It’s Time to Think Spring, HVAs, and EOPs!

A few years ago, I came across a phrase that seems to surface when life’s challenges start piling up. As we trudge through the cold and hardships that winter weather brings, I’m reminded of those words and the image they evoke: somewhere, there’s a tiki bar and a Jimmy Buffett song that needs me.

The thought of warm sunlight, a soft breeze, and the gentle whoosh of waves crashing in the distance—if for only a brief moment—relaxes and warms my bones.

But back to reality and our current environment, we are in the throes of a cold and snowy winter.

Winter brings preparedness challenges

Recently, many health care facilities across the country have been navigating a wide range of winter weather challenges—everything from freezing or unusually low temperatures to snow and ice, power outages, drops in water pressure, or a mix of all the above.

Some organizations moved through these events with minimal disruption, while others had to prepare for significant operational hurdles, including staffing and shortages, travel  difficulties, and arranging overnight accommodations. In some cases, facilities temporarily closed or rescheduled outpatient service to keep patients and staff safe.

Winter storms can introduce hazards both big and small, from icy walkways to sudden spikes in patients experiencing carbon monoxide exposures.

This recent weather has given us a valuable opportunity to review and update our emergency management documents like our Hazardous Vulnerability Assessment (HVA) and Emergency Operations Plan (EOP), assess future winter readiness, and identify any gaps that need attention.

It’s time for a review

For those who encountered winter weather challenges—whether minor or significant—take time to evaluate your response and actions.

What could have been improved? What worked well? Be sure to document both the successes and the areas requiring follow-up. Even minor details like pre-positioning shovels or ice melt can be valuable and useful nuggets of information in future events. If you’ve never developed a pre-storm check list, use action taken or missed to create one for the next event.

Before, during, and after: 

• Take notes for EOP enhancements

• Whether it’s in person, via phone, or virtual, track attendance and minutes for any large or small storm related meetings

• Adjust or note potential changes to your HVA

• Did you find one vendor or contractor particularly helpful? Or unreliable?

Once all documentation has been updated and completed, review with your team and leaders, and have it all signed and dated. Surveyors love to see this.

Not only will this documentation be helpful with future readiness and management of winter storm events, it’s also a perfect chance to tackle those lingering emergency management regulatory requirements that are easy to set aside. As the winter weather keeps us hibernating, knocking out these documentation tasks now means we can burst into spring blissfully free of some of that burdensome paperwork.

Author:  Matthew Linse, MA, BFA, HAP manager, emergency management