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Prepare for the Worst |
The morning of Sept. 11, 2001, will undoubtedly stick in the minds of Americans for years to come. Many remember where they were and what they were doing when the attack happened.
Donna Childs, chief executive officer of Childs Capital LLC in New York, was running errands in the underground concourse between the World Trade Center towers that morning. In the following days, employees across the country went to work knowing that workplaces all over the country would be changed forever.
Some companies took months to get back in the swing of things, but Childs' company, just a few blocks from Ground Zero on Wall Street, was up and running seven days later. She attributes her company's resiliency to its preparedness plan.
“Because of the symbolic importance attached to reopening the New York Stock Exchange and because our office was directly on Wall Street, civil authorities allowed us to reopen on Sept. 18, 2001, “she said. “Nevertheless, we were without essential services for some time, such as electricity, landline telephone, gas, water, mail delivery and pedestrian access. I effected an environmental remediation of the office to remove soot, ash and other contaminates, filed insurance claims and dealt with relief agencies.”
Child's company was so efficient in its response that it was profiled in the Department of Homeland Security's “Ready Business” campaign, a nationwide initiative to promote emergency preparedness in the workplace.
Unfortunately, not every workplace is as well organized. Although more companies recognize the need for emergency plans, many are still lacking.
No time at all- “One of the first things companies think is that emergency plans take a lot of time, money and effort,” said Tim Dimoff, a big-risk security expert and founder of SACS Consulting and Investigative Services, Inc. in Akron, Ohio. “In reality, all you need is a simple plan so your employees know where you go and where you meet.”
Dimoff, who also is the author of “Life Rage,” said just as important as knowing which evacuation routes to take, employees should know where to meet. This is a vital element, because every employee needs to be accounted for.
“If we have a workplace-violence shooting and a potential hostage situation, when safety forces arrive, we want to be able to tell them there are three people in the building or no one is left in the building.” Dimoff said. “That's very important. It tells them if there's potentially a hostage inside, or they might be hiding or they might be hurt.”
Though the government does not require emergency preparedness plans for all businesses, most large companies have one in place. Small and medium-size businesses, however, are less likely to create an emergency plan, Dimoff said.
“If you're aware of the fact that emergency procedures don't exist, bring it to the attention of the supervisor and owner of the business,” he said. “Reinforce that things have changed since 9/11, and the company needs to be responsible and safety-conscious. The key is to submit something in writing, so it's undeniable that the company has been made aware of it.”
Preparedness is best medicine- With medical emergencies, Dimoff said, all employees should know whom to call should something happen.
This could mean informing the security desk or dialing 911. Many companies offer cardiopulmonary resuscitation classes to employees, a low-cost option that could come in handy in an emergency.
For companies that don't offer CPR, Dimoff encourages employees to ask the human resources department to set up a class with the Red Cross during working hours. Such classes are either free or offered at a low cost.
Many CPR classes also include a session on how to use portable defibrillator machines, which can be mounted on a wall for easy access.
The defibrillators shock the heart in an attempt to restore a regular rhythm during cardiac arrest and are relatively easy to use. Most models automatically tell when to shock the victim and when no shock is necessary. The goal of both CPR and using a defibrillator device is to increase the odds of a victim's survival until emergency response teams get to the scene.
Location, Location. Location- One of the most important elements of a preparedness plan is being able to tell the emergency response team exactly where help is needed in the building.
“During Columbine, students were diagramming the inside of the school for 40 minutes, drawing the building for the SWAT team,” Dimoff said. Employees have several options to choose from to help authorities find the way to a victim as fast as possible.
One option is to implement a mapping system that divides buildings and rooms into color-coded and numbered sectors. Like a glorified grid map, the technology automatically sends emergency services a person's location, the location of the electricity turnoff and the nearest exits, eliminates the unnecessary lag time.
Reprinted from the Sacramento Bee, January 4, 2009 |
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