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Tips for Developing a Dental Office EmergencyPlan
” By Shey Loman, FDA Communication and Media Coordinator
Unfortunately, natural disasters and manmade threats, including active shooters, are occurring more frequently throughout the nation. Most people don’t want to entertain the thought of the unthinkable happening; however, threats and responses should be discussed and practiced with dental teams just as they are at schools, places of worship and shopping malls. A frustrated employee or patient could make your office and staff victims of preventable violence or other attacks. Office staff should be informed and prepared with a plan that can be performed faultlessly in the unfortunate event that a nightmare scenario becomes reality. Following are 10 tips to best protect your staff and your practice during a threat or disaster:
Tips for General Threats 1.
Set an emergency action plan (EAP) for your dental office to employ in the case of a threat. Make sure that all staff members are aware of—and fully trained for—the procedures of your office plan. It may be a bit uncomfortable to have these discussions with staff, but not having a plan is no longer a responsible option.
2.
Always be aware of your office’s exit locations. Evacuation is the best option in most threat scenarios. Once safe, call 911, and provide as much information as possible
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Ultimately, being prepared is the first step to protecting your staff and your practice from threats or disaster.
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