Managing Emergencies
A Three Part Series By Thomas Helmer, Senior Director, CS&A International Risk And Crisis Management
Welcome to my three part series on Emergency Management! Over the next couple of months I will be posting short blogs covering current best practices in emergency management:
- Part One – PREVENTING AND PREPARING FOR EMERGENCIES
- Part Two – MANAGING EMERGENCIES
- Part Three – LEARNING FROM EMERGENCIES
Welcome to the second part of my three part series on Emergency Management!
Keeping in mind that different business sectors may require different response types, the overarching priority of any emergency response is to manage the People aspects first, then the impact on the Environment, followed by protecting Assets and lastly, protecting Reputation. Often referred to as the P-E-A-R model, this is a good place to start.
Part Two
MANAGING EMERGENCIES
When tasked with managing emergencies in your company, the following steps should be in place to ensure best practice:
- Alert and Raise the Alarm
- Evacuate People
- Account for People
- Mobilise Emergency Response Team and Resources
- Manage Integrated Response Resources
- Manage Stakeholders and Public Response
To develop an effective emergency management capability, organisations must first define three levels of response and establish escalation criteria:
1. Incident – A non-routine event managed internally at the premises.
Examples include minor accidents, utility interruptions, and near misses.
2. Emergency – A disruption causing injury, damage, or business impact requiring external support such as fire or ambulance services.
3. Crisis – A situation out of control affecting business objectives, reputation, and operations.
1. Alert and Raise The Alarm
When an emergency is discovered, all people must be alerted immediately and respond in a controlled manner.
Everyone must understand that alarms must be raised immediately before attempting any response.
Typical Organisational Pitfalls
- Lack of proper safety briefings
- Poor visibility of alarm points
- People waiting instead of responding immediately
2. Evacuate People
Evacuating people safely is critical to avoid injury and confusion.
- Identify emergencies requiring evacuation
- Define evacuation routes
- Assist vulnerable individuals
- Train first aid responders
Typical Organisational Pitfalls
- Untrained wardens
- Blocked or locked exits
- Poor assembly point planning
3. Account for People
Confirming everyone has evacuated is essential to avoid unnecessary rescue operations.
Typical Organisational Pitfalls
- No tracking system
- People leaving without reporting
4. Mobilise Emergency Response
Emergency resources must be mobilised immediately, even in uncertain situations.
Response Structure:
- On Scene Commander (Operational)
- Emergency Management Team (Tactical)
- Crisis Management Team (Strategic)
Typical Organisational Pitfalls
- Insufficient training
- Poor coordination
- Delay in calling external help
5. Manage Integrated Response Resources
When an emergency calls for resources from a variety of providers, e.g. security staff, volunteer fire fighters, first aiders, stretcher bearers, police, external fire brigades, ambulances, hospitals, etc., they must be well-coordinated to be effective. To avoid congestion on your site, it is essential to have detailed deployment plans upfront and share them with the various providers.
To coordinate multiple resource providers on one emergency site, the Emergency Management Team Leader and his team must keep track of who and what is mobilised using detailed tracking logs and who is where, marking plot plans for the team to keep a detailed overview. The EMTL must call regular time-outs to ensure that all team members are aligned, calibrate priorities and assess resources.
It is also necessary to consider what is needed should an emergency prolong, e.g. food and beverage, a rest and relief, and the availability of consumables e.g. firewater and fuel for trucks, tenders and buses.
When the premises are located in an urban or city environment, local emergency response authorities may take over command and control of the situation. In such cases it is critical that they understand your business and its risks, and that you are able to support them with detailed information such as layouts and the presence of any hazardous materials.
TYPICAL ORGANISATIONAL PITFALLS
- Local emergency response may be inadequately prepared for the risks found on your premises thereby posing unacceptable risks to their people and resources.
- Too much equipment is mobilised hampering the response activities.
6. Manage Stakeholders and Public Response
Stakeholders may be impacted or may perceive to be impacted by the emergency. In either case, acknowledging their needs and engaging them are essential to prevent the emergency from escalating into a company crisis.
The Emergency Management Team Leader (EMTL) is responsible to manage stakeholders, such as emergency response services, neighbours, staff and their families, local authorities, that may be impacted by the emergency and/or have bearing on the effectiveness of the emergency response efforts. The EMTL must assess what potential effects the emergency has on each of these stakeholders and what can be done to mitigate these.
In its strategic role, the Crisis Management Team (CMT) is responsible to manage a different set of stakeholders including regulators, the media and social media, politicians, shareholders, NGOs, and any other stakeholder group beyond the boundaries of the emergency response.
Both teams must learn how to manage their respective stakeholders groups during training, and practice stakeholder-mapping skills during exercises.
TYPICAL ORGANISATIONAL PITFALLS
- Stakeholders are missed or ignored.
- Stakeholder management is initiated too late or too slowly.
- The company is focused on managing the emergency alone.
Managing emergencies effectively depends greatly on the ability to engage external stakeholders early, to deploy internal and external resources optimally and to follow procedures as well as on ensuring teams are well-trained and practiced, and on conducting regular preparedness audits.
With the above guidelines, you are equipped to spearhead and support the management of emergencies for your organisation. For additional support or questions, please contact Thomas Helmer at thomas.helmer@csa-crisis.com.
Thomas Helmer is Senior Director with CS&A International Risk, Crisis and Business Continuity Management, a specialist firm working globally with multi-national clients across industry sectors. Prior to CS&A, Thomas had a long and distinguished career in the oil and gas industry with particular expertise in HSE and extensive experience as an emergency coordinator.
CS&A’s emergency response experts have helped clients in the optimisation of their facilities, processes and competencies. From emergency personnel assessments, to the development of emergency management procedures, training and testing exercises, CS&A’s emergency response services include: control room and installation audits, self-assessment models, emergency communication planning, process and control room simulator training, assembling and evacuation procedures, telephone response and family assistance, scenario design, escalation drills and much more.
For more details on CS&A’s services in emergency response management, click HERE to get in touch.
