Emergency Preparedness Plans for Healthcare

Emergency Power Rules for Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing Facilities

On Monday March 26, 2018 Governor Scott signed HB-1099 and SB-7028 ratifying the Agency for Health Care Administration’s (AHCA’s) and the Department of Elder Affairs’ (DOEA’s) rules regarding emergency power requirements for Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities into law.  The final rules became effective immediately upon the Governor’s action. These rules require facilities to address the acquisition of an alternate power source in the event of the loss of primary electrical power, which will allow the facility to maintain ambient temperature at or below 81 degrees for a minimum of 96 hours within their comprehensive emergency management plan (CEMP) and then implement the plan. Additional requirements for fuel, maintenance, testing, and square footage per resident are enacted within these rules.

Brevard County Emergency Management will continue to review plans currently on-hand and received, but facilities will need to submit per the rule requirements. The first deadline for submission of emergency power plans to emergency management is 30 days from the rules’ effective date (March 26, 2018), which is April 25, 2018. There are provisions in the rule that require facilities with approved emergency power plans under the emergency rules, to re-submit plans only when changes are made to the plans (to meet the final rules’ requirements). Review time for the plan has not changed.

Please complete this crosswalk and submit it, with your emergency power plan addendum, to HealthcarePlans@brevardfl.gov.

We understand the expedited need to receive approval of facility CEMP to avoid any penalty, but our organization will continue to only approve plans which sufficiently meet all of the State’s criteria in order to assure the safety of those living within these facilities.

CMS Emergency Preparedness Rule

Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) emergency preparedness rules require healthcare facilities to conduct a risk assessment, also known as a hazard vulnerability assessment, as part of developing an all-hazards approach to their emergency preparedness program. This emergency plan must be reviewed and updated at least annually. To ensure collaboration between healthcare facilities and Brevard County Emergency Management, a hazard summaries based on the Local Mitigation Strategy has been posted on the Mitigation page.

Healthcare CEMP

The Residential Health Care Facility (RHCF) Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) Review Program was introduced as a result of Florida State Legislature, requiring certain health care facilities to prepare and annually update a comprehensive emergency management plan.

State law requires that the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) develop and adopt minimum criteria for the CEMP. The law also requires that the CEMPs be reviewed and approved by Brevard County Emergency Management (BCEM).

The AHCA has a local office in Orlando. The agency's contact information is as follows:

400 West Robinson St. Suite 309
Orlando, Florida 32801
Telephone number: 407-420-2502

Information on submitting a CEMP

Submitting a new plan or revision is easy. Criteria Documents are provided by clicking on the bulleted list above to assist with the development and submission of Comprehensive Emergency Management Plans. Use the checklist/crosswalk to ensure your submission is organized and complete. Email all required documentation to: HealthcarePlans@brevardfl.gov

AHCA Criteria Crosswalk

The crosswalk documents identify the minimum criteria to be used when developing CEMPs for residential health care facilities. The crosswalk serves as the required plan format for the CEMP, and will also serve as the compliance review document for BCEM upon submission for review and approval pursuant to Chapter 252, Florida Statutes (F.S.). These criteria satisfy the basic emergency management requirements of 400, Part II, Florida Statutes, but are not designed to provide specific emergency medical planning guidance.

Review Fee

Beginning November 1, 2016, all healthcare CEMPs will be charged a minimum review fee of $62.50 based on two hours at $31.25 per hour (FL Ch. 27P-20). This minimum charge is necessary to fully cover the review time spent on CEMPs including, but not limited to: administrative and data entry work, database and technology support, binder and update packet processing, training and consulting to facilities that occurs beyond time spent reviewing a plan. Online Payment

Emergency Planning For

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