevant literature on the plan, policies, and procedures. It may also be helpful to provide a quick reference guide with reminders of key courses of action.
  • Post key information throughout the building. It is important that congregants are familiar with and have easy access to information such as evacuation routes and shelter in place procedures and locations, as well as location of first aid supplies and AED (if you have one). Ensure information concerning evacuation routes and shelter in place procedures and locations is communicated effectively to congregants with disabilities or others with access and functional needs.
  • Familiarize congregants with both the plan and community partners. Bringing first responders and/or local emergency management officials, as well as other organizations that use the building(s), into the building to talk about the plan can be an important aspect of relationship building.
  • Train staff and volunteers on the skills necessary to fulfill their roles. Persons will be assigned specific roles in the plan that will require special skills i.e. first aid, CPR, AED, Mental Health First Aid, providing assistance for children, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities and others with access and functional needs.