CRITICAL INCIDENT MANAGEMENT PLAN WELLINGTON CAMPUS 2009

Transcription

1 CRITICAL INCIDENT MANAGEMENT PLAN WELLINGTON CAMPUS 2009

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION ONE INTRODUCTION OVERVIEW OF CRITICAL INCIDENTS 4 SECTION TWO IMMEDIATE ACTIONS & COMMUNICATION CRITICAL INCIDENT IMMEDIATE ACTION FLOW CHARTS CRITICAL INCIDENT REPORT FORM CRITICAL INCIDENT COMMUNICATION FLOW CHART EMERGENCY SERVICES & EXTERNAL SUPPORT AGENCIES CONTACT LIST EXTERNAL NOTIFICATION CONTACT LIST 13 SECTION THREE PROCEDURES FOR CRITICAL INCIDENTS IMMEDIATE RESPONSE TO A CRITICAL INCIDENT INFORMATION TO BE COLLECTED TO AID RESPONSE CRITICAL INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM OBJECTIVES SAMPLE AGENDA 18 SECTION FOUR ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES CRITICAL INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM CRITICAL INCIDENT SUPPORT TEAM 23 SECTION FIVE EVALUATION & ASSESSMENT CRITICAL INCIDENT RESPONSE EVALUATION PROCEDURES & POLICY EVALUATION 26 2

3 SECTION ONE INTRODUCTION 3

4 1.1 Overview of Critical Incidents A critical incident may be any event that has a stressful impact sufficient enough to overwhelm the usual coping strategies of either an individual or a group. Critical incidents often produce emotional effects, which increase the likelihood of the development of symptoms associated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Assessment of an incident must take into account both the reaction of the individual(s) directly affected and the wider ranging effects on members of the University community at large. It should also be borne in mind that people react in different ways both in their immediate and in their longer term responses to events The provision of appropriate support and education will help mitigate the trauma and enable people to resume normal life as soon as possible. This can best be achieved by an appropriate response as early as possible after the event. While the majority of crisis events that will occur on campus may only affect one or two people, it is important to be prepared to cope with larger incidents that could potentially disrupt and distress large sections of the University community. Resources available include EAP, various support services on and off campus, the Ministry of Education and contact with other Universities. Critical incidents include, but are not limited to, the following: On campus accidents involving death or serious injury Unexpected death of a student or staff member Homicide Suicide Terrorism Violence or serious threat of violence Serious and rampant disease outbreak or other major health hazard Physical events that cause major concern or injury Preparation to cope with critical incidents is in line with the requirements of the Health and Safety in Employment Act Key Functions in a Critical Incident may include: Notification Incident Management Immediate notification of the emergency services, Critical Incident Management Team & any external agencies requiring notification (e.g.) Department of Labour, Energy Safety Service, MSA Coordinating, planning, reporting and de-briefing in relation to the incident 4

5 Site Management Communication Identification Care Legal Securing, making safe and controlling access to the site of a critical incident and restoration of the site to its preincident status in a physical, operational and spiritual sense Content of internal and external communication and public relations Identification of the central individual or group triggering the critical incident Medical Support, counselling, advice and other support to all individuals (as appropriate) Dealing with any legal, accountability, compensation or compliance issues in relation to the incident 5

6 SECTION TWO IMMEDIATE ACTIONS & COMMUNICATION 6

7 2.1 Critical Incident Immediate Action Flow Charts The following flowchart shows the immediate response to a critical incident that occurs on campus ON CAMPUS: CRITICAL INCIDENT If there is an immediate risk to life or property the first person on the scene dials 111, Ambulance, Fire, Police. Contact Buildings & Facilities Helpdesk (24/7) ext: Buildings & Facilities personnel shall secure the scene, assist with immediate response ensuring safety and welfare of staff Once the scene has been secured and the emergency services have been contacted (where applicable) Buildings and Facilities personnel shall contact the Critical Incident Coordinators providing them with information detailed in the Critical Incident Report Form. The Critical Incident Coordinators will decide if the Critical Incident Management Team should be activated, and will debrief the Regional Chief Executive. Critical Incident Coordinators will arrange contact with members of the Critical Incident Management Team, Critical Incident Support Team and External Support Services (if necessary) Critical Incident Management Team Response: Meet as soon as possible after the incident Identify person/ people involved & resources required Establish a central information point Appoint contact/media person Notify counselling services (if applicable) Arrange provision of a quiet area Arrange supervision of property (where required) Notify appropriate authorities (where required) 7

