ASTM_E_2732_-_11.pdf

Designation:E273211Standard Practice forResponder Family Support Service1This standard is issued under the fixed designation E2732;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscript epsilon()indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.INTRODUCTIONThe delivery of critical emergency response services in time of disaster is largely dependent upondesignated individuals(responders)who possess the necessary skill and training to provide relief tothose affected.Such designated individuals may come from a variety of public,private,or governmentsponsored entities depending on the nature and extent of the emergency situation.While theircontributions to the relief effort may be diverse,they all share a common concern that has the potentialto distract from their focus on emergency response,which is the concern for the safety and securityof their families and loved ones.These responders need to be able to concentrate fully on their response duties,especially in timesof a widespread emergency.However,it is recognized that these responders may face the difficultchallenge of deciding between professional duty,the welfare of their local community,and the safetyand welfare of their families and loved ones.Thus,this practice was developed to provide a frameworkfor the responsible entities to help their response personnel plan for and manage the safety of theirfamilies during extended periods of emergency assignment.To avoid unnecessary burden on orreduction in the number of an entitys emergency responders,other available community humanresources should be considered to help with this task of ensuring that responders families aresupported.Preferably,such additional human resources would have access,either personally orthrough their organization,to local resources that might be needed to provide the necessary responderfamily support.These additional resources can often be found in local recreational,cultural,and educationalprograms and organization located within the community.In some communities these programs andorganizations may have paid staff,and in other communities such staff may be volunteers or acombination of paid and volunteer staff.Additionally,these resources are likely to be available forsuch service,because in times of emergency usually recreational and educational programs arecurtailed.Also,these programs and organizations often have access to and control of core physicalassets(buildings,vehicles,emergency equipment,etc.)that may be valuable for both community andresponder family support.They can also be equipped with additional resources as required(food,water,blankets,etc.).Such programs and organizations often have full,part-time or volunteer staff,orboth,that can be trained and made available to provide the necessary family assistance support.Theseprograms and organizations often have a command and communications structure that can beexpanded to help support such an assistance program.Simply stated,staff in these programs andorganizations would be trained and prepared to include assigned members of a responders family inwith the care and support of their own families during the stated emergency or extended responderassignment.This practice outlines a process for responders to identify family members to be includedin the program,on strictly a volunteer basis.It is important to note that responder family membersincluded in the program would not be given preferential treatment,but would have someone assignedto look out for them(in the responders absence)to ensure that they get equal treatment(that is,thesame care as everyone else in the community,who have their head of household looking out for them).Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United States1 1.Scope1.1 This practice sets forth a standard approach for desig-nated personnel in public,private and not-for-profit organiza-tions that provide recreational,cultural,educational and relatedservices to the public to respond in a support role providingassistance,and as needed to the local family of a responder onassignment in an emergency situation.1.2 The“responder,”with regard to family support services,may be a first-responder from a variety of responder disciplines(for example,law enforcement,fire service,emergency medi-cal services,public health)or supplementary personnel andmay be paid or volunteer.1.3 This practice describes the roles,responsibility,andactions necessary for designated personnel to provide familycare-related services to assigned responder family membersunder conditions of service during an emergency.1.4 This practice outlines the approach and system forinterrelating with responders and their designated family mem-bers in times of emergencies to alleviate responders concernsand fears for their famil