The magnitude of the earthquake and aftershock we just experienced in Southern California is a good reminder that Mother Nature is unpredictable and that we always need to be at the ready. While that “reminder” is good to keep us aware, it can have a detrimental effect on how we need to be reviewing and re-evaluating our current readiness.
For years, plans and responses were built around “the big one” in California. Trainings, table tops, and drills were all about earthquake scenarios. During the last several years, company risk profiles have changed with new and emerging threats in ways we never thought possible. With the recent reminder, now is the time to consider the following:
- Review your existing Risk & Threat Assessment against current emerging threats. For companies with multiple sites, be sure to identify any site risk nuances as well as understanding risks posed by the types of operations your neighbors have that are uniquely local in nature.
- Make sure your Emergency Response Plan aligns to the new and emerging threats. Plans need to be actionable and provide enough detail so that “untrained volunteers” can be utilized effectively.
- Make sure your supply resources align to your program, threats, and program maturity. Also, a resource supply design needs to be metric driven and track expiration dates.
- Response teams need to be aware how to deploy supply resources effectively during an event that could vary with the emerging threats.
- Evaluate and test your response with well-designed exercises and make sure after action reviews lead to continuous improvement. Plan exercises around those emerging threats you may have not considered before.
- With some of the new threats being regional in scope (wildfires, floods, earthquakes), having an Employee Personal Preparedness program is even more critical for business recovery. Employee programs should go beyond supplies and include personal risk assessments and personal family response plans.
It’s time to be proactive and re-evaluate your existing programs against scenarios you may have not considered. At Nexis Response we are here to help you improve your readiness solutions in order to keep your employees and business safe.
Contact us today for a No-Fee Assessment.
