Are you prepared for an emergency at work? How about at home?

No one can predict when a disaster will occur; however, the MGH must always be ready to respond to emergencies within minutes. Employees, patients and visitors learned about the crucial role of emergency planning – a key to dealing with disasters – when MGH Emergency Preparedness sponsored an Emergency Preparedness Day in the Main Corridor July 25.

Resources at three information tables highlighted disaster preparation essentials such as having an emergency plan for both work and home, tips for assembling an emergency kit and the basic steps to disaster readiness for MGHers. The MGH hazardous materials (HAZMAT) team displayed its protective equipment and shared information about the group’s role in responding to a disaster. The team conducted its most recent drill July 19, testing the MGH’s emergency notification system and decontaminating 45 volunteer “victims.”

For more information about emergency preparedness at the MGH, contact Craig Cochran, administrative manager for Emergency Preparedness, at ccochran@partners.org or visit intranet.massgeneral.org/emergencypreparedness. For more information about becoming a member of the MGH HAZMAT team, contact Jacky Nally, HAZMAT coordinator, at jnally@partners.org.