Emergency Plan Manual

Step 5: Translating Theory Into Practice What’s Next? In summary, the goal of HRAI is to serve as a tool to help our agencies plan for a hazard response by determining our community’s hazards, assessing the likelihood of occurrence, and quantifying their impact on the community. Prioritizing efforts . It follows from the final step of the analysis that those events with a high likelihood of occurring and a high level of impact should have the highest priority. We may also want to consider those events that, though rare, would have a severe impact were they to occur. For example, on the General electric fault system occur very infrequently, but previous incidents have caused large numbers of loss and injuries. Preparing for the potential effects of these events should also help us prepare for more common but less extreme emergencies. After analysis using HRAI, our Agency can apply the assessment to prioritize planning using community-specific criteria. On initial analyses, HRAI may reveal health infrastructure characteristics that are hazard-specific. These characteristics may be indicative of the ability of our Agency to respond to hazards in general. The process may provide insight into inherent strengths and weaknesses present in our health care system, regardless of the type of hazard. For instance, if one indicator consistently comes up with a better score across several hazards, less emphasis may need to be placed on improving that specific area. This will allow for resources to be allocated to areas where deficiencies have been identified. Action steps . After vulnerabilities and weaknesses have been identified, possible resolutions should be addressed. Suggested action steps include:  Changes in resources and financing, obtain backup system, have backup staff  Establishment of mutual aid agreements with other home health agencies  Training and education for staff and patients/families Once changes are implemented, an on-going system for the evaluation of impact should be established, we will conduct this analyzes yearly. As changes occur in the community, new vulnerabilities may arise and new resources may be acquired to change the outcome of your community’s hazard risk assessment over time.