Recent Rash of High Profile Disasters and Emergencies and What They Have in Common

From the Boston bombings to the Texas explosions and Ricin letters they all have elements in common, each needed citizens to be involved in helping government prevent the events. When unusual events occur we find that people have knowledge about what precipitates these events. There are always signs that can be interpreted that would indicate a significant event is about to occur. While we vigorously defend people and organizations rights to operate freely in this Country, we also have a responsibility to protect the public. In Texas we had a chemical company that had problems that could be interpreted and predicted that this event could have been prevented. In Boston there may be people that knew the disgruntled or malevolent participants had the capacity to perpetrate the bombing but they stood silent as events unfolded. Since Ricin events are so uncommon it is highly likely someone knew the suspect was pursuing this course.

We rely on each other in this society to be involved and get involved to protect our lives and limbs. As citizens we need to assist our federal, state and local government partners to make sure they are efficient and effective in their effort to protect us. Too often people see strange or unusual actions but do not report them. We see unusual packages or out of place packages and do not tell those in authority so that they can check these things out. The “See Something, Say Something” terrorism prevention program gives citizens a tool to prevent unwanted events that threaten us. Stay involved and do your part to prevent disasters and emergencies. If you need preparedness training or would like to have a preparedness discussion for your employees or community checkout my website http://www.ejones224.moonfruit.com (Systems Emergency Preparedness Consultants) and contact me via email at sysmanemerconsult@aol.com for a free consultation.

Majority Minority Jurisdictions Continue to Lose Citizens to Fire More Often In Maryland

Majority Minority population jurisdictions continue to lose citizens to fire more often in Maryland. The Maryland State Fire Prevention Commission and the State Fire Marshal continue to see trends that are disturbing as they search for ways to reduce fire deaths in Maryland. Prince George’s County, Maryland and Baltimore City, Maryland lead the State in fire deaths and this should cause citizens to pause and find out how they can get involved in reversing this trend. Fires and fire deaths can be prevented. One of the key factors in addressing this problem is gathering and uncovering data that can help fire officials and citizens to understand the factors that seem to distinguish minority communities from the general population in Maryland. This fire data is not always consistently collected and studied in minority communities like they are in majority jurisdictions. Questions linger and remain unanswered as to why minorities die in preventable fire events at a higher rate.

What questions need to be considered? Is it because Prince George’s County spends the least amount of money on its fire service than do other comparable jurisdictions in Maryland and surrounding jurisdictions? Is it because response times are above the accepted standards in Prince George’s County? If time is an important factor in survivability in fire situations is there enough attention being paid to this one factor? Are there multiple factors that exist in minority communities that do not exist in most jurisdictions? Are there more fires in minority communities? Why are there more fires? It is clear that since fires and thus fire deaths can be prevented it is important that the citizens focus on the steps their community can take to reduce this persistent trend in their community. Government obviously is only one resource that is needed to address the fire deaths in Prince George’s County and Baltimore City. The community can educate government officials on what actions are needed to assist the citizenry in dealing with this preventable emergency and disaster and its devastating effects.

If you need preparedness training or would like to have a preparedness discussion for your employees or community checkout my website http://www.ejones224.moonfruit.com (Systems Emergency Preparedness Consultants) and contact me via email at sysmanemerconsult@aol.com for a free consultation.

Threats to your organization or home can be managed and predicted.

Managing emergencies begins with understanding the possibilities of what can happen and managing those possibilities. The leadership of the organization or your own home must take the time to analyze the threats and prioritize your resources to be ready. For example “Preppers” spend a lot of time focusing on high impact but low probability events. While it may be possible for civil unrest to occur, which is a high impact event, flooding takes out more homes and organizations than many other threats and many homes and organizations do not survive a flood event.

The point is organizations need to plan for high probability events, those events that may occur repeatedly and may have a high impact on the organization. Is your home or organization in or near a flood plain? Is your organization susceptible to an event that could ruin its reputation and thus never recover? Do you have a crisis communications plan that you and your team practices?