8 The following flowchart shows the immediate response to a critical incident that occurs off campus OFF CAMPUS: CRITICAL INCIDENT As soon as a staff member or student is made aware of an off campus critical incident that involves a Massey University staff member or student they are to contact Buildings & Facilities Helpdesk (24/7), extension as soon as possible Buildings & Facilities personnel shall contact the Critical Incident Coordinators providing them with information detailed in the Critical Incident Report Form. The Critical Incident Coordinators will decide if the Critical Incident Management Team should be activated, and will debrief the Regional Chief Executive Critical Incident Coordinators will arrange contact with members of the Critical Incident Management Team, Critical Incident Support Team and External Support Services (if necessary) Critical Incident Management Team Immediate Response: Meet as soon as possible after the incident Identify person/ people involved & resources required Establish a central information point Appoint contact/media person Notify counselling &/or external support services (if applicable) Arrange provision of a quiet area Arrange supervision of property (where required) Notify appropriate authorities (where required) 8

9 2.2 Critical Incident Report Form This form is to be used in the event of a Critical Incident to provide Buildings & Facilities and the Critical Incident Coordinators with as much information as possible to effectively deal with the incident. CRITICAL INCIDENT REPORT FORM Date: Time: Name of person reporting incident: Position: Contact phone number: INCIDENT DETAILS Nature of Incident (e.g. death, robbery, assault, violence): When occurred (e.g. date/time): Person/ people involved (e.g. names & number of people, including witnesses if possible): Current status of critical incident (e.g. have emergency services been called/ arrived, has the situation been contained): 9

10 2.3 Critical Incident Communication Flow Chart Critical Incident Centre Regional Chief Executive Office First Contact: Buildings & Facilities Helpdesk (24/7) ext Critical Incident Co-ordinators Director, Corporate & Student Services Director, Buildings & Facilities Critical Incident Management Team Manager, Environmental & Communications Advisor Director, Emergency Management Student Services Trust Chaplaincy Coordinator MAWSA President Senior Student Counsellor Health & Counselling Te Kaiwawao Secretarial Support Representatives from Dept/ College/ Accommodation Complexes (As Applicable) Critical Incident Support Team, External Support Agencies e.g. Victim Support 10

11 2.4 Emergency Services & External Support Agencies Contact List FOR ALL EMERGENICES DIAL: 111 State service required - (Fire, Ambulance, Police) Ambulance Wellington Free Ambulance Dial Fire Brooklyn Fire Station Dial Newtown Fire Station Dial Wellington Central Fire Station Dial Police Wellington Central Police Station Dial Medical Accident & Urgent Medical Centre Dial Newtown Urgent Pharmacy Dial MU Student Health & Counselling Centre Dial Wellington Hospital Dial Community Support Agencies Samaritans Dial Skylight Dial Rape Crisis Centre Dial Youthline Service Dial Victim Support Dial National Poisons & Hazardous Chemicals Information Centre Urgent Information Dial Non-urgent Information Dial Regional Civil Defence/ Emergency Management Centre Dial 04) )

12 Campus Security Dial (Mon Fri pm) (For assistance other than Fire, (a/h) Ambulance or Police) Buildings & Facilities Helpdesk Dial

