Which choice below is the first priority in an emergency?

A.
Notifying external support resources for recovery and restoration

B.
Warning customers and contractors of a potential interruption of service

C.
Communicating with employees families the status of the emergency

D.
Protecting the health and safety of everyone in the facility

Explanation:
Life safety, or protecting the health and safety of everyone in the facility is the first priority in an
emergency or disaster. Evacuation routes, assembly areas, and accounting for personnel (head
counts and last-known locations) are the most important function of emergency procedures, before
anything else. Once all personnel have been accounted for and emergency teams have arrived to
prevent further damage or hazard, family members should be notified of the status of the event.
Providing restoration and recovery, and implementing alternative production methods also comes
later. Source: Emergency Management Guide for Business and Industry, Federal Emergency
Management Agency, August, 1998.