Why are signs important?

Don't wait until a drill or an emergency to become familiar with the contents of the basic sign kit. Here are a few things you should do before an emergency occurs:

1. Sign coordinators play an important role and should be included in related planning sessions.
2. If possible, practice placing signs in the actual facility to be used as a medication center. This will help staff plan set-up logistics in advance and may save valuable time in an exercise or emergency event.
3. Plan what signs will be needed to help with traffic and parking issues.
4. PVC pipe holders. Five of these holders are needed per medication center, and the pieces will need to be purchased from a hardware store (approximately $100 in supplies) and assembled. A good pipe cutter (under $20) is also recommended.
5. The metal stanchions should be assembled prior to an event, and stored fully assembled. (Disassembling may strip the screws.)
6. Practice putting together the top sign holders. These come in several components: top sign holder (for foam core signs), the feet (two pieces) and the litho poles (two pieces). You can use one or two of the litho poles, depending what height you will need.

Every medication center will be different. This suggested layout is the basis of our sign kit design. Your medication center may differ in size, complexity or other factors. Planning ahead to account for those differences is crucial.

Printing, hardware and shipping expenses are about $3,600 for a single basic sign kit. Ordering multiple kits will reduce the cost. See the 'How to order signs' page for details.

• Most of the signs are 2-color print jobs because many medication centers in Washington State will use color-coding to help staff and the public identify stations in the center.

• We selected reuseable rather than disposable signage materials.

• Hardware costs are based on the assumption that signs will not be hung on ceilings or walls in medication centers, and will need floor stands or other display units.

To cut down on costs, consider:

• Printing signs as one-color jobs (such as black and white).

• Using disposable signage materials. (This may not reflect a cost-savings in the long-run as signs will need to be reprinted for each practice session, exercise or medication center activation.)

• Pre-planning how signs will be set-up and displayed in individual medication centers; some of the recommended hardware in the basic sign kit may not be necessary.

• Although we found all recommended signs were necessary to help control crowd-flow through the medication center, you may want to edit the signage list.

Additional supplies to have ready