HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017 WM Hurricane Disaster Plan
Indian River County; City of
Sebastian; City of Fellsmere, FL
Emergency and Hurricane/Natural Disaster
Emergency Preparedness Plan
Waste Management Inc. of Florida
Vero Hauling District
4310 77th Street
Vero Beach, FL 32967
Updated April 2017
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Emergency Procedures Plan
Purpose
The purpose of this plan is to address the hazards most likely to be encountered during the operation of the WM
Vero Hauling. This plan is not, however, to be construed as a compilation of all the possible emergencies or
hazards which might occur or exist at the site. This plan includes, but it is not limited to; fires, accidents,
explosions, spills or releases to the environment, bomb threats, civil disturbances or natural disasters.
Scope
All Waste Management – Vero Hauling Facility Employees and any persons on the premises if an emergency should
occur.
Policy
All Waste Management employees shall take the necessary steps to prevent harm to employees and the general
public when any emergency takes place.
Reporting
A) Responsibilities
1. Kasey Godwin, District Manager, has overall responsibilities for this program.
2. Supervisors and Managers are responsible for the following :
a. Maintaining a safe environment at the scene of the emergency by ensuring that all appropriate
personnel have been contacted, if needed.
b. Activate plant alarm system (if available).
c. Arrange for security personnel to assist emergency personnel upon their arrival.
d. Help evacuate the facility without putting anyone in danger.
e. Initiate shutdown procedures.
f. Alert entire chain of command of the situation
3. Employees are responsible for the following:
a. Immediately alerting a Supervisor or Foreman (who will notify a Supervisor) by whatever means
available.
b. Follow the instructions as described in this plan.
B) Emergency Coordinators
The following persons have been designated as Emergency Coordinators. They are responsible for implementing
this plan in the event of a site emergency and also the following:
1. Determine if an emergency exists
2. Initiate evacuation of the building, if necessary
3. Report occurrence to local authorities
4. Initiate employee head count for accountability
5. Post key personnel at street intersections around the facility to direct responding agencies
6. Provide necessary assistance to responding agencies
7. If severity of the emergency warrants, contact security company and/or insurance company
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Primary Contact:
Kasey Godwin
District Manager
Cell Phone: (954) 599-6533
Kgodwin1@wm.com
Secondary Contacts:
Robert DelaCruz
Site Operations Manager
Office Phone: (772) 770-0859
Cell Phone: (772) 473-0351
rdelacru@wm.com
Dina Reider-Hicks
Public Affairs Manager
Office Phone: (321) 409-6604
Cell Phone: (321) 537-4273
dreider@wm.com
Procedures
Categories of Emergencies
1. Accidents
a. For serious emergencies, call 911.
b. The Supervisor should provide immediate first aid to the injured or ill person. If the injury is
serious, do not move the person and call for help. If the injury or illness is not serious but requires
medical attention, transport or send the person to the company doctor during normal business
hours or the to the nearest emergency room during off hours.
i. If there is a fatality or hospitalization of three or more employees from a work -related
incident, the Area Office of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
must be orally notified within 8 hours. The notification must include:
ii. Company name, location of incident, time of incident, number of fatalities or hospitalized
employees, contact person, phone number and brief description of incident.
c. All work related accidents involving personnel or property damage must be investigated and
reported on an Accident/Injury Report. Report incidents to Gallagher Bassett at 1-800-WMI-1032 or
800-964-1032.
2. First Aid
a. For serious medical emergencies, call 911.
b. First aid kits are made available throughout the facility for minor injuries. Waste Management will
not dispense oral medication of any kind. Adverse side effects may occur even with over -the-
counter medications.
i. Locations of the facilities first-aid kits include:
1. Main Office, Maintenance shop and driver’s room
c. All first aid kits are inspected monthly or after use to maintain the proper contents.
d. More serious injuries are immediately referred to the company's physician, or any doctor
assigned by WM for further treatment. However, employee has the right to choose doctors.
