News Release

Washington, D.C. – The Office of Personnel Management today released The Federal Employee’s Family Preparedness Guide, the third of three emergency guides it has produced to educate the Federal workforce on general steps they can take to protect themselves from a potential biological, chemical, or radiological event. OPM Director Kay Coles James stated, "The first two emergency guides have been downloaded 178,000 times, so we know that Federal employees are using them. As a complement to the first two emergency guides which were designed for employees and managers in the workplace, this new guide is designed specifically for the families of our Federal team."

As with the employee and manager guides, the family guide relies on the best practices and advice of two dozen experts from 18 departments and agencies across Government. Practical information on establishing a family emergency plan and setting up "emergency go kits" were based on information from the DC Family Preparedness Guide. It was augmented with resources on responding to emergencies involving biological, chemical, and radiological substances. James thanked Mayor Anthony Williams and the D.C. Emergency Management Agency Director, Peter LaPorte for their spirit of cooperation and ongoing assistance.

OPM distributed the family guide on Tuesday at a briefing on workplace security that James and Mike Byrne, Director of the Department of Homeland Security’s Office for National Capital Region Coordination, hosted for leaders of Federal employee unions and employee associations. James praised Byrne for his leadership in coordinating preparedness efforts across Government and for his assistance with the OPM emergency guides. Also participating at the meeting were Government security experts from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the General Services Administration.

The Federal Employee’s Emergency Guide provides general information on biological, chemical and radiological risks and what can be done to prepare for an emergency event involving these substances. The guide encourages employees to ask their managers about procedures that are in place and to offer suggestions on what more can be done to secure their work environment.

Each Federal facility has unique factors that affect the security measures that should be taken to protect employees. The Federal Manager’s/Decision Maker’s Guide, provides guidance on measures agencies may have already put into place. General information is provided on practical steps that can be taken to mitigate harm in the event of an emergency. Throughout the guide, web addresses are provided on where individuals can go to gather more in-depth preparedness information.

All three guides can be found at the web address, www.opm.gov/emergency.

Also contributing to the family guide was the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. They have provided useful practical steps to protect family pets before and during an emergency. 

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OPM oversees the federal work force and provides the American public with up-to-date employment information. OPM also supports U.S. agencies with personnel services and policy leadership including staffing tools, guidance on labor-management relations and programs to improve work force performance.

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