What are the steps to prepare an emergency response guide?

The essence of compiling emergency response guidelines that can be implemented is a closed loop from risk anchoring to implementation verification. The core is to be able to solve practical problems rather than copying templates to make up for the numbers.

Don't underestimate the risk assessment in the early stage. Nowadays, many units try to save trouble by just modifying the general template issued by their superiors. Many people also think that "the superiors' standards are definitely correct, and copying them will save time." But when things go wrong, they become stupid. In the past two years, I worked on fire emergency guides for industrial parks. At first I wanted to take a shortcut and apply a universal template. After a week of running around, I discovered that there were three constant-temperature cold storages in the southeast corner of the park filled with explosive scientific research reagents. Most of the annex buildings in the northwest corner were activity centers for retired employees. Many elderly people had weak legs and feet and could not run around. The universal template for these special situations did not mention a word. If the template had been followed, the guide would have been a piece of waste paper in the event of an accident.

Once you have a clear understanding of all risk points, people involved, and emergency resources that can be mobilized, don't rush to write down the terms. The most important thing to do is to bring all relevant parties involved in emergency response to a table to sort out their rights and responsibilities. I encountered a fire in a supermarket before. The security guard wanted to turn on the main switch but couldn't find the person in charge. The cleaning staff wanted to get the fire blanket but they didn't know who would approve it. A bunch of people were crowded in the aisle waiting for instructions. However, the previous guide only said "relevant personnel are responsible for handling" and did not assign the rights and responsibilities to specific people in specific positions. Many people also think that writing down the rights and responsibilities in too detailed terms will restrict their hands, and they need to be flexible when something goes wrong. However, anyone who has been on the front line of emergency response knows that only by clearly delineating the bottom line rights and responsibilities can we be flexible. Otherwise, everyone will be waiting for instructions from the leader, and the first three minutes of the golden rescue will be spent looking for people and asking for instructions.

After arranging the rights and responsibilities, fill in the specific operation content. Don't write correct nonsense like "please evacuate immediately in case of danger." Write it as clearly as a takeout navigation, including where to do what, what to take, and who to contact. It is best to include all the reference skills. For example, the emergency guide for a trapped person in an elevator in a high-rise office building must state: "The attendant will report to the elevator maintenance unit in the corresponding area as soon as possible after receiving the alarm, and simultaneously retain the contact information of the trapped person, and go to the floor within 5 minutes to give comfort. At the same time, notify the property medical staff to get a first aid kit in the elevator." Please wait by mouth." Don't let the on-duty staff use your comfort words. Give them direct reference: "The maintenance staff are on their way over and are expected to arrive in 10 minutes. Don't open the door. If you feel any discomfort, talk to me at any time." This way, even new employees who have just joined the company will use it. Some people also complain that the writing is so detailed and verbose that front-line personnel cannot remember it. In fact, it can be designed in layers. The core three-step operation is printed on a pocket card and posted on the post. The detailed processing procedures and techniques are attached to the main text of the guide. People with different needs can just take what they need.

Not everything will go well after the first draft is written. All the people involved must be asked to act it out with real swords and guns. I used to make an anti-trampling guide for elementary schools. The first draft stated that "two teachers should be on duty at each floor of the stairway." However, when the evacuation was simulated during peak school hours, we discovered that the children in the lower grades were running and running rampant. Two teachers could not stop the children who were running in groups. In the end, a senior student volunteer was added to each floor to guide the team from the side, and this loophole was filled. Many units think that drills are just a formality, and they are done after taking photos, and they cannot modify the already written guidelines for the sake of drills. But to put it bluntly, the biggest role of drills is to "find errors" in the guidelines. Spending an hour adjusting the process now is much better than incurring casualties when an accident actually occurs.

In fact, there is no one-size-fits-all emergency guide. Only by updating the previous version every year according to emerging risks and problems exposed in drills can this guide really be used at critical moments.