Amy Boyson
Community Affairs Manager/Media Contact
Cell Phone: (904) 383-0094
aboyson@wm.com
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e. Obtain special care for treatment of puncture wounds and accidental contact with medical type
waste, including blood or other body fluids or other potentially infectious materials.
f. For more information concerning procedural details, please refer to the company's Exposure
Management Plan.
g. If during the administering of first aid, an employee comes into contact with any blood or other
body fluids, a physician must immediately examine the exposed employee.
3. Fires
a. Any time a fire is discovered in the facility, the supervisor must be notified ASAP. This can be done
by two-way radios. In the event of incipient fires, a reasonable effort should be made to
extinguish and control the fire. There are ABC fire extinguishers located around the facility and on
all rolling stock equipment, The fire extinguisher locations are marked with red b locks of paint or
a sign for high visibility.
b. All fires must be investigated and reported to the Safety Specialist for further review and filing. In
the event that a fire is too large to control by portable fire extinguishers, the facility must be
immediately evacuated and the Fire Department must be immediately notified as follows:
c.
Indian River County Fire Department, Station #5
6580 Old Dixie Hwy, Vero Beach, FL 32967
EMERGENCY: 911 / (772) 567-2154
All heavy equipment operators and other company vehicle drivers should try to safely drive away
these vehicles, if possible, from potential fires to prevent the loss of these machines.
4. Natural Disasters
a. This is to include hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, blizzards, among others. Any time a
tornado warning is present in the local area all operations should seize. All personnel should
evacuate to the employee locker room and stay inside until the warning is officially over.
b. Hurricanes, floods, and blizzards all provide some type of advanced warning. In the event of one
of these three occurring, the plant operations should be shut down and all personnel should be
sent home with at least three hours of preparation time. The facility manager is autho rized to
make such a determination.
c. Flood-although the majority of the sites are located outside the expected l00 year flood zone, in
the unlikely event that the water raises to a level of concern, all portable items and equipment
shall be removed from the areas near the creek.
d. Earthquakes provide no warning and are often short in time. The best alternative in this situation
is to immediately take shelter from falling debris in an area void of potential falling debris.
5. Spills/Releases/Emissions
a. In the instance of any spills, release or emission from buildings, tanks or equipment into surface
water run-off systems, soil or air, make a safe effort to contain the discharge and immediately
notify emergency coordinators. Initiate actions required by the site Spill Prevention, Control and
Countermeasures Plan.
6. Collapses
a. In the event that either a vehicle or any other object hits the facility causing a potential collapse,
all personnel and persons in that area must immediately evacuate the area. Collapses must be
reported to the Supervisor who will notify the rest of the Emergency Coordinators.
7. Terrorist Activities
a. Terrorist activities are to include any form of violence that could cause some type of mass
destruction such as bomb threats and riots.
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b. In the event of a bomb threat the facility must be immediately evacuated and the police notified.
c. In the event of city riots, a determination should be made by the facility manager to either close
the facility and secure all gates until it is safe to exit the facili ty, or close operation and allow all
employees to leave in time without exposing them to the riot areas.
i. In the event of a riot within the facility, call 911 immediately.
Site Evacuation
In the event that a situation occurs that the emergency response equipment at the facility is inadequate for the
task and the nature of the emergency is such that there is a real and present risk of injury to the site personnel,
the facility will be evacuated. The senior person at the site will make the decision to evacuate and will at the time
indicate his decision by verbally notifying all personnel, and activate an alarm. Supervisors on duty will assist in the
orderly evacuation of workers. The evacuation will proceed according to posted evacuation routes; personnel w ill
notify workers. Personnel will assemble in the motorcycle parking area north of the main building. Roll calls will be
performed at the assembly areas so that all personnel may be accounted for.
Primary assembly area is the employee parking lot to the north of the main building.
Secondary assembly area is located at the start of the palm trees near the exit gate to the south of the
main building.
Responsible personnel for assisting in the evacuation process are:
Michael Lay is responsible for all maintenance personnel, equipment operators and office personnel. Responsible
personnel should report their findings to Kasey Godwin, District Manager.
In the event of the absence of one of more individuals, all supervisory personnel will perform
roll calls and report their findings to the Facility Manager. In the event all three are absent, the most senior
person will assume this duty.
All supervisors should concur with each other to ensure that all employees are present. Employees who are not
present and punched in to work should be communicated about to the fire department and/or emergency
response team.
For serious emergencies, call 911.
Training
All employees must receive initial training as a new hire on the Emergency Action Plan and their duties,
responsibilities and required actions in the event of an emergency. Annual and subsequent training may be
necessary after a change in employee job title or assignment, or after changes are made to the plan. All training
must be documented in the employees' file.
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EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS/EMAIL ADDRESSES:
Kasey Godwin
District Manager
Cell Phone: (954) 599-6533
Kgodwin1@wm.com
Secondary Contacts:
Robert DelaCruz
Site Operations Manager
Office Phone: (772) 770-0859
Cell Phone: (772) 473-0351
rdelacru@wm.com
Dina Reider-Hicks
Public Affairs Manager
Office Phone: (321) 409-6604
Cell Phone: (321) 537-4273
Home Phone: (321) 622-5405
dreider@wm.com
Indian River County Sheriff:
Emergency Phone: 911
Non-Emergency: (772) 978-6219
Fire Department & EMS
Emergency Phone: 911
Non-Emergency: (772) 567-2201
Hospital
Indian River Medical Center
1000 36th St
Vero Beach, FL 32960
Emergency Phone: 911
Non-Emergency: (772) 567-4311
Utilities
Florida Power & Light
(800) 468-8243
Water: Indian River County Utilities
(772) 770-5300
Florida City Gas (CNG)
933 East 25th Street
Hialeah, FL 33013
(888) 352-5325
Amy Boyson
Community Affairs Manager/Media
Contact
Cell Phone: (904) 383-0094
aboyson@wm.com
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Government Response Agencies
Florida State Department of Environmental Protection
3917 Commonwealth Blvd MS 659
Tallahassee, Fl 32399
(850) 245-2010 or 205-2010
Hazardous Materials Spills Hotline (800) 424-8802
US Coast Guard: (850) 244-1650 or (850) 244-7147
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Division of Law Enforcement Bureau of Emergency Response
160 Government Center
Pensacola, Fl 32502
(850) 595-8300 or 695-8300
Media Notification
In the event of an emergency notification of the media (including radio, television, newspaper, etc.) shall only be
made by the spokesperson:
Amy Boyson
Community Affairs Manager
Cell Phone: (904) 383-0094
aboyson@wm.com
Press Equipment
Cameras, photographic or recording equipment are prohibited inside the facility wi thout the permission of
the District Manager or a duly assigned representative.
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Storm and Disaster Operations Plan
Operations and Communications
Waste Management’s storm preparedness
plan is enacted several days before a
threatening major storm.
The top priority before, during, and after
a hurricane or other major natural
disaster is to maintain the safety of WM
employees and restart collection
operations efficiently and safely, in
partnership with the municipalities,
counties and regions with which we work.
Coming in a close second is communicating with our target audiences. The public will become frustrated quickly
without timely information about our status. The summary communications plan is provided in Exhibit 3.
WM’s communications professionals in our local area will participate in daily conference calls to discuss
operations issues. It will allow the communications representatives to gather the most accurate information,
develop the timeliest messages and create informative statements for our customers.
Waste Management has developed a comprehensive in-house communications plan that will be implemented by
local communications professionals before, during, and after a storm or emergency situation. Furthermore,
Waste Management will issue news advisories and broadcast public service announcements to help residents and
business prepare for the storm. Examples of pre-storm news releases are contained in Exhibit 1.
Waste Management Hurricane Preparation and Recovery Plan Summary
Waste Management has developed a consolidated emergency service action plan
to prepare for the Hurricane Season; we begin our yearly preparations in April of
every year. The purpose of the early planning and preparation is to minimize the
impact of potential service interruptions to our customers and municipalities.
The local Waste Management facility houses a generator that is tested monthly;
this generator is capable of supplying electricity to operate the entire facility.
This generator allows us to run our fuel pumps, computers, maintenance shop,
and other resources. Waste Management’s plan not only includes safely securing
our building, but also planning for the impact on the most important part of our
business – our employees. The local Waste Management facility has a supply of
food and water on hand for our employees. Waste Management understands that, if our local area is impacted
by a hurricane, our employees are also likely to be impacted. As a solution, Waste Management developed the
GREEN TEAM.
The GREEN TEAM is comprised of over 300 drivers, mechanics and supervisors from all over the country who can
be dispatched within 48 hours to the affected location. This team arrives with GPS systems in hand so that they
will be able to service our customers during the recovery after a hurricane. Waste Management has signed
agreements with local hotels so that the members of the GREEN TEAM will have safe locations to stay while they
are in our area helping us recover. Florida Market Area President Tim Hawkins, in conjunction with Waste
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Management corporate leadership, will make the determination to deploy the GREEN TEAM to specific areas.
If local communications are interrupted, our local phone system can be answered at other Waste
Management locations so that customers can reach our customer experience department. This offsite
customer service department will also have access to all of our customer information along with individual
municipal contract information. This is possible because all of our customer information is stored on secure
servers and can be accessed from anywhere in our network.
This is just a short summary of the steps taken by Waste Management in preparing for a natural disaster; below is
a more detailed description of our plan.
Pre Planning Steps:
- Design Employee phone/address information tree, which will become a networking system for contacting
employees.
- Prepare photo ID badges for employees with an expiration date, during recovery officials may require
identification to enter affected areas.
- Update Hurricane preparedness contact sheet that includes all managers and their employees.
- Update all customer contact list that includes addresses and phone numbers.
- Create a list of customers with contact names and numbers that are likely to need expanded services and
contact them right after the event, ex: hospitals, EMS, utilities.
- Maintenance Manager will assess the fleet condition and create an emergency service list to ensure proper
functioning of the equipment.
- Market Area President will outline, describe and communicate the plan to all the District Managers and
coordinate training exercise.
- Test all site generators; all Waste Management facilities are equipped with generators capable of supplying
all the electrical needs of the district.
- Test all satellite phones.
Business Considerations:
- Review and retain agreements with companies that provide emergency service, ex: fuel, meals, security,
electricians, generators, etc.
- Legal department will complete a review of the public sector contracts to create a legal extract of key
terms, ex: service requirements post storm, debris requirements, etc.
- Identify back up WM locations for support, ex: storage, relocation of offices, maintenance shop, billing,
etc.
- Review and retain options for securing the building, insurance requirements and storage needs.
- Area President and District Managers will discuss and establish proper protocols for tracking and monitoring
of Service Machine and Customer Service Metrics.
- Review all routes, maps, and back up protocols.
- Create an equipment mobilization plan to store our equipment in a safe location during the storm.
- Negotiate and sign an agreement for the following services:
Employee Transportation; Contract Labor; Fuel back up; Contractors
- Confirm with municipality that additional tonnages will be documented in same manner as pre-storm
Preparation Phase:
Activities that are taking place days before the storm. When Florida is in the projected path of the storm, Waste
Management will initiate the 7-day preparing phase of our Hurricane Preparation and Recovery Plan. The 7 -day
activities are described below.
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Day 7 before the storm activities:
- Initiate Facility shutdown checklist.
- District Manager will work with corporate communications to set up conference calls and message services
for the employees and customers
Day 6 before the storm activities:
- Continue facility shutdown checklist.
- District Manager will review and finalize communication of plan to resolve critical customer issues.
Day 5 before the storm activities:
- Continue facility shutdown checklist.
- Corporate will conduct a test of the message services for employees and customers.
- Initiates daily conference call to plan for the storm; Arrange delivery of supplies , ice, water, safety kits.
- Begin to communicate with all cities, communities and major customers as to the work schedule and shut
down plans.
Day 4 before the storm activities:
- Will review emergency telephone messages to customer and employees.
- Daily conference call to communicate with all cities, communities and major customers as to the work
schedule and shut down plans.
Day 3 before the storm activities:
- Book rooms in area hotels to secure lodging.
- Daily conference call to communicate with all cities, communities and major cust omers as to the work
schedule and shut down plans.
Day 2 before the storm activities:
- Legal Department will distribute letters to State and Local Governments that will include: 1) Priorities of
fuel, 2) Waivers for out of State Vehicles, 3) Waivers for drivers’ licenses, 4) Curfew letters.
- Daily conference call to communicate with all cities, communities and major customers as to the work
schedule and shut down plans.
- Run route sheets and roll off orders for one week and perform a full back up of the compu ter servers.
Day 1 before the storm activities:
- Daily conference call to communicate with all cities, communities and major customers as to the work
schedule and shut down plans.
- Fuel and arrange trucks, containers in a secured area to minimize damage and power down facility.
Recovery:
- Immediately after the storm, call all numbers in our phone tree to ensure that all employees are safe.
- Immediately after the storm the group will hold a conference call to assess the situation and determine if there
is a need of activating the GREEN TEAM.
- Will perform a survey of each facility to determine damage, safety and integrity of the structures.
- Will communicate with local authorities to inquire about road closures and disaster areas.
- A thorough inspection will be conducted on each vehicle before it is put back in service on the road.
- Determine status of contracted vendors, hotels and supplies.
- Communicate functional capabilities to counties, cities and customers within 72 hours of storm conclusion.
- Once the roads are declared safe for travel a plan will be developed to determine which areas/accounts need
emergency service.
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- Conduct Safety briefing with employees concerning conditions in the communities and the dangers that they
will encounter on the streets and roadways at least daily.
Customer Communications – Call Center Operations
Based on a number of factors, including call loads, sizing, technical infrastructure, foreign language needs, etc, a
matrix of Back-up Call Centers have been established.
It is extremely important that we begin to implement the switch of the call centers approximately 48 hours in
advance of projected landfall as this will allow our employees to efficiently evacuate the area.
Impacted Center Back-up Centers
Miami San Antonio
Houston
Gulf Coast North Texas
Chicago
North FL Houston
(Indian River County) San Antonio
North Texas
Lafayette, LA Tampa
Birmingham
Atlanta
Houston Gulf Coast
Birmingham
Atlanta
Carolinas Houston
San Antonio
North Texas
Birmingham Houston
San Antonio
North Texas
Chicago
Tupelo, Ms Houston
San Antonio
North Texas
Chicago
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Tampa Chicago
Birmingham
Houston
SW Florida Houston
San Antonio
North Texas
South FL Houston
San Antonio
North Texas
Puerto Rico Miami
San Antonio
N. TX
San Antonio Atlanta
Birmingham
North Texas Atlanta
Birmingham
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Post-Storm and Disaster Operations Plan
Post-Storm Checklist
To maintain continuity of operations and determine local needs, Waste Management has developed a post -
hurricane logistics coordination checklist that will be in effect post-storm. An example of this sheet is provided in
Exhibit 2.
Post-Storm Operations
A storm or disaster’s severity or scope of damage shall dictate the need for additional resources for rapid recovery
from disaster. We have a back-up plan in case our refuse collection service is affected by a local disaster. As a front-
line provider of refuse and debris removal services during disasters, Waste Management understands the requirements
of maintaining and restoring local services during emergencies. Tim Hawkins, our Florida Market Area President, will
execute and manage an emergency support plan, drawing upon personnel and equipment from neighboring Waste
Management districts. External support to these operations continues until normal services can be reestablished.
Waste Management will work directly with Indian River County authorities to determine any temporary closure,
cessation or modification of hours of operation, and restart of operations. If authorized to assist in debris clean-up,
Waste Management will work directly with Indian River County to determine any additional costs associated with such
clean-up efforts. Waste Management is familiar with FEMA requirements for storm clean-up reimbursement and will
work directly with Indian River County to provide necessary documentation of costs.
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Exhibit 1: Pre-Storm News Releases
TEMPLATE DRAFT CONTACT: (insert designated WM media contact)
WASTE MANAGEMENT TO CEASE HOUSEHOLD GARBAGE COLLECTION IN INDIAN
RIVER COUNTY PRIOR TO LANDFALL OF HURRICANE [INSERT NAME]
(INSERT CITY) – (INSERT DATE) – Following discussions with local and county officials, Waste Management will stop
all residential and commercial garbage, trash and recycling collection, effective (insert time and date).
“Waste Management implemented its hurricane response plan as soo n as this storm became a threat to the
area. We are in consistent communication with local officials and have informed them of our plans to stop
collection in advance of the storm to avoid further congesting the evacuation routes. More importantly, we will
begin the work of evacuating our employees safely and staging our trucks and equipment in a nearby location. This
will allow us to move quickly to restore collection services as quickly as possible after the storm passes,” said
(insert designated WM media spokesperson), spokesperson for Waste Management.
The company encourages all residents and businesses to secure their garbage cans and other trash
containers in a safe location. In addition, all loose trash, such as tree limbs, should be bundled, tied dow n and
placed in a location where the debris cannot become hazards to homes and automobiles in high winds.
After the storm, Waste Management will restart curbside garbage and trash collection immediately on the
streets that are passable. The company will expand its routes to additional areas as more streets become clear of
debris and other impediments.
CONSUMER INFORMATION – SEPARATING HOUSEHOLD GARBAGE AND STORM DEBRIS
As families return to the areas affected by Hurricane (insert name), Waste Management strongly recommends that
all residential customers separate their household garbage, such as food, diapers and regular household waste,
from debris created by the storms and their aftermath. We ask that customers bag their household garbage and
place it at the curb. Storm debris, including refrigerators, household appliances, bags of clothing, tree limbs,
carpet and carpet padding, and wood fencing, should be placed in a separate pile or piles.
Separating household waste from storm debris will allow Waste Management employees to collect your household
garbage more quickly and safely, helping prevent foul odors and safety hazards that would be created by mixing
your household garbage with storm debris. The separation is also necessary to allow Waste Managem ent to collect
household waste and to permit others to collect storm debris in accordance with arrangements made by Indian
River County and municipalities with contractors independent from Waste Management.
###
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TEMPLATE DRAFT CONTACT: (insert
designated WM media contact)
WASTE MANAGEMENT ENCOURAGES RESIDENTS TO PREPARE FOR POTENTIAL STORMS AND
SECURE GARBAGE AND TRASH
(INSERT CITY) – (INSERT DATE) – Waste Management encourages residents of Indian River County to take the
following precautions to secure any trash and other objects in preparation for Hurricane (insert name):
Secure garbage and recycling containers. Residents should place empty containers in a location away from
open spaces.
Bundle and tie down all loose trash, such as tree limbs or wood planks. Place these materials in a
location where the debris cannot become hazards to homes and automobiles in high winds.
After any strong storm, separate household garbage, such as food, diapers and regular household
waste, from debris caused by high winds, hail and rain.
“Waste Management implemented its hurricane response plan as soon as this storm became a threat to the
area. We are in consistent communication with local officials and will work tirelessly to collect all household
garbage and trash. We request that residents assist us as we move through neighborhoods efficiently and safely and
take the necessary steps to secure garbage and recycling containers,” said (insert designated WM media
spokesperson), spokesperson for Waste Management.
Waste Management will continue to collect household garbage and trash, as well as recycling, according to
an area’s designated schedule until a mandatory evacuation is issued. After the storm, Waste Management will
restart curbside garbage and trash collection immediately on the streets that are passable. The company will
expand its routes to additional areas as more streets become clear of debris and other impediments .
CONSUMER INFORMATION – SEPARATING HOUSEHOLD GARBAGE AND STORM DEBRIS
As families return to the areas affected by Hurricane (insert name), Waste Management strongly recommends that
all residential customers separate their household garbage, such as food, diapers and regular household waste,
from debris created by the storms and their aftermath. We ask that customers bag their household garbage and
place it at the curb. Storm debris, including refrigerators, household appliances, bags of clothing, tree limbs,
carpet and carpet padding, and wood fencing, should be placed in a s eparate pile or piles.
Separating household waste from storm debris will allow Waste Management employees to collect your household
garbage more quickly and safely, helping prevent foul odors and safety hazards that would be created by mixing
your household garbage with storm debris. The separation is also necessary to allow Waste Management to collect
household waste and to permit others to collect storm debris in accordance with arrangements made by
counties/parishes and municipalities with contractors independent from Waste Management.
###
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Exhibit 2: Post Storm Checklist
Collection Facility
Hurricane Damage Assessment Checklist
Facility Name: Date of Assessment:
Person(s) performing assessment:
Note: Immediately following a storm or hurricane event public roads and utilities may be
damaged. Downed power lines, trees, and traffic lights as well as flooded roads and high winds
present dangers that must be considered. Safety is our number 1 concern. Tune in to public news
or radio to become informed of these dangers and follow any instructions or restrictions that may
be in place.
Prior to driving to site try to establish communication with other team members, perform assessment
with another team member (buddy system), let someone know where you are going and when you will
return or contact them.
Check the condition of the following items. Take notes/ photos as needed. Report any serious
damage or environmental concerns to the District Manager immediately. Use a site map and Yellow
Iron Checklist as attachments to this checklist.
Drive to site. Assess condition of roads while in route.
Make note of downed traffic signals, trees, flooded or washed-out roads.
Once on site, perform site assessment.
Determine if site has power. POWER IS ON:
POWER IS OFF:
Determine if the site has water and other utilities. Yes No
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Fuel storage and hazardous materials storage area(s).
Equipment and vehicles (note damage/ condition).
Review entire site for any environmental releases/spills/storm water issues.
Be specific, take photos. Note - Isolate any hazards, do not attempt corrective action alone. Contact
properly trained and equipped personnel for repair/hazard removal.
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Shop, other buildings and structures: note any damage / power ON/OFF.
Be specific, for each building, take photos.
Is all emergency equipment in place / operational? Yes No
Check fuel shut-off, fire extinguishers, fire alarm, and security systems. Note any damage or
deficiencies below.
Can normal operations resume? Yes No
What needs to be done first? Put together an action plan to address any problems noted during that
damage assessment.
Computers, phones, fax: check each building and document condition.
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Other observations, comments, notes.
Communicate the condition of all items on this checklist to the appropriate Hurricane Team Contact As Soon
As Possible. If alone, do NOT attempt repairs or begin recovery efforts. Only perform those actions you are
trained to perform and observe all appropriate safety precautions.
SAFETY FIRST
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Exhibit 3: Hurricane/Disaster Communications Plan Summary
Preparation Phase:
Assess the situation and activate communications response
plan. 7 days
Contact local municipal, county/parish and/or regional
officials/contract administrators to review and initiate pre-storm
collection procedures.
7 days
Instruct local WM personnel (anyone who answers the
telephone) to direct all media calls to the designated corporate
or local communications contact.
7 days
Instruct all WM personnel to complete the media contact sheet
for all media inquiries. Forward completed contact sheet to
designated corporate or local communications contact.
7 days
Assign the on-site media briefing area, if needed, with local
municipality. 7 days
Revise pre-storm media materials templates, including pre-
storm collection instructions and pre-storm collection PSA. 6 days
Receive approval from communications command team re: pre-
storm collection template materials. 6 Days
Contact local municipal, county/parish and/or regional
officials/contract administrators to review and initiate pre-storm
collection procedures.
6 days
Revise print and radio advisories and advertisements. Contact
local newspapers and radio stations to reserve space for post-
storm announcements.
6 days
Launch hurricane status webpage on wm.com. Include
information about pre-storm collection policies and procedures. 6 days
Distribute pre-storm collection procedure PSA to local stations 5 days
Contact Local WM Media Contacts (Internal) to monitor
support needed regarding communications (e.g. press release
writing, media contact follow-up, key message preparation,
etc.)
4 days
Distribute pre-storm collection policies and procedures news
release to local news media. 3 days
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Contact local municipal, county/parish and/or regional
officials/contract administrators to brief regarding pre -storm
collection procedures.
3 days
Contact local radio media to encourage airing of pre-hurricane
collection procedures PSA. 3 days
Review key messages for the public and media re: pre- and
post-hurricane collection policies and procedures. 3 days
Distribute stop collection PSA to radio stations and encourage
them to air the notice. 2 days
Contact local municipal, county/parish and/or regional contract
administrators and offer to participate in any pre-hurricane
briefings with the media. WM should discuss pre-storm
collection policies, stop collection procedures and post-storm
policies.
2 days
If the local contract administrator does not invite WM to
participate in a designated briefing, schedule a media briefing
with all local media to announce the ceasing of collection
services prior to the hurricane's landfall and announce post -
storm collection procedures. The local WM media contact
should serve as the primary speaker for this event and answer
media questions.
2 days
Review key messages for the public and media re: pre- and
post-hurricane collection policies and procedures. 2 days
Post stop collection announcement on WM. Com. 2 days
Distribute letter to key customers announcing the stopping of
collection prior to hurricane landfall. 2 days
Respond to ongoing media inquiries. 2 days
Contact local municipal, county/parish and/or regional contract
administrators and offer to participate in any pre-hurricane
briefings with the media. WM should discuss pre-storm
collection policies, stop collection procedures and post-storm
policies.
1 day
Distribute stop collection template statement to news media. 1 day
Recovery Phase
External Communications
Distribute announcement to media asking affected employees to
contact 800-number or visor site to report their whereabouts.
Daily -- Every day until
the situation is stabilized
22
Contact local municipal, county/parish and/or regional contract
administrators and offer to participate in any post-hurricane
briefings with the media. WM should discuss post-storm
collection policies and procedures.
Daily - Everyday until
the situation is stabilized
Review key messages for the public and media re:post-
hurricane collection policies and procedures.
Daily - Everyday until
the situation is stabilized
If the local contract administrator does not invite WM to
participate in a designated briefing, schedule a media briefing
with all local media to announce post-storm collection
procedures. The local WM media contact should serve as the
primary speaker for this event and answer media questions.
Daily - Everyday until
the situation is stabilized
Distribute post-storm collection update to all local media.
Before 11 a.m., local
time, daily until situation
is stabilized.
Place post-storm collection update on wm.com. Daily - Everyday until
the situation is stabilized
Distribute post-storm collection PSA to local radio outlets. Day 1
Schedule placement of separation print ad to local media
outlets. Ads should run for at least one week following the
storm's landfall.
Days 1 - 7
Track statistics on increased garbage collection following the
storm and provide to Communications teams to approve, then
send to designated media contacts.
Weekly
Monitor news coverage of garbage and debris collection.
Contact the local media and correct any errors that air regarding
collection schedules and policies.
Daily - Everyday until
the situation is stabilized
External Communications - Key Customers
Notify customers of any service delays or changes. Give them
an idea on when things may return to normal. If that takes
longer than expected, continue to communicate with them on a
consistent basis. There are two primary responsibilities, as the
customer base is different.
Daily - Everyday until
the situation is stabilized