Safety: Standard Operational Procedure
Household Level
Purpose
Establish procedures for immediate deployment of bedside safety equipment during nighttime emergencies.
Scope
Applies to all household members capable of emergency response.
Procedures
Immediate Actions (0–30 seconds; if the disaster is an earthquake, wait for the shaking to stop)
Upon waking to emergency conditions, remain calm.
Use hands to locate bedside emergency bag (tied to bed frame).
Extract shoes and put on immediately before standing.
Extract gloves and flashlight.
Activate flashlight before standing or moving.
Safety Assessment (30 seconds–2 minutes)
Use flashlight to assess immediate area for glass, debris, structural damage.
Put on gloves before handling any materials.
Assess personal injuries before proceeding.
Check immediate family members in visual/voice range.
Initial Response (2–5 minutes)
Secure safe path to main gathering area.
Account for all household members.
Assess need for immediate evacuation vs. sheltering.
Deploy additional safety equipment as needed.
Equipment Requirements
Bedside bag with shoes, gloves, flashlight, hard hat, goggles, flashlight/headlamp
Additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) accessible within 10 feet of bed
Clear path identification and maintenance
Street Level
Purpose
Establish procedures for coordinating safety activities at Street Level.
Scope
Applies to designated Street Captains and specialists. Procedures
Activation Phase (0-4 hours post-incident)
Self-deploy after securing personal/family safety.
Proceed to designated Street Meeting Place.
Establish accountability and communication with other neighbors.
Assess immediate neighborhood safety status and damage.
Turn off utilities as needed.
Coordination Phase (4–24 hours)
Organize systematic wellness checks for neighbors.
Coordinate shared safety resource deployment.
Perform triage on injuries and light first aid as needed.
Coordinate transportation of injured to Disaster Hub.
Establish communication with the nearest Disaster Hub.
Document casualties, damage, and resource needs. Report these to Hub.
Resource Management
Deploy shared safety equipment from pre-positioned caches.
Coordinate transportation for injured residents to Hub.
Neighborhood Level
Purpose
Establish procedures for coordinating safety activities at Disaster Hub.
Scope
Applies to designated Disaster Hub volunteers.
Procedures
Activation Phase (0–4 hours post-incident)
Self-deploy after securing household and street safety.
Proceed to Disaster Hub.
Conduct windshield assessment on the way.
Turn in windshield assessment upon arrival.
Coordination Phase (4–24 hours)
Organize systematic damage and wellness checks throughout neighborhood.
Coordinate shared safety resource deployment.
Maintain safety of Disaster Hub. First person to arrive on site begins Disaster Hub Standard Operating Procedures, which include scene size-up and Hub damage assessment.
Resource Management
Deploy shared safety equipment from storage at the Hub.
5. Manage mutual aid resource sharing throughout neighborhood.
6. Interface with arriving professional resources.
Communication Protocols
Send hourly status reports to community coordination (if communications available).
Document casualties, resource needs, and safety status.
Follow interface protocols with professional responders.
Community Level
Purpose
Establish procedures for distributing community safety resources during emergency operations and ensuring safety during evacuation or at Community emergency sites, such as Disaster Medical Center.
Scope
Applies to community emergency management personnel and trained distribution volunteers.
Procedures
Activation
Receive activation from Emergency Operations Center (EOC) or designated authority.
Deploy to designated distribution points with mobile resources.
Establish accountability and communication systems.
Begin systematic resource distribution based on priority needs.
Follow support requests from fire department and police department.
Distribution Operations
Prioritize distribution based on casualty reports and need assessments.
Focus on preventive equipment (PPE) to reduce additional casualties.
Coordinate with neighborhood-level safety coordinators.
Document resource distribution and remaining needs.
Coordination Requirements
Interface with EOC and professional emergency management.
Coordinate with Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) search & rescue operations.
Coordinate with Police and Fire for safety support operations, such as crowd and traffic control.
Document resource utilization and effectiveness.
Plan for resource resupply and sustained operations.
Resource Priority Matrix
Immediate Priority: PPE for active responders and high-risk areas
Secondary Priority: Basic safety supplies for general population
Extended Priority: Training and capability enhancement resources
This documentation complements CERT Search & Rescue operations by establishing the personal safety foundation necessary for effective community emergency response. All procedures should be practiced regularly and adapted to local conditions and resources.