CONSULT WITH AN EXPERT
Years ago, when I worked for the American Red Cross (ARC), I had two job titles while there. My last role at the ARC was as the Project Manager for the Safe in the Sound Preparedness Campaign and my first job was serving as the Workplace Preparedness Program Manager. In that latter role, I was responsible for working with organizations on their preparedness efforts with a particular emphasis on staff preparedness.
As the Workplace Preparedness Program Manager, one of my responsibilities was to periodically conduct educational seminars for ARC staff members on preparedness measures. Oddly, it was an elective option for staff and virtually every time, it was the same group of people attending. Yet, when we invited a SME from the outside world (beyond the walls of the ARC) many more would attend. At that time, I realized that there was a perceived level of expertise from the outside source.
I would also share that most of the employees that worked with me at the ARC were grossly under prepared. In fact, when I was working on the Continuity of Operations plans with a former COO, she was adamant that one of the Chapter's contingency plans was that the Director of Emergency Services would make it into the office when a catastrophic event occurred. Which was highly unlikely, as the ARC, is located in S. Seattle and was at least 10 miles S.E. of the Director's home on Magnolia just up the hill from Interbay. For those of you that are unaware, the InterBay area is one of the most vulnerable areas for soil liquefaction to occur from an earthquake and will likely impair transportation from Magnolia to the rest of Seattle. I shared that not only would the Director likely not make it into the office, she would also likely not be able to assist remotely, as communications would likely fail too. As a result of this discussion, I quickly recognized that we needed help from an outside SME. We then sought support from our volunteer database and found a business continuity professional able to assist us build our plans.
Does your organization need an external SME to help motivate your colleagues to prepare? Could you benefit from a SME to train your staff on preparedness measures and help the organization enhance or develop their contingency plans? If so, HT2 is ready to meet your needs.
Lean on us and our expertise to assist you. Contact us to learn more about preparedness measures or to schedule a presentation, safety walk, tabletop exercise, home consultation or general consultation with HT2, please Click Here!