Red Cross Launches New Emergency Preparedness Online Tools
An Emergency Response Plan Tool enables program members to build a customized plan to help their employees know their roles in the first 24-72 hours of an emergency.
The American Red Cross recently launched a new collection of free, online tools to help businesses, schools, and other organizations prepare for emergencies.
These enhancements to the Red Cross Ready Rating™ program offer steps that organizations can take to be better prepared.
The new features include:
- An Emergency Response Plan Tool, which enables program members to build a customized plan to help their employees know their roles in the first 24-72 hours of an emergency;
- A Next Steps report that recommends specific actions members should take and the level of effort required to execute them;
- A Resource Center that includes preparedness tools including activities and exercises, so businesses, employees, and students can better develop and practice preparedness plans;
- A Ready Rating Store with emergency supplies at the click of a button;
- An enhanced user experience that enables easier sign up and access to all tools available.
“Companies and schools realize that contingency planning is a key element to running a successful operation, but getting started can sometimes be intimidating and overwhelming,” said Jim Judge, CEM, member of the Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council and executive director of Lake EMS Inc. in Mount Dora, Fla. “The new Ready Rating program components make it even easier to get started or to enhance current emergency response plans.”
Emergencies like power outages, water main breaks, and medical emergencies can disrupt daily operations. Disasters like tornados, floods, earthquakes, and fires have the potential to cause workplaces to fold and schools to close. In an effort to better prepare for such events, Ready Rating members complete a confidential assessment of their current readiness level for emergencies and receive immediate, customized feedback with tips and resources for them to improve their readiness scores.
More information about the program and the new components can be found at readyrating.org.