I ran a similar version of this article back in 2023, and it seems like a good time to revisit the topic. Organizations and individuals are deep in the High Holidays, and it’s not the time to stop mid-stream and re-vamp your safety plans. But it is time to assess if you are finding any gaps in your plans. After High Holidays is a great time to implement changes based on observations you’re making now. As an organization, this could be a medical response plan or a child reunification plan. If you’re in an organization that doesn’t have any emergency plan on paper (and I know this is some of you), please make this a priority in 2026. If you’re a community member, do you have a communication plan if there’s an earthquake? Do you know how you will get in touch with your children? Do the organizations you send your kids to every day have a reunification plan if something happens?
The Jewish Federation of Greater Portland is taking a proactive stance on this, particularly concerning earthquakes and/or fires. JFGP staff, a representative of the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies, and members of large and service community organizations met recently to begin discussing how we can respond as a community to address significant community needs. While we expect individuals to look to their “home” organizations for help, there will be wider community needs that the Federation and large organizations will have to provide. This could be food, shelter, water, counseling, spiritual needs, financial resources, etc. What we know is that we need to plan and organize now so we can be ready. We saw this in action at the Los Angeles Federation following the fires and in other communities.
Emergency situations of any kind are rare, but when they happen, they reveal a lot about the organization and how much thought management has given to the topic. We know we can’t plan for everything; however, there are some basic issues one can expect.
An emergency plan can be as simple as a few pages of information, all the way to a bound document hundreds of pages long. Ideally, an emergency plan is clear, concise, and easy to share with relevant people. Whether you’re an organization or an individual, I’m here to help with every step.
How to start:
1. Risk Assessment: Figure out what your risks are and where your vulnerabilities lie. There are a million different things that can go wrong, but realistically, it’s easy to narrow down a list to the 10 most likely emergencies you’ll have to deal with. Once you figure those out, you can start to develop plans and procedures. Medical issues, lockdowns, earthquakes, suspicious visitors, acts of violence, child/parent reunification plans, persons in crisis, mass communication needs – What are the areas where your organization has gaps? What are the emergencies where you’re not sure what action your organization would take?
2. Draft a Plan: Every situation has a relatively linear response that can be developed for each emergency. Establish an evacuation plan. Designate multiple evacuation routes and exits for your employees and decide where to meet up outside. If you need to lock down, what are the safest rooms? How will you notify people that a lockdown is needed? Identify the steps and ensure your staff or volunteers know your plan. Engage with your staff and volunteers (and Community Security Director) for ideas, as they probably have already thought about some of these issues. Make sure you consider functional needs in your plan – issues involving people with mobility, hearing, or visual impairments might require special consideration. I have sample plans for you to use – you don’t have to reinvent the wheel!
3. Resources and Preparation: Who in your organization will perform key functions in an emergency? Do they know what they need to do? Do you have emergency supplies (food, water, batteries, etc.)? Who will be the point of contact for communicating instructions and information internally and externally? Who has special skills that could be called upon? Inventory your emergency equipment and supplies and ensure people know where AEDs are located AND remember how to use them as well as other life-saving supplies. Keep updated lists of facility emergency contact numbers and keep extra copies off-site.
4. Communication: Planning is just part of a complete package. Communicating the plan to staff, volunteers, and users of your space is just as important. This information should be reviewed regularly or at least once per year, and ensure staff and volunteers have the relevant training to execute your emergency plan. Consider revisiting preparation opportunities twice a year to keep safety training knowledge fresh. Communicate to the users of your space that you’ve got a plan and your facility is prepared.
As your Director of Community Security, I can help guide you through every part of this process. SCN has several emergency preparedness templates we can work with, and we can consider these issues as we develop protocols that will work for your facility. Contact me at [email protected] or call 873-273-9214 to get started.