I volunteer at a local library during my free time. Several pitfalls might be encountered in disaster planning for such an organization. First, the planners assume that only those who work in the library can take action in case of an emergency and fail to involve the local community. This is an erroneous assumption because, in many cases, everyone in the building and those who live around the place will respond in times of emergency. Second, the organizers can draft lengthy documents in an attempt to cover all areas. Long plans are often confusing and frustrating to the people responsible for implementing them (Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2010). Another common pitfall is the failure to update the response plan regularly. The information included in the plan, such as emergency contacts, should always be up-to-date. People in charge of disaster preparedness should avoid such pitfalls as they draft the plans.
The library conducts drills and training on safety and emergency response. There have been four drills and approximately ten training sessions in the past two years that I have volunteered here. Fire is the biggest concern for the organization because such a disaster would destroy books, films, periodicals, and databases worth thousands of dollars. Additionally, fire can easily start in a library since the paper is combustible. The first step to take when fire breaks are to raise the alarm. This immediately notifies everybody of the emergency, and more people can participate in the response process. Next, a person should locate the nearest exit and then try to extinguish the fire. It is essential to locate the exit before attempting to stifle the fire because the situation could be unmanageable and require immediate evacuation (Iske & Lengfellner, 2015). The organization needs all employees and volunteers to know how to use fire extinguishers. Additionally, there are smoke detectors in various parts of the building. Generally, the library is well prepared to respond to a fire emergency.
I have found the fire drills and training useful, and although there has never been a fire in the library, I know I am adequately prepared in case of one. The drills are usually scheduled every six months. However, the training sessions typically happen randomly when there is new information to be passed to responders. The plan is updated regularly to include details such as a change in contact information and response action. For instance, when I first started, we were advised not to raise alarms during small fires, but this policy was changed six months later. The fire drills are also varied to ensure that the participants can respond fast during an actual emergency. The managers hold meetings to give their assessments of disaster preparedness after these drills. They also implement some suggestions raised by employees and use training sessions to improve emergency responsiveness in the organization.
In addition to fire drills and training, I think it is essential to conduct such training for water damage, which can come from floods or even a small leak that goes undetected for some time (Iske & Lengfellner, 2015). As a recommendation, the organization should incorporate emergency response in the event of water damage. I would also recommend that the fire response plans are made available to customers who come to read or borrow books. This would ensure that everybody knows how to act during an emergency and prevent the common pitfall of failing to involve the local community in disaster management.
References
Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2010). Developing and maintaining emergency operations plans: Comprehensive preparedness guide (CPG) 101. Web.
Iske, S. D., Jr., & Lengfellner, L. G. (2015). Fire, water and books: Disaster preparedness for academic libraries. Professional Safety, 60(10), 39−46.