[CM] [JHA] [E3] [PB] [CS] [1] Playbook for Severe Haze Scenario

Severe Haze Crisis Management Playbook for Jamiyah Home for the Aged (JHA)

Note from the Author

This is an introductory chapter for the crisis scenario: Severe Haze Crisis for Jamiyah Home for the Aged (JHA)

This content provides the reader with background, planning assumptions, and considerations before developing detailed steps to take pre-crisis, during crisis, and post-crisis.

When developing the detailed steps for the crisis management playbook, we further break them down into three stages. 

What Are the Attributes for the Severe Haze Crisis Scenario?

The haze affecting Singapore mainly comes from smoke drifting from vegetation and land fires in Indonesia, particularly Kalimantan and Sumatra. NEA’s 19 October 2026 update confirmed smoke haze from both areas near Singapore. nea.gov.sg

Three factors explain the situation:

• Regional fires produce the smoke. Widespread hotspots have been detected in Kalimantan and southern Sumatra.

• Dry weather allows fires to persist. El Niño and below-normal rainfall are worsening fire-prone conditions.

• Winds carry the smoke into Singapore. Changes in wind direction determine how much haze reaches us, so conditions can improve or worsen within hours

Chapter 1: Severe Haze Crisis Management Playbook

Overview of Playbook Structure

Introduction

The playbook should enable Jamiyah Home for the Aged (JHA) to protect residents, sustain essential care and make timely decisions before, during and after severe haze.

Its central operational question is:

Can JHA continue to provide safe, supervised residential care within the Home, or must it arrange additional support or temporary relocation?

This chapter outline provides the roles, activation thresholds, resources, and review intervals below as proposed arrangements for JHA to validate and approve, not statements about its existing capabilities.

1. Purpose, Playbook,  Scope and Operating Context

1.1 Purpose

Explain how the playbook will help JHA to:

• Reduce residents’ and staff members’ exposure to haze.
• Recognise deteriorating conditions and activate the appropriate response.
• Maintain personal care, supervision, meals, medication support and safeguarding.
• Coordinate medical assistance, external support and regulatory communication.
• Restore normal activities safely and improve preparedness after the event.

1.2 View CM Playbook with Detailed Steps

Pre-Crisis:  Preparedness and Prevention/ Reduction
During-Crisis:  Response, Recovery and Resume
Post-Crisis:  Recovery, Restore and Return Home

Click the icon for the crisis management playbook for the three stages: Pre-, During-, and Post-crisis 

1.3 Scope

Covers all residents, staff, contractors and visitors, including activities within the Home, essential journeys, medical appointments and any temporary care location.

JHA describes itself as an eldercare and destitute welfare facility, managed by Jamiyah Singapore. Its residential setting makes the continuity of care and supervision a central planning consideration. Jamiyah Home For The Aged

1.4 Relationship between crisis management and business continuity

Explain the distinction in plain language:

The three arrangements should operate together under a clear chain of command.

2. Scenario Definition and Planning Assumptions

2.1 Severe Haze Scenario

Describe a scenario in which smoke from regional vegetation and land fires reaches Singapore and persists for several days. Conditions fluctuate with wind direction and rainfall, creating repeated periods of poor outdoor air quality.

For JHA, the scenario escalates when haze exposure, resident illness or disruption to supporting resources threatens safe care.

2.2 Potential Consequences

Include:

• Respiratory or cardiovascular deterioration among susceptible residents.
• Increased demand for observation, clinical assessment and hospital transfers.
• Reduced access to outdoor spaces and disruption to residents’ routines.
• Anxiety, agitation or distress, particularly among residents with cognitive impairment.
• Staff illness, absence or transport difficulties.
• Increased demand on air-cleaning equipment, electricity and maintenance support.
• Delays to food, medicines, care supplies or transport services.
• Public concern about whether residents are adequately protected.

2.3 Compound Disruption Assumptions

Test the possibility that severe haze coincides with:

• A power interruption or air-conditioning failure.
• Failure of air-cleaning equipment.
• An infectious disease outbreak.
• Reduced staffing.
• Limited availability of alternative accommodation.

Do not assume that every room provides equivalent protection or that all residents can tolerate masks.

3. Governance, Authority and Responsibilities

3.1 Proposed Crisis Management Structure

Use functional roles that JHA can assign to actual personnel. One person may hold more than one role where staffing requires it, with named deputies.

3.2 Decision Authority

Specify who may:

• Activate or escalate the response.
• Suspend outdoor activities and non-essential outings.
• Authorise emergency purchases and additional staffing.
• Request external assistance.
• Approve temporary relocation.
• Authorise public statements.
• Stand down the crisis management team.

