6 1/2 Practical Steps to Emergency Preparedness ... Right Now!
Right, there are many more steps that should have begun at the destination and site selection phase and while you planned your program. But we’re about to have a blizzard in the mid-Atlantic and northeastern regions of the United States and I’m guessing that some of you are both personally not prepared and, in my opinion, worse, have meetings that are going on now or scheduled over the weekend or early the week of January 25 and aren’t prepared.
Your local media have told you some of the logical things — stock up on batteries, keep flashlights at the ready, have plenty of bottled water and blankets; if you live where you’re responsible for shoveling or putting out de-icer, be ready to do so. If you aren’t listening or reading local media or social media, here’s a great U.S. government resource where you will find more information.
For your meetings going on now or early next week (or the next time a weather or other emergency happens):
People First: Whatever you do, consider people and their safety first. Nothing is more important! How you will shelter in place or how you will help people depart — or not arrive if your meeting is upcoming — is the most important part of what you will do. Because you follow my blogs and those of others like Tyra Hilliard, you made an emergency/contingency plan long ago ... right? ... and know this. In case you didn’t, you will put into place the following aspects and people will be foremost in your thinking and actions.
The Show Will or Will Not Go On: Discuss the alternatives with management or clients, with your venue(s) and vendors. Remind them “People First” as you plan. Decide now—and I mean right now—if you will attempt to get people out of harm’s way now or postpone the arrivals for next week or plan for people to not arrive at all and what the contingencies are for each potential action (See item No. 4).
Communicate!: As soon as you’ve determined No. 2, communicate in all ways possible (in person at face-to-face meetings today, via email, phone, text, via app if you have one for the meeting) your recommendations for those who are at a meeting or those planning to travel today, tomorrow, or in the days following the emergency, in this case, the blizzard.
If your office/agency didn’t make individual’s travel arrangements, communicate via email and text and app (multiple ways not just one assuming people will see it) how and what people should do regarding leaving including contact information (airline, rail and bus company phones and URLs), best methods to get to their mode of transportation. If people drove to the meeting, provide information about road conditions and do not send people on their way if there is a better than 30% chance they will be in harm’s way.
Recommended: follow tweets for local police, municipalities, and travel providers. I like Joe Brancatelli (@joesentme) because he has lots of good information about airlines and trains.
It’s Not Force Majeure If It Hasn’t Happened: Postponing a meeting today for next week is pre-mature if you hope to invoke force majeure. Nothing much has happened. In D.C., where I live and work, we had the "rehearsal snow" last night that caused icy roads, road and school closures or delays. (I’ve not checked to see if there were flight delays and cancellations last night or this morning).
If you have a meeting for which people plan to travel beginning Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday—or even Tuesday — you should talk with the hotel and other venues and vendors immediately to determine what considerations there are for all parties. After a blizzard, nothing will operate immediately. Making plans for postponement or holding a meeting with fewer people (including speakers who may be unable to arrive) is a plan to put in place.
Work On Shelter-in-Place Plans: It’s possible that people will have to stay longer at the hotel in which your meeting currently is being held and locals may also want to stay there, taxing the facility and staff and their supplies. Determine what rates will apply to those who need to stay longer. Those “three days before and three days after” clauses may not help because their conditions may not apply in an emergency or they weren’t specific enough (This, we’ll discuss later in a webinar on contracting for accommodations!).
Find out what supplies the hotel has ordered in today, before the blizzard, and how they plan to accommodate staff who volunteer to stay in the hotel to serve guests or what their plans are if staff cannot arrive. Reconfirm (because you asked at site selection, right?!) what their back-ups are for power and water. Find out what emergency plans the city has. News stations here reported that in Omaha, Neb., the other day, police stopped responding to emergency calls unless people were injured, so bad were the conditions (It is expected in the D.C. area that we will have winds up to 50 mph and severe conditions and though the sun is shining as I write this, I’m a believer in what the forecast says).
If you’re in a hotel that doesn’t allow AEDs, and if you think that emergency responders may not be able to get there, see if you can — if you don’t already travel with one — find an AED to purchase at a local store to have on hand just in case. It’s the one item that may really save a life in an emergency.
Oh and don’t think that serving alcohol freely to those who are sheltered is a good idea! During one emergency (a tornado) a facility at which I did training did just that in the one building where they had an operating generator. Drunk people in emergencies are potentially more dangerous to themselves and others. You too need a clear head!
Don’t Leave Without Ensuring Every Detail is Covered: One of my best learning experiences was when a colleague left without telling me and I had to handle arrangements for a class on 9/11. YOU have a responsibility to the people and meetings you plan. Don’t leave without ensuring all things are in place to protect people and property, or put in place plans for what may happen for next week’s meetings.
I know you’re worried about yourself, family, friends. You want to get home or to the grocery store to get supplies. But if you are on-site today reading this or you’re getting ready for a meeting for next week, put all plans in place for the people who count on you.
6.5 And when this blizzard is over, you’ll revisit your contingency planning and start again to fill in the blanks for what wasn’t done and what you can do better, beginning with site and destination selection. Be safe. Be careful.
