Which of the following is a recommended step during evacuation planning?

• A. Conduct head count
• B. Post evacuation posters
• C. Start patient check-in
• D. Resume work immediately

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is ensuring safety and accountability during an evacuation. Conducting a head count provides an immediate, concrete check of who has evacuated and is at the designated assembly point. This allows responders to quickly identify anyone who is missing and needs assistance, ensuring that no one is left behind and that medical needs can be prioritized in a coordinated way. It keeps the process organized and focused on getting everyone to safety first.

Post-evacuation posters can support wayfinding and awareness, but they don’t substitute for confirming who is actually out of the building. Starting patient check-in during an evacuation would slow the process and create delays or bottlenecks when moving people to safety. Resuming work immediately ignores the critical safety step of confirming everyone is safe and accounted for before returning to duties.

So, the best step is to conduct a head count to verify all patients, staff, and visitors are accounted for at the assembly point.