Immediate emergency assistance must not wait for a crisis team meeting or Board approval.

4. Activation, Escalation and Stand-Down Criteria

4.1 Information used for decisions

Use:

• NEA’s 24-hour PSI forecast for forward planning.
• One-hour PM2.5 readings for immediate decisions about outdoor activity.
• Current official health advisories.
• Resident symptoms and clinical advice.
• Conditions inside occupied rooms.
• Staffing, equipment and supply availability.

NEA distinguishes between using the 24-hour PSI forecast for planning and one-hour PM2.5 readings for immediate activities. www.nea.gov.sg

4.2 Proposed internal response levels

These levels are JHA management arrangements, rather than official NEA alert categories.

JHA should approve a separate trigger card containing the current official advisory bands, internal actions, responsible officers and review intervals.

Clinical deterioration or equipment failure may require escalation regardless of the outdoor PSI.

Overview of Playbook Structure

Phase 1 – Before the Crisis

5. Preparedness and Prevention

5.1 Identify residents requiring additional protection

Maintain a confidential register covering:

• Relevant heart and lung conditions.
• Mobility, cognitive, communication and behavioural support needs.
• Prescribed medicines and individual care instructions.
• Assistance required during movement or transfer.
• Healthcare contacts and authorised family or representative contacts.

Arrange clinical advice where individual haze precautions need clarification.

5.2 Establish protected indoor care areas

Identify rooms suitable for resident accommodation, meals and activities during haze.

Assess:

• Capacity, accessibility and supervision.
• Air-cleaning capability and equipment placement.
• Cooling, ventilation and thermal comfort.
• Access to toilets, medication and emergency exits.
• Electrical capacity and arrangements for equipment failure.

Portable air cleaners should suit the room size and be operated according to the manufacturer's instructions. NEA identifies smoke Clean Air Delivery Rate as relevant when selecting air cleaners for haze. nea.gov.sg

Balancing reduced smoke entry with safe ventilation and temperature control is essential. Obtain advice from competent facilities staff before changing mechanical ventilation arrangements. nea.gov.sg

5.3 Prepare essential resources

Define approved minimum holdings and replenishment arrangements for:

• Medicines and routine care supplies.
• Food and drinking water.
• Suitable air cleaners and replacement filters.
• Appropriate respiratory protection for assessed uses.
• Communication devices and charging arrangements.
• Resident records and transfer documentation.
• Essential transport and equipment maintenance support.

Set quantities against resident needs, supplier lead times and a prolonged disruption scenario.

5.4 Prepare staff and suppliers

• Define minimum safe staffing by shift and resident dependency.
• Identify trained relief personnel.
• Brief staff on haze precautions and symptom reporting.
• Confirm alternative suppliers and delivery arrangements.
• Agree access routes that minimise unnecessary exposure.
• Establish handover procedures for extended operations.

5.5 Exercise the arrangements

Conduct a tabletop exercise involving severe haze, resident deterioration and equipment failure.

Test whether staff can:

• Recognise activation triggers.
• Contact the Crisis Leader and deputies.
• Account for every resident.
• Establish protected care spaces.
• Sustain essential care.
• Arrange medical assistance or relocation.

Phase 2 – During the Crisis

6. Immediate Activation and Stabilisation

6.1 Proposed first-hour checklist

This sequence should guide action without delaying emergency care.

6.2 Establish a common operating picture

Prepare a brief situation report showing:

• Current and forecast outdoor air quality.
• Resident health concerns and transfers.
• Indoor environmental concerns.
• Available staffing.
• Equipment and utility status.
• Supply levels.
• Decisions required and outstanding actions.

Each report should state its issue time and next review time.

7. During the Crisis — Resident Protection and Essential Care

7.1 Resident health monitoring

Establish observation arrangements according to resident needs and clinical advice.

Record:

• New or worsening symptoms.
• Changes in condition or behaviour.
• Assessments and advice received.
• Actions taken and follow-up requirements.

Severe breathing difficulty, collapse or other signs of a medical emergency require immediate emergency assistance. The appropriate healthcare professional should approve clinical thresholds and treatment instructions.

7.2 Respiratory protection

Prioritise reducing exposure through suitable indoor accommodation.