13 2.5 External Notification Contact List Event Authority Time frame Forms Sudden death Police Verbal immediately Department of Labour if work-related ( ) Written notification within 7 days Department of Labour reporting form Non-injury traffic accident Police Within 48 hours Personally to nearest Police station (reporting not required if all affected parties agree) Traffic accident Police Within 24 hours Personally to nearest involving injury Department of Labour Police station if serious harm and work-related Work accident causing Department of Labour serious harm or death ( ) to employee or student As soon as practicable Department of Labour by phone or fax, reporting form written form within 7 days Electrical or gas accident Ministry of Economic Development ( ) Department of Labour if serious harm As soon as practicable Prescribed form from Prescribed form within Energy Safety Service 2 weeks of original notification Boating accident Air accident Maritime NZ Rescue As soon as practicable Prescribed form from Coordination Centre Maritime Safety ( , or VHF Channel 16) Civil Aviation Authority As soon as practicable Prescribed form from Prescribed form within Civil Aviation Authority 7 days Environmental incident Wellington Regional Council (0800, ) As soon as possible by Nil telephone 13

14 SECTION THREE PROCEDURES FOR CRITICAL INCIDENTS 14

15 3.1 Immediate Response to a Critical Incident The key to an effective and relevant response to a critical incident is coordination. This will be achieved by following these important steps: An incident or potential incident must be reported to the Emergency Services immediately if there is an immediate risk to life or property, Dial 111. Where necessary, in such cases, evacuation procedures should be put in place before contacting the Critical Incident Coordinators. If the incident does not appear to require the immediate despatch of Emergency Services, the Buildings & Facilities Helpdesk should be contacted immediately who will in turn notify the Critical Incident Coordinators. The Critical Incident Coordinators shall be provided with details, as specified in the Critical Incident Reporting Form, of the situation. The Critical Incident Coordinators will assess the situation and decide on the type of response to be made to the incident A response involving an Emergency (i.e.) Bomb Threat, Fire, Gas Leak, Earthquake, will require the immediate convening of the appropriate emergency personnel as set out in the Wellington Campus Emergency Procedures and the Wellington Campus Emergency Management Plan For Critical Incidents, the response will involve the immediate convening of the Critical Incident Management Team They will debrief the Regional Chief Executive of the situation Where a critical incident is believed to have occurred, the Critical Incident Management Team will consist of: Regional Chief Executive (or representative) Director, Corporate & Student Services Director, Buildings & Facilities Director, Student Services Trust Senior Student Counsellor Manager, Environmental & Emergency Management Campus Communications Advisor this will bring into effect the Incident Response Communications Plan Te Kaiwawao MAWSA Representative A Representative from one of the following (depending on where the point of crisis occurred) Colleges/Departments/ Accommodation Services/ International Student Support Chaplaincy Secretarial Support Any of these team members may bring into the team individuals reporting to them who have direct and explicit relevance in terms of the nature of the incident. 15

16 The key actions to be undertaken within the first 24 hours include, but are not limited to, the following: Identification of people involved and the resources needed. Establishment of a central information point to provide up-to-the-minute, accurate information to staff, students, families of those involved, helpers, and the media. A single spokesperson, (Campus Communications Advisor), will be appointed to disseminate information and speak to the media and other persons involved with the incident. Appointment of contact person. A senior representative of the University will be appointed to make personal contact with individuals including victims, other students and/or staff, family, and friends. Notification of counselling services (if applicable). The Senior Student Counsellor, Critical Incident Support Team and external support agencies (where applicable) will be notified and will provide assistance for those affected by the incident. Provision of a quiet area. A quiet area will be established for the use of victims and/or their families. This area shall be protected from intrusion by anyone not immediately affected in the incident. Supervision of property. Steps will be taken to supervise property, both personal property and any buildings or structures which might be unsafe and in need of immediate repairs. 16

17 3.2 Information to be Collected to Aid Response Information to be collected to aid Critical Incident Management Team response includes, but is not limited to the following: Details of the event who, what, when, where, how Family information and student/staff profile People directly/indirectly affected How individuals are affected Current situation in the College/Department (e.g.) rumours, level of awareness, impact on students and/or staff Course/paper information Impact on classes/exams Contact telephone numbers Ethnic background and language Family Doctor Family/Close Friends/Partner Sources of this information may include: RCE/ PVC/ HoDs Human Resources Massey University Employees Known Friends Co-workers Family/Parent/Guardian Other people involved 17

