R432-200-11. Emergency and Disaster

(1) Facilities have the responsibility to assure the safety and well-being of their residents in the event of an emergency or disaster. An emergency or disaster may include utility interruption, explosion, fire, earthquake, bomb threat, flood, windstorm, or epidemic.

(2) Policies and Procedures.

(a) The licensee and the administrator shall be responsible for the development of a plan, coordinated with state and local emergency or disaster authorities, to respond to emergencies and disasters.

(b) The written plan shall be distributed to all facility staff to assure prompt and efficient implementation.

(c) The plan shall be reviewed and updated to conform with local emergency plans, at least annually, by the administrator and the licensee.

(d) The plan shall be available for review by the Department.

(3) Staff and residents shall receive education, training, and drills to respond in an emergency.

(a) Drills and training shall be documented and comply with applicable laws and regulations.

(b) The name of the person in charge and names and telephone numbers of emergency medical personnel, agencies, and emergency transport systems shall be posted.

(4) Emergency Procedures.

The facility's response procedures shall address the following:

(a) Evacuation of occupants to a safe place within the facility or to another location;

(b) Delivery of essential care and services to facility occupants by alternate means;

(c) Delivery of essential care and services when additional persons are housed in the facility during an emergency;

(d) Delivery of essential care and services to facility occupants when staff is reduced by an emergency;

(e) Maintenance of safe ambient air temperatures within the facility;

(i) Emergency heating plans must have the approval of the local fire department.

(ii) An ambient air temperature of 58 degrees F (14 degrees C) or less constitutes an imminent danger to the health and safety of the residents in the facility. The person in charge shall take immediate and appropriate action in the best interests of the resident.

(5) Emergency Plan.

(a) The facility's emergency plan shall delineate:

(i) The person or persons with decision-making authority for fiscal, medical, and personnel management;

(ii) On-hand personnel, equipment, and supplies and how to acquire additional help, supplies, and equipment after an emergency or disaster;

(iii) Assignment of personnel to specific tasks during an emergency;

(iv) Methods of communicating with local emergency agencies, authorities, and other appropriate individuals;

(v) The individuals who shall be notified in an emergency in the order of priority. Telephone numbers shall be accessible to staff at each nurse's station;

(vi) Methods of transporting and evacuating residents and staff to other locations;

(vii) Conversion of facility for emergency use.

(b) Documentation of emergency events and responses and a record of residents and staff evacuated from the facility to another location shall be kept. Any resident emergency shall be documented in the resident's record.

(c) Drills shall be held semi-annually for all residents and staff.

(d) There shall be regular in-service training on disaster prepare

(6) Fire Emergencies.

(a) The licensee and administrator shall develop a written fire-emergency and evacuation plan in consultation with qualified fire safety personnel.

(b) An evacuation plan delineating evacuation routes, location of fire alarm boxes, fire extinguishers, and emergency telephone numbers of the local fire department shall be posted throughout the facility.

(c) The written fire-emergency plan shall include fire-containment procedures and how to use alarm systems and signals.

(d) Fire and internal disaster drills shall be held, at least quarterly, under varied conditions for each shift.

(i) The actual evacuation of residents during a drill is optional except in a facility caring for residents who are capable of self-preservation.

(ii) The actual evacuation of residents during a drill on the night shift is optional.