No matter what the threat is you and your team with the help of a professional can give you the advantage to survive most disasters and emergencies. Through role play, threat assessment and planning your organization can ready for almost everything.

This blog and Systems Emergency Preparedness Consultants are dedicated to educating business owners and employees on the need to manage emergencies everyday through effective mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery actions. Accidents can be reduced, eliminated and their effects can be lessened if a good strategy is adopted.

If you need preparedness training or would like to have a preparedness discussion for your employees checkout my website http://www.ejones224.moonfruit.com (Systems Emergency Preparedness Consultants) and contact me via email at sysmanemerconsult@aol.com for a free consultation.

Brazilian Night Club Fire Kills 238 and Wounds 100

As you may be aware on January 31, 2013, a fire erupted in a Brazilian Nightclub killing hundreds and wounded many. It was reported that there were many fire code violations. It was also reported that the club was overcrowded. My main point in writing this blog is to draw your attention to issues of safety, no matter what establishment you go to for enjoyment. Having a good time is meant to be a memorable experience. You want to enjoy the day and evening events until you safely reach home.

You must remember that while there are many people who are supposed to be participating in making sure you have safe experiences, it is ultimately your responsibility to make sure you are safe. When a building is overcrowded you can feel that. Yes, you arrived at the most happening place of the day, and the place is packed. Is jeopardizing your safety worth the experience? In the Brazilian fire many people got out with their lives. There was an estimated 2000 or so people attending the event. For those who got out alive, they are probably still scarred by the tragedy. For those who lived but had loved ones and friends die, they will mourn for the rest of their lives.

When you enter any building you must educate yourself on how you will get out should an emergency take place. You must note if the exits are blocked. You must decide if the place is too crowded to stay at the event. If you have a few drinks and become impaired your chances of escape are also impaired. In this day and age it seems we can no longer just have a designated driver, we need a designated safety buddy as well.

A few tips:

When you enter a facility remember your entrance point because it will most likely be the first place you attempt to exit if something goes wrong.

Pay attention to your surroundings. If you have to leave in a hurry you will need some visual cues to remind you in which direction you should travel when you exit the building.

Pay attention to the exit signs. Most exit signs tell you in which direction to travel when you are looking for an exit. Most modern buildings have exits within 200 feet of any point in the building.

Check to see if there is a window near you. If the place becomes overcrowded in an emergency you may have to exit through a window.

Don’t panic and stay calm. You will need to have a clear head when you are under emergency conditions. If you become overwhelmed you may not be able to concentrate to find your way out. One way to ensure you are calm is taking the time to prepare for an emergency, should one occur, in the building you are in. Being prepared elevates your chance of survival.

This blog and Systems Emergency Preparedness Consultants are dedicated to educating business owners and employees on the need to manage emergencies everyday through effective mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery actions. Accidents can be reduced, eliminated and their effects can be lessened if a good strategy is adopted.

If you need preparedness training or would like to have a preparedness discussion for your employees checkout my website http://www.ejones224.moonfruit.com (Systems Emergency Preparedness Consultants) and contact me via email at sysmanemerconsult@aol.com for a free consultation.

In the Light of Connecticut We See a Void of Leadership and Management Nationally

Managing emergencies is a continuous process.  The process requires us to examine the threats to our society and then requires us to take action.  Obviously when we compare our country’s environment to the rest of the world we come up woefully short in the area of gun violence.  What do we do about it? We allow prudent laws like the assault weapons ban to lapse. What king of leadership and management is that?  What kind of leaders are we electing to help us as we navigate this life? What kind of people are running for office that do not have the courage to do what is best for this country?  This is not a political issue this is a management and leadership issue.

Leaders and managers solve problems.  Leaders and managers gather the resources necessary to end threats to our health and well-being.  If we allow threats to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness to go unchecked how do we show we are committed to these principles. How are we the greatest nation on earth? We need to go back to the basics.  Mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery activities are what we should be focused on.  Prevent violence or reduce its effects.  Gun control activities may not prevent gun violence but it can minimize its effects.  So we need to take mitigative action it is that simple. We need courageous leaders who sacrifice for the American people. One of the greatest threats to Americans is gun violence.  Where are the leaders who will put their career on the line for the good of the American people? If more Americans are killed each year due to gun violence than all the Americans who died in the Vietnam war then we need leaders who are capable of stopping that threat. Our prayers are with the families of those affected by this tragedy.