18 3.3 Critical Incident Management Team Objectives The Critical Incident Management Team will meet as soon as practicable after the incident, determine and act on the following: Preparation and approval of a plan of action Arrange for the notification to any external agencies requiring notification (e.g.) Department of Labour, Energy Safety Service, MSA (where applicable) Secure, make safe and control access to the site of a critical incident (where applicable) and the preparation for restoration of the site to its pre-incident status in a physical, operational and spiritual sense Allocation of any resources, physical or human, which are required to deal with and ameliorate the effects of the incident (funding, rooms for debriefing, quiet rooms, central support centre, refreshments, dealing with family members who may need to be notified and/or have travel arrangements made, tissues, pens, papers etc) Decide on the structure of any debrief groups Communication strategy both internal and external. (Campus Communication Advisor will decide on all information to be given out regarding the critical incident, except for any incidents under Police control) Arrange relief staff for employees affected by the critical incident Arrange relief from normal duties for staff involved in managing the critical incident Ensuring the appropriate level of care, counselling and medical support is provided (where necessary) by contacting the Senior Student Counsellor, Critical Incident Support Team and external support agencies (where applicable) Address any legal, accountably or compliance issues in relation to the incident, and ensure documentation is maintained of the critical incident Ensure contact of the International Students Office where an international student is involved Ensure Heads of Departments/Lecturers are provided with assistance and direction with regards to the notification to students/staff members in their departments of the critical incident, and the organisation of appropriate support. Enable a review process and determine and subsequent change in policy, procedures or physical structures Sample Agenda 1. Introductions, (Critical Incident Management Team Members, additional personnel invited to aid response) 2. Enquire if media is present, and ask them to leave 3. Purpose of the meeting: To share information known about the incident To share thoughts and concerns 4. Set some ground rules, confirm confidentiality 5. Provide simple and direct information about the event, if possible have the facts summarised in written form to give to fellow participants 6. Have each participant advise what their role and responsibility will involve with regards to the current event, and which aspect of the teams objectives they will administer, have this documented 7. Set a time for the team to meet again to review the progress 18

19 SECTION FOUR ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES 19

20 4.1 Roles & Responsibilities Critical Incident Management Team Regional Chief Executive (ex officio) The Regional Chief Executive will make the decision of who will assume the role of person in charge. The person in charge (Critical Incident Coordinator) will: Direct the overall management of the team Receive calls for response to Critical Incidents from the Massey Community Assess the situation and decide on the type of response to be made to the incident Liaise with other groups involved in responding to the critical incident Call a meeting of appropriate personnel to plan a response strategy Develop and implement a Critical Incident Management Plan Allocation of resources (e.g. funding, refreshments, rooms for debriefing) Develop and implement a reporting responsibility to ensure that senior management of departments and schools affected by a critical incident are notified of impacts Following onsite investigations by appropriate persons, e.g. Police, DoL (where applicable) ensure the restoration of the site to its pre-incident status in a physical and operational sense. Manager, Environmental & Emergency Management Ensure the site of the critical incident is secure and access is controlled Ensure the safety and security of individuals at the scene of a critical incident Liaise with appropriate Government agencies Ensure legal requirements and reporting are undertaken in the specified period of time Assist with the development and implementation of training programmes for the Critical Incident Support Team members Assist with an educational program for the Wellington campus (e.g.) preparation brochures outlining the procedure for the management of critical incidents, who to contact, and ensure this information is kept up to date Maintain a comprehensive list of Critical Incident Management and Support Team members contact details, ensuring information is kept up to date Communications Advisor Advises the Critical Incident Management Team of the most appropriate information to disseminate the staff, students, stakeholders, media etc, when and how Communicates with the news media, public, staff, faculty, and students Schedules interviews and briefings Prepares a statement for release providing the media with the University s reaction to the event Coordinate contact between school/college staff, the victim(s) or families and the media Advise victim(s), families, and local officials of information released by the University to the media 20

