For immediate release:
March 13, 2003
Contact:
Mary Kay Hager
Office of Public Information
573-751-6062
As businesses and schools practice emergency drills for tornado and fire during the next several weeks, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services urges them to go one step further and practice what to do if faced with a biological, chemical or radiological event.
"These are different times and every employer, school and family should do what it can to be better prepared," said Richard Dunn, director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. "Emergency plans must include steps that would be taken to protect employees and students in the event of a terrorist attack."
The department urges businesses and schools to review and update their current emergency plans and then conduct practice drills. Action steps that should be taken include:
· Identify appropriate actions for personnel/students/families to take in the event of possible biological, chemical, or radiological threats.
· Include evacuation plans for areas in the building where a potential release could occur.
· Have procedures for isolating and keeping track of persons who may have been exposed.
· Understand how heating and cooling systems work and how to shut them down.
· Know whom to contact in the area: law enforcement, fire department, local emergency preparedness agency; HAZMAT team; local public health agency, mental health agency, etc. Keep lists readily available.
· Practice emergency procedures with employees and students.
· Have a plan for communicating information to families. Inform parents in advance that under certain circumstances no one would be allowed to enter or leave the school.
"The most important part of any emergency plan is regular drilling and practice," Dunn said. "It is essential that persons remain calm during a crisis and know what they should do under the different situations."
The Department of Health and Senior Services is working hard to be better prepared for public health emergencies, both natural and deliberate, and to assure the early detection of illnesses or diseases and a rapid, coordinated response. Educating and informing the public so that they can participate in their own defense and ensuring that communities, employers and schools take steps now to be prepared is key to protecting our citizens in the event of a terrorist attack.
For more information, call the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services at 1-800-392-0272 or go to the department's web site at www.dhss.state.mo.us/BT_Response/BT_Response.html and click on Information for the General Public. Employers can obtain more information from CDC's web site at www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/prepared/ or FEMA's web site at www.fema.gov/library/bizindex.shtm. Schools can check out the U.S. Department of Education's web site at www.ed.gov/emergencyplan. A sample of a school emergency plan is available at http://www.txssc.swt.edu/terrorism_proactive_guide.pdf .