Check in here via the comments or on Twitter @meetingstoday to let us know what you do, did, and how you are. Ask your participants to do the same when they are safely home.
Reported by: Meetingstoday.com
Your local media have told you some of the logical things — stock up on batteries, keep flashlights at the ready, have plenty of bottled water and blankets; if you live where you’re responsible for shoveling or putting out de-icer, be ready to do so. If you aren’t listening or reading local media or social media, here’s a great U.S. government resource where you will find more information.
For your meetings going on now or early next week (or the next time a weather or other emergency happens):
People First: Whatever you do, consider people and their safety first. Nothing is more important! How you will shelter in place or how you will help people depart — or not arrive if your meeting is upcoming — is the most important part of what you will do. Because you follow my blogs and those of others like Tyra Hilliard, you made an emergency/contingency plan long ago ... right? ... and know this. In case you didn’t, you will put into place the following aspects and people will be foremost in your thinking and actions.
The Show Will or Will Not Go On: Discuss the alternatives with management or clients, with your venue(s) and vendors. Remind them “People First” as you plan. Decide now—and I mean right now—if you will attempt to get people out of harm’s way now or postpone the arrivals for next week or plan for people to not arrive at all and what the contingencies are for each potential action (See item No. 4).
Communicate!: As soon as you’ve determined No. 2, communicate in all ways possible (in person at face-to-face meetings today, via email, phone, text, via app if you have one for the meeting) your recommendations for those who are at a meeting or those planning to travel today, tomorrow, or in the days following the emergency, in this case, the blizzard.
If your office/agency didn’t make individual’s travel arrangements, communicate via email and text and app (multiple ways not just one assuming people will see it) how and what people should do regarding leaving including contact information (airline, rail and bus company phones and URLs), best methods to get to their mode of transportation. If people drove to the meeting, provide information about road conditions and do not send people on their way if there is a better than 30% chance they will be in harm’s way.
Recommended: follow tweets for local police, municipalities, and travel providers. I like Joe Brancatelli (@joesentme) because he has lots of good information about airlines and trains.
It’s Not Force Majeure If It Hasn’t Happened: Postponing a meeting today for next week is pre-mature if you hope to invoke force majeure. Nothing much has happened. In D.C., where I live and work, we had the "rehearsal snow" last night that caused icy roads, road and school closures or delays. (I’ve not checked to see if there were flight delays and cancellations last night or this morning).
If you have a meeting for which people plan to travel beginning Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday—or even Tuesday — you should talk with the hotel and other venues and vendors immediately to determine what considerations there are for all parties. After a blizzard, nothing will operate immediately. Making plans for postponement or holding a meeting with fewer people (including speakers who may be unable to arrive) is a plan to put in place.
Work On Shelter-in-Place Plans: It’s possible that people will have to stay longer at the hotel in which your meeting currently is being held and locals may also want to stay there, taxing the facility and staff and their supplies. Determine what rates will apply to those who need to stay longer. Those “three days before and three days after” clauses may not help because their conditions may not apply in an emergency or they weren’t specific enough (This, we’ll discuss later in a webinar on contracting for accommodations!).
Find out what supplies the hotel has ordered in today, before the blizzard, and how they plan to accommodate staff who volunteer to stay in the hotel to serve guests or what their plans are if staff cannot arrive. Reconfirm (because you asked at site selection, right?!) what their back-ups are for power and water. Find out what emergency plans the city has. News stations here reported that in Omaha, Neb., the other day, police stopped responding to emergency calls unless people were injured, so bad were the conditions (It is expected in the D.C. area that we will have winds up to 50 mph and severe conditions and though the sun is shining as I write this, I’m a believer in what the forecast says).
If you’re in a hotel that doesn’t allow AEDs, and if you think that emergency responders may not be able to get there, see if you can — if you don’t already travel with one — find an AED to purchase at a local store to have on hand just in case. It’s the one item that may really save a life in an emergency.
Oh and don’t think that serving alcohol freely to those who are sheltered is a good idea! During one emergency (a tornado) a facility at which I did training did just that in the one building where they had an operating generator. Drunk people in emergencies are potentially more dangerous to themselves and others. You too need a clear head!
Don’t Leave Without Ensuring Every Detail is Covered: One of my best learning experiences was when a colleague left without telling me and I had to handle arrangements for a class on 9/11. YOU have a responsibility to the people and meetings you plan. Don’t leave without ensuring all things are in place to protect people and property, or put in place plans for what may happen for next week’s meetings.
I know you’re worried about yourself, family, friends. You want to get home or to the grocery store to get supplies. But if you are on-site today reading this or you’re getting ready for a meeting for next week, put all plans in place for the people who count on you.
6.5 And when this blizzard is over, you’ll revisit your contingency planning and start again to fill in the blanks for what wasn’t done and what you can do better, beginning with site and destination selection. Be safe. Be careful.
Check in here via the comments or on Twitter @meetingstoday to let us know what you do, did, and how you are. Ask your participants to do the same when they are safely home.
Reported by: Meetingstoday.com