21 Disseminate information to the faculty/staff and students as the event progresses Inform an alternate spokesperson of all information to insure that someone is available at all applicable times. Director, Student Services Trust Ensure appropriate level of support from health, counselling, chaplaincy and catering is provided Senior Student Counsellor or representative Assist with procedure and policy development and protocol Act as consultant to the Critical Incident Management Team, advising on clinical issues relating to the Critical Incident Ensure contingency plans for providing appropriate counselling to staff and students affected by the incident are in place Provide contact details when required of additional support services depending on critical incident Liaise when necessary with external support services Assist with a written report (adhering to legal requirements) regarding the Critical Incident Response Te Kaiwawao Ensure the restoration of the Wairua of the incident site on campus Advise RCE and CIMT on any relevant Maori cultural issues Notify Mana Whenua of any relevant incidents Support CIMT members and University staff and students Arrange for availability of Te Kuratini Marae if required Support victim and family as appropriate Assist with procedure and policy development Representative: Colleges/ Departments Note: Please refer to the Information Guide for Hod s/ Managers for more detailed information. When an incident has occurred, the immediate tasks for College/ Department Representatives are to: Arrange relief staff for employees affected by the critical incident Arrange relief from normal duties for staff involved in managing the critical incident Ensure their staff member s physical and emotional needs are met. Ensure sense of safety and security are re-established with whatever sense of routine and normality is possible under the circumstances. Ensure that appropriate information is made available to all students and staff in your College/ Department about University support services and personnel It is important that managers react immediately after the incident and ensure all staff receive an assurance of their support as soon as possible. It is important for staff to be assured that their current emotions are normal and to be expected. Staff should be given time to discuss their 21

22 reactions, and can be given tools (handouts etc) to assist them in dealing with student reactions. In the case of traumatic incidents or for crisis counselling, 24 hour contact can be made with External Support Agencies as listed on the Critical Incident Contact List. Chaplaincy Coordinating Chaplain Is available for practical help (e.g. quiet rooms, central support centre, refreshment areas and other designated CI areas) Mobilise the Chaplaincy Team Provide referrals to appropriate religious communities (Christian and non-christian) on the request and with the approval of the CIMT Undertake further training and supervision necessary to the role Provide referral to relevant health professionals where appropriate The Chaplaincy Team Coordinates memorial services on campus Provides pastoral counselling around grief and loss to staff and students Provides spiritual guidance as appropriate Assists with an educational program for the Wellington Campus Conducts blessings of campus spaces affected by critical incidents Manager Accommodation Services Assist Buildings & Facilities personnel to ensure the site of a critical incident at either of the Accommodation complexes is secure and access is controlled until the appropriate personnel arrive on site. In conjunction with Buildings & Facilities personnel, assist with any onsite investigations by appropriate persons. Ensure the restoration of the site to its pre-incident status in a physical and operational sense. Maintain a schedule of contact details, including apartment numbers, mobile numbers, and next of kin details for every student in Massey University Wellington accommodation complexes in electronic and hard copy format. Allocate a room for debriefing, quiet room, support centre, etc Provide every residential student with a Critical Incident card/ pamphlet which will provide appropriate contact details and information to help facilitate early intervention. Participate as well as assist with training programmes for RA s, SLA and appropriate Accommodation Services personnel in preparation for critical incidents that may occur. Implement and manage a register of students who are off-site for a particular period of time (e.g. Easter, mid semester breaks) Maintain regular contact with the CI Management providing to them frequent updates during an incident. Assist with a written report (adhering to legal requirements) regarding the Critical Incident Response. 22

