§ 16-1Statement of intent.
§ 16-2Preparation.
§ 16-3Reaction.
The Woonsocket area, as are all areas, is subject to natural disasters. The disasters most likely to affect Woonsocket are a tornado or an earthquake. Because significant warning that a disaster of this type will strike can seldom be given, these guidelines focus primarily on how the Authority shall react to such a disaster. While the preparations we can make for a disaster are limited, the Authority will take all reasonable steps to enable it to act promptly and effectively in an emergency.
The following steps will be taken to prepare for a natural disaster:
The Assistant Director of Operations and Development shall serve as the coordinator of The Woonsocket Housing Authority's disaster response efforts. As such, he shall serve as the liaison to any community-wide disaster planning efforts.
A list of potential community shelters shall be compiled and retained by the Authority for use in the case of a disaster.
By adopting these guidelines, the Board of Commissioners hereby temporarily waives the petty cash limit and approves a temporary increase to $25,000 for the duration of any emergency caused by a disaster.
By adopting these guidelines, the Board of Commissioners recognizes that extraordinary efforts will be needed if a natural disaster strikes the Authority. Therefore, employees will be encouraged to potentially operate outside their job descriptions in any way required to assist in the recovery effort.
The site manager in charge of each development shall follow the emergency plan for his or her site. These plans shall be reviewed annually by the Assistant Director of Operations and Development for completeness and timeliness. Each plan shall include the following:
These site plans will be included as part of an overall Authority emergency plan which will be developed under the direction of the Assistant Director of Operations and Development. The agency plan will include coordination with local emergency management agencies as well as local response agencies such as the Police and Fire Departments.
The following steps will be taken in order to react to a natural disaster:
If a disaster occurs during working hours, all employees except those at a damaged site shall immediately report to The Woonsocket Housing Authority designated assignment location.
Outside of normal working hours, employees shall immediately contact the Assistant Director for Operations and Development or the Executive Director then report to the predesignated areas. Employees are expected to ensure the safety of their own families prior to reporting to work.
RISK Plan will be implemented for specific disaster.
Individual employees will be directed from Central Office to the developments to assess for habitability with particular attention paid to structural integrity.
Structures will be searched for trapped survivors. Survivors shall be freed, if possible without endangering the lives of others. Employees will not immediately enter structurally damaged buildings but will summon local emergency crews to enter and rescue any trapped residents.
