This page provides
information relating to Disaster Evacuation to be used by ORA personnel
in the event of national or local disaster.
Now that we are entering into the hurricane season, and coincidentally during
National Hurricane Week, ORO, ORM & EOC with contributions from others,
are implementing an Emergency Contact System that includes a web site and
a Disaster Evacuation Card that will be sent to Regional contacts. The system
is designed to support FDA employees and their families when notification
by their local supervisory chain is not feasible due to a disaster or an
emergency.
It is expected that these cards will arrive in the regions within
the next 10 days, and we are asking the regions to distribute these
cards to all FDA personnel stationed in ORA field offices.
The project below was developed in response to a “lessons learned” exercise
post Hurricane Katrina, to assist in ORA’s preparedness during
hurricane season, and to assist employees in the event of an evacuation
due to a disaster.
This system does not supersede standard procedures that apply during
an emergency situation and those that involve Emergency Operations.
ORO Field Alert
Title: Emergency Contact System for Disasters Involving Evacuation Directives
TARGET AUDIENCE: ORA Employees
Purpose:
The purpose of this Field Alert is to advertise and implement an emergency
contact procedure designed to inform, identify, and account for ORA employees
displaced by disasters.
Implementation:
To support this initiative a web page has been established that contains
guidance on essential materials and equipment that people should
consider taking when directed to evacuate. The link also contains
general information
and links for managing personal and professional business, and will
be used in the event of a Disaster as a resource for ORA employees
regarding where to report and/or receive additional information.
http://www.fda.gov/ora/dec/
In the event of an evacuation, the ORA will utilize the Prior Notice Center
which is staffed 24/7. Employees involved in a disaster or an evacuation
should call 866-521-2297 when they reach a safe location (Note: The
Emergency Operations number 301-443-1240 will be used as a backup). Employees
that
call this number will be asked a series of questions designed to ensure
that all employees are accounted for and capture the status of, and track
the
affected FDA employees. Employees should become familiar
with these survey questions that can be found on the link referenced
above.
The ORA has also developed a “Disaster Evacuation Card” (DEC)
that contains the web page link, and other critical information that employees
would need in the case of an evacuation directive. An example of the DEC
appears below and will be sent to each Region this week. These cards should
subsequently be distributed to all employees.
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