23 International Student Support Ensure the emergency procedures and the 24 hour emergency phone number is imparted to all international students Maintain international student database updated, with the Student Agreement form completed and emergency contact details provided Report to the CIMT when a critical incident happens to an international student or support staff Liaise with appropriate foreign government agencies where applicable, under the guidance of CIMT Liaise with the Police, NZ Immigration Services when applicable Able to assist with resolving disputes, difficulties and problems. Mediating wherever necessary Contribute to the evaluation of the Critical Incident management process Participate, as well as assist with on-going training and educational programmes relating to various cultural, ethnic, and religious groups. Secretarial Support (from Office of Regional Chief Executive) Ensure documentation is maintained of the critical incident Critical Incident Support Team Senior Student Counsellor Assist with procedures & policy development and protocol Assist with the development and implementation of training programmes for the Critical Incident Support Team members Maintain regular contact with the Critical Incident Support team, providing to them frequent updates of the Critical Incident Management Team activities and decisions during the critical incident Assist with a written report (adhering to legal requirements) regarding the Critical Incident Response Critical Incident Support Team Members Provide appropriate support for staff and/or students during a critical incident (e.g.) listening Refer to appropriate health professionals where necessary Contribute towards keeping the usual business of the University running as smoothly as possible during a crisis (e.g.) dispelling rumours, providing clear un-dramatic information, modelling calm and confident behaviour Liaise with family as necessary under the guidance of the Critical Incident Management Team Contribute to the Critical Incident Evaluation Participate in appropriate training sessions and be committed to on going education 23

24 SECTION FIVE EVALUATION & ASSESSMENT 24

25 5.1 Critical Incident Response Evaluation The Critical Incident Management Team shall meet to evaluate the effectiveness and the efficiency of the results of the application of the Critical Incident Management Team procedures and to make recommendations for improvements or changes. Information to be reviewed includes, but is not limited to: Preparation Are the procedures useful & applicable to the overall response? What conditions allowed the incident to occur? Could more education and University resources have prevented the incident? Were all of the people necessary to respond to the incident familiar with the incident response plan? Were any actions that required management approval clear to participants throughout the incident? Was senior management approval easy to obtain Notification How soon after the incident started were the appropriate people notified? How smooth was the process of invoking the incident response plan? Were appropriate individuals outside of the incident response team notified? How well did the Critical Incident Management Team follow the plan? Were the appropriate people available when the response team was called? Did all communication flow from the appropriate source? Containment How well was the incident contained? Did the available staff have sufficient skills to do an effective job of containment? Debriefing (where applicable) Were debriefing sessions carried out in an appropriate timeframe? Were participants & any witnesses to the critical incident identified quickly? Was anybody missed out? Was support offered to Critical Incident Management and Support Team members? Wrap Up Were all components of the action plan finalised and brought to a close? Were provisions made for ongoing support, if necessary Review of ongoing support issues e.g. liability, open claims etc. The effects of a critical incident vary greatly and some individuals who are directly involved may require additional assistance beyond what is defined by the Critical Incident Management Plan. 25

26 It may be necessary for the Critical Incident Coordinators and members to follow up to advise members of senior management (Regional Chief Executive, as well as Heads of Departments). Incidents shall be reported to senior managerial and/or academic staff where there is a need to know. This action will meet due diligence requirements and will allow for recommendations for any changes that may be necessary as a consequence of the Critical Incident. This may involve a written report with recommendations. 5.2 Procedures & Policy Evaluation The Critical Incident Management Team will meet at least once a year to review procedures, and provide advice and recommendations on improvements which might be made to procedures in specific areas. However, following a critical incident, a meeting of the Critical Incident Management Team must be called to go over the events and suggest improvements in the handling of similar incidents. Any review, revision and updating of policies and procedures, and recommendation of changes and improvements to institutional responses, and identification of necessary resources for education, training and improvements to the Critical Incident Management Team, should be identified in writing. The review team will also monitor and update on an ongoing basis the following: 1. Names and telephone numbers of all Critical Incident Management and Support Team members & Dept/ College Representatives 2. Availability and services available from External Support Agencies Further Documents & Resources Critical Incident HoD Management Supplement Incident Response Communications Plan Wellington Campus Emergency Procedures Wellington Campus Emergency Management Plan Wellington Campus Medical Emergencies on Campus Policy Massey University Counselling Resources: 26