Step 1: Identifying and developing emergency response procedures
Step 2: Staff training and provision of information to clients/visitors
Step 3: Implementing and monitoring your emergency management plan

Information in this section is adapted from Mind Your Business: an emergency management planning guide for business in the City of Melbourne, produced by City of Melbourne.

Your next step is to develop an emergency management plan to guide your response to an emergency if it arises.

Reports of major emergencies around the world reveal many of the same problems. They include simple measures that are well within the scope, responsibility and capacity of management, such as:

• No one had been given the responsibility for making decisions or giving instructions during an emergency
• There was no risk assessment undertaken or emergency management plan in place
• Staff failed to provide clear direction and no exercises or training had been conducted

It is therefore important that your plan is clear, well considered and accepted by you and your staff.

The plan will be most effective if everyone is aware of their roles and responsibilities in responding to an emergency.

Important stages in emergency management planning are:

• Identifying and developing emergency response procedures
• Staff training and provision of information to clients/visitors
• Implementing and monitoring the plan

Further detail of these stages is provided in the following sections.

Step 1: Identifying and developing emergency response procedures

Developing well-thought out emergency response procedures can have a significant impact on how efficiently and quickly you can guide everyone to safety.

The following checklist should be considered for each type of event:

• Identify how to prepare the property for an on-coming incident, e.g. an approaching bushfire or flood
• Identify who is in charge of managing the response if an emergency arises and/or an evacuation is needed
• Identify evacuation routes and emergency assembly sites
• Identify how and who will communicate with employees and visitors if an emergency occurs, including people with special needs and or who do not read/speak English
• Identify how and who will check that equipment, records and other assets are safe
• Have a first aid kit (or several) and other emergency equipment, and advise employees and clients of their location
• Identify staff who have first aid qualifications and train further staff if necessary
• Have a list of telephone numbers and addresses of staff
• Identify which staff have the skills to help you in an emergency, and who you can rely on to react calmly and professionally
• Talk to emergency service providers such as Victoria Police, CFA, MFB, VICSES and Ambulance Victoria to find out what they will want you to do if an incident happens
• Identify how you will receive warning messages and remain informed
• Identify your trigger points (for relocation/evacuation)

The outcomes of these tasks should be written down to form your emergency management plan. 

Find an emergency management plan template in the Resources section.

Key Questions

Your emergency management plan should also identify answers to the following:

• What is the appropriate trigger to activate your emergency management plan?
  This may be an emergency alert message provided by Victoria’s emergency broadcasters – commercial radio, ABC Local Radio and SkyNews Television. You may also receive a voice message on landline telephones and a text message on mobiles about life threatening emergencies through the new national telephone-based warning system - Emergency Alert. The warning system provides emergency service organisations with enhanced ability to issue emergency warnings to the community and is another tool for tourism operators to provide advice to clients.
• How are you going to be kept up-to-date regarding the emergency situation?
  There are different information sources for different types of emergencies, e.g. Bushfire Information Line, ph. 1800 240 667 or cfa.vic.gov.au, Flood Smart information on ses.vic.gov.au, health-related alerts on health.vic.gov.au, etc. In many cases, emergency service agencies also send updates to Visitor Information Centres in Victoria so information can be passed on to visitors and tourism businesses. 
  Also, consider how you would find out whether public transport is working, which roads are closed or what facilities in the area are operating. 
• How will you communicate updates to your visitors about an environmental risk, such as Total Fire Ban days during the bushfire season?  
  For example, install an information board at reception and encourage visitors to modify their behaviour accordingly.
• How will you warn employees and customers, and identify conditions under which an evacuation would be ordered, or business services would cease?
• How will you keep staff and visitors informed about the status of the emergency? 
  All communications should be calm and factual, with a strong emphasis on safety directions.  
• How will you conduct an evacuation (including evacuation routes, exits and assembly areas) and account for all people on the property or those participating in an activity conducted by the business?
  Consideration should also be given as to how to assist people with special needs or who do not read/speak English.
• How will you maintain communication with staff, visitors, emergency services and suppliers, in the case of a power failure or the shut down of telephone lines?
• How will you maintain copies of important information to help carry out emergency response and recovery activities?  These can include:
• Emergency call lists such as persons on and off site who would be involved in responding to an emergency, their responsibilities and their 24-hour telephone numbers.
• Contact lists (telephone numbers, addresses) for staff, business contacts, creditors, suppliers (and alternative suppliers)
• Customer contact information
• Building and site maps that indicate the location of utilities and associated infrastructure (outlets, shutoffs, lines, pipes), drains, sewers, emergency equipment, exit routes, hazardous materials, etc,
• Floor plans
• Computer software inventory including serial and license numbers, supplier contact details and location of backups; and supplier, leasing and repair information
• A copy of your emergency management plan which should be kept at a safe location away from your business site