This blog and Systems Emergency Preparedness Consultants are dedicated to educating business owners and employees on the need to manage emergencies everyday through effective mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery actions. Accidents can be reduced, eliminated and their effects can be lessened if a good strategy is adopted.

If you need preparedness training or would like to have a preparedness discussion for your employees checkout my website http://www.ejones224.moonfruit.com Systems Emergency Preparedness Consultants and contact me via email at sysmanemerconsult@aol.com for a free consultation.

The Explosion – BP’s Culture of Privileging Profit Over Prudence.

“The explosion of the rig was a disaster that resulted from BP’s culture of privileging profit over prudence,” said Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.  ”The information details that, on the evening of April 20, the two supervisors, Kaluza and Vidrine, observed clear indications that the Macondo well was not secure and that oil and gas were flowing into the well.   Despite this, BP’s well site leaders chose not to take obvious and appropriate steps to prevent the blowout.   As a result of their conduct, control of the Macondo well was lost, resulting in catastrophe.”  As part of its plea agreement, BP has admitted that, through Rainey, it withheld documents and provided false and misleading information in response to the U.S. House of Representatives’ request for flow-rate information.   Among other things, BP admitted that Rainey manipulated internal estimates to understate the amount of oil flowing from the well and withheld data that contradicted BP’s public estimate of 5,000 barrels of oil per day.   BP has also admitted that, at the same time Rainey was preparing his manipulated estimates, BP’s internal engineering response teams were using sophisticated methods that generated significantly higher estimates.    The Flow Rate Technical Group, consisting of government and independent scientists, later concluded that more than 60,000 barrels per day were leaking into the Gulf during the relevant time, contrary to BP’s representations to Congress.”  http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2012/November/12-ag-1369.html

The information highlights noted above taken from the Department of Justice website shows why organizations need to invest in strategies that allow them to manage emergencies everyday. Everyone wants profits but in order to secure those profits we need to make investments in safety and prevention.  When things go wrong we need investments for response and recovery efforts as well. As you examine the issues confronting BP over a period of time you can see parallels in how many organizations take similar chances and risks to be profitable that will one day catch up to them.  The risks in the operating any business are threatening enough without the added issues of cutting corners and neglect which almost always lead to disasters.  Focusing on mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery activities are the only methods proven to avoid or reduce the effects of disasters and emergencies.

BP had the money to make the investments needed to improve their operations in the Gulf and other operations around the world. They had the expertise to know that the risks they were taking could prove costly.  The investment needed to eliminate or manage the risks were minimal compared to the record fines, criminal and civil liabilities they face today.  It should be a lesson to all organizations to do the right thing and make the investments to keep the organization on a path to profitability and prosperity without risking the lives and livelihoods of the workers and the community they are seeking to serve. Watch a riviting documentary on how BP ignored risks and threats to their corporation daily before the big spill http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/the-spill/.

This blog and Systems Emergency Preparedness Consultants are dedicated to educating business owners and employees on the need to manage emergencies everyday through effective mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery actions. Accidents can be reduced, eliminated and their effects can be lessened if a good strategy is adopted.

If you need preparedness training or would like to have a preparedness discussion for your employees checkout my website http://www.ejones224.moonfruit.com/ (Systems Emergency Preparedness Consultants) and contact me via email at sysmanemerconsult@aol.com for a free consultation.

Tip of the Day – Increase Organizational Learning about Managing Emergencies

Business leaders and owners take great steps to hire the best and the brightest people and their performance they hope will be matched by few in rival companies. One thing that is often forgotten is that managing emergencies is a behavior that is learned not an innate talent.  Consider a large Department store like Sears, Wal-Mart or a large mall.  If an emergency occurred where there needs to be an immediate evacