Emergency Operations Plan

A disaster plan book at Rockefeller University in a biochemistry research laboratory.

The Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) is a document which outlines how a facility will respond to an emergency.^[1] The EOP sets guidelines to manage a disaster in an effective, efficient, and timely manner.^[2] The EOP typically calls for the establishment of the Incident Command System (ICS) and the development and activation of the Incident Action Plan (IAP). The Emergency Operations Plan is activated on an as-needed basis and is designed to be used for all types of emergencies.^[3] Emergency Operations Plans are used by different groups such as hospitals, states, and universities.

EOP for Hospitals^[4]

The Emergency Operations Plan for a hospital outlines how a hospital will respond to an emergency. The hospital EOP is typically broken up into two parts:

• Part I: The Hospital Incident Command System
• Part II: The Plan

Hospital EOP – Part I^[5]

In Part I, the EOP lays out the purpose of the HICS, the incident management team chart, structure and identification of team members, and job action sheets (JASs). The purpose of the HICS is typically to "provide an organizational structure for incident management" and to "guide the process for planning, building, and adapting that structure.^[6]" Incident team charts display the structure and organization of the HICS. The identification section governs which individuals will wear which colors – depending on their roles. Job action sheets outline the roles and responsibilities of individuals. JASs also provide a checklist of actions to be performed and a "mission" for each individual.^[7]

References