For unavoidable outdoor movement, follow current MOH advice and assess whether respiratory protection is suitable for the individual. MOH advises that elderly persons and people with severe heart or lung problems who experience breathing difficulty should consult their doctor before using an N95 mask or equivalent. Ministry of Health

7.3 Maintain essential care

Specify arrangements for:

• Personal care and toileting.
• Meals, feeding assistance and hydration consistent with individual care instructions.
• Medication support.
• Mobility assistance and fall prevention.
• Day and night supervision.
• Safeguarding and incident reporting.
• Essential medical appointments and treatment.
• Resident records and shift handovers.

7.4 Preserve dignity and emotional well-being

• Explain changes in familiar language.
• Provide suitable indoor activities.
• Maintain routines wherever safe.
• Support residents distressed by restricted movement.
• Facilitate contact with authorised relatives or representatives.

8. During the Crisis — Sustained Operations and Communication

8.1 Staffing and logistics

Review each shift’s capacity against resident care needs. Arrange relief before fatigue compromises safe supervision.

Monitor consumption, filter availability, deliveries and maintenance response times. Escalate projected shortages before stocks are exhausted.

8.2 Stakeholder communication

Use a designated spokesperson and protect residents’ personal information.

8.3 Regulatory coordination

Maintain a verified obligations register covering applicable legislation, licence conditions, MSF directions and incident-reporting requirements.

MSF states that the Social Residential Homes Act came into operation on 1 July 2026 and that licensable homes must meet applicable legislative and licensing requirements. JHA should confirm its specific obligations and notification arrangements with MSF rather than assume a universal reporting deadline. msf.gov.sg

9. Temporary Relocation and Medical Transfer

9.1 Distinguish two decisions

• Medical transfer: an individual needs assessment or treatment elsewhere.
• Temporary relocation: JHA cannot sustain a safe residential care environment for some or all residents.

9.2 Relocation assessment

Consider:

• Failure of protected indoor accommodation.
• Prolonged loss of power, cooling or filtration.
• Inadequate staffing or essential supplies.
• Clinical advice or authority directions.
• Risks of remaining compared with risks of movement.

Poor outdoor air quality alone should not automatically trigger evacuation.

9.3 Transfer controls

Before movement, confirm:

• Receiving location acceptance and care capacity.
• Suitable transport and escorts.
• Resident identification and accountability.
• Medicines, care summaries and essential equipment.
• Continuity of supervision.
• Required authorisation and stakeholder notifications.

Record arrival, handover and reconciliation for every resident.

Phase 3 – After the Crisis

10. Recovery and Return to Normal

10.1 Approve stand-down

Require evidence of:

• Sustained improvement in official advice and local conditions.
• Safe indoor accommodation.
• Stable resident care needs.
• Adequate staffing, supplies and functioning equipment.
• Capacity to respond if haze returns.

Avoid standing down based on a single improved reading.

10.2 Restore activities progressively

• Reintroduce outdoor activities according to current advice.
• Review postponed appointments.
• Reassess residents affected during the event.
• Restore normal room use and visiting arrangements.
• Return relocated residents through a controlled handover.

10.3 Restore readiness

Inspect equipment, replace filters as required, replenish stocks, reconcile expenditure and provide staff recovery time.

Retain enhanced monitoring while recurrence remains plausible.

11. Post-Crisis Review and Improvement

Review:

• Whether activation occurred early enough.
• Whether resident protection measures were effective.
• Any missed care, injuries, health deterioration or safeguarding concerns.
• Staffing and supplier performance.
• Communication effectiveness.
• Relocation decisions and transfer outcomes.
• Resource gaps and unanticipated dependencies.

For each improvement, record an owner, completion date and evidence required for closure. Retest significant changes before closing the action.

12. Playbook Appendices and Approval

The operational playbook should include:

1. One-page activation and immediate-action card.
2. Crisis team and external contact directory.
3. Resident vulnerability and transfer registers.
4. Protected indoor area and equipment checklist.
5. Minimum staffing and supply schedules.
6. Situation report, decision log and shift-handover templates.
7. Stakeholder message templates.
8. Medical transfer and relocation checklists.
9. Regulatory obligations and notification register.
10. Stand-down checklist and post-crisis action tracker.

Implementation priority: appoint the playbook owner, validate resident protection and facilities capability, approve decision authority and triggers, then exercise the arrangements. The playbook becomes operational when staff can carry out these actions reliably on every shift.

Crisis Timeline Summary

More Information About Crisis Management Blended/ Hybrid Learning Courses

To learn more about the course and schedule, click the buttons below for the  CM-300 Crisis Management Implementer [CM-3] and the CM-5000 Crisis Management Expert Implementer [CM-5].