• How will operations be closed down?
• Determine which machinery, equipment, cabinets or safes may need to be secured.
• Determine if a back-up power source is needed.
• Identify people to lock doors and secure your premises.
• Ensure that responsible staff have the right keys, passwords or combinations.
• Decide whether a special security plan is needed for your computer systems to protect important records (back-ups, etc).
• How will operations be restored?
  When identifying appropriate processes to restore your business systems and property, consult information about how to be safe when returning to a damaged property, for example the Victorian Government’s health information website, health.vic.gov.au (under Environmental Health, then Emergency Management).

All of the activities and procedures you identify through considering the points above should be written down to become your emergency management plan (see example in Table 4, emergency management plan template). 

Clearly distinguish the responses that are appropriate for different types of emergencies when preparing your plan.  You are encouraged to contact the relevant emergency service agencies to assist you with your emergency management planning.

Set out what needs to be done, by whom and when.  It can be a good idea to identify what needs to be done immediately, and what needs to be done in the following 24 or 48 hours.

It can also be valuable to meet with your neighbours and other businesses to compare plans, and to work out how to communicate with and support each other in the case of an emergency.

You may like to make checklists of all the things to do to put your plan into practice, and to identify backups for key jobs in case someone is away.

Step 2: Staff training and provision of information to clients/visitors

Staff training

Everyone who works at your business should undergo some form of training in your emergency management procedures.  

Decide what training your staff will need in order to implement your risk and emergency management procedures, and when and by whom this training will be delivered over a 12 month period.   

Training may involve exercises such as evacuation practice.  After undertaking an exercise, allow for an opportunity for staff to provide feedback on whether any issues were identified so procedures can be improved for next time.  

It is strongly recommended that at least one first aid-trained staff member is present during opening hours.

In addition to training, make emergency procedures and information available to staff, such as posting contact numbers near telephones and in operations manuals.

Provision of information to clients/visitors

You will need to have information prepared for visitors about responding to an emergency, such as what to do, where evacuation meeting points are located, and who to tell in case of an emergency such as illness, threat or fire. Check with your local police and fire brigade for advice.

This information may be in the form of a handout, a flyer in a compendium, a notice displayed on a door, or instructions communicated to participants on an outdoor tour (these instructions should be written down somewhere). Your instructions to staff or family (if your tourism business is part of your residence) could be placed in your Operations Manual, and incorporated into staff training. 

Where appropriate, visitors should also be made aware of and provided with a list of relevant emergency telephone numbers such as police, ambulance, poisons centre, helicopter rescue, nearest neighbour, etc.

Adapted from materials produced by the Australian Tourism Accreditation Program

Step 3: Implementing and monitoring your emergency management plan

Implementation requires more than just carrying out the plan during an emergency and the training mentioned above. It means acting in advance on particular recommendations that were identified while developing emergency processes and procedures for your business. 

Planning is a continuous process. To be effective in an emergency, plans, the environment and policies must be regularly checked, tested and updated as conditions in your business change, for example an addition of a new building or a new tour program. These changes should be communicated to staff and training programs updated.  

It is important to remember that planning for an emergency is a proactive, consultative and ongoing process. You cannot do it on your own and the risks can change. Make sure you speak to your local emergency services regularly.