Utah Admin. Code R432-270-26 - Disaster and Emergency Preparedness
(1)
The licensee is responsible for the safety and well-being of residents in the
event of an emergency or disaster.
(2) The licensee and the administrator are
responsible to develop and coordinate plans with state and local emergency
disaster authorities to respond to potential emergencies and disasters. The
plan shall outline:
(a) the protection or
evacuation of residents;
(b)
arrangements for staff response or providing additional staff to ensure the
safety of any resident with physical or mental limitations; and
(c) when to notify the Silver Alert program
for missing and endangered adults and the resident's emergency
contacts.
(3) The
licensee shall ensure that the emergency and disaster response plan is in
writing and distributed or made available to facility staff and residents to
ensure prompt and efficient implementation.
(4) Emergencies and disasters include:
(a) fire;
(b) severe weather;
(c) missing residents;
(d) death of residents;
(e) interruption of public
utilities;
(f) explosion;
(g) bomb threat;
(h) earthquake;
(i) windstorm;
(j) epidemic; or
(k) mass casualty.
(5) The licensee and the administrator shall
review and update the plan as necessary to conform with local emergency plans.
The licensee shall ensure the plan is available for review by the
department.
(6) The licensee shall
ensure the emergency and disaster response plan addresses the following:
(a) the names of the person in charge and
persons with decision-making authority;
(b) the names of persons who shall be
notified in an emergency in order of priority;
(c) the names and telephone numbers of
emergency medical personnel, fire department, paramedics, ambulance service,
police, and other appropriate agencies;
(d) instructions on how to contain a fire and
how to use the facility alarm systems;
(e) assignment of personnel to specific tasks
during an emergency;
(f) the
procedure to evacuate and transport residents and staff to a safe place within
the facility or to other prearranged locations;
(g) instructions on how to recruit additional
help, supplies, and equipment to meet the residents' needs after an emergency
or disaster;
(h) delivery of
essential care and services to facility occupants by alternate means;
(i) delivery of essential care and services
if additional persons are housed in the facility during an emergency;
and
(j) delivery of essential care
and services to facility occupants if personnel are reduced by an
emergency.
(7)
(a) The licensee shall ensure safe ambient
air temperatures are maintained within the facility.
(b) The local fire department shall approve
the facility's emergency heating.
(c) Ambient air temperatures of 58 degrees
Fahrenheit or below may constitute an imminent danger to the health and safety
of the residents in the facility. The person in charge shall take immediate
action in the best interests of the residents.
(d) The licensee shall have, and be capable
of implementing, contingency plans regarding excessively high ambient air
temperatures within the facility that may exacerbate the medical condition of
residents.
(8) The
licensee shall provide personnel and residents with instruction and training in
accordance with the plans to respond appropriately in an emergency. The
licensee shall:
(a) annually review the
procedures with existing staff and residents and carry out unannounced drills
using those procedures;
(b) hold
simulated disaster drills semi-annually;
(c) hold simulated fire drills quarterly on
each shift for staff and residents in accordance with Rule R710-3;
and
(d) document drills, including
date, participants, problems encountered, and the ability of each resident to
evacuate.
(9) The
licensee shall ensure that the administrator is in charge during an emergency.
If not on the premises, the licensee shall ensure the administrator makes every
effort to report to the facility, relieve subordinates and take
charge.
(10) The licensee shall
provide in-house equipment and supplies required in an emergency including:
(a) emergency lighting;
(b) heating equipment;
(c) food;
(d) potable water;
(e) extra blankets;
(f) first aid kit; and
(g) radio.
(11) The licensee shall ensure the following
information is posted in public locations throughout the facility:
(a) the name of the person in charge and
names and telephone numbers of emergency medical personnel, agencies, and
appropriate communication and emergency transport systems; and
(b) evacuation routes, location of fire alarm
boxes, and fire extinguishers.
Notes
State regulations are updated quarterly; we currently have two versions available. Below is a comparison between our most recent version and the prior quarterly release. More comparison features will be added as we have more versions to compare.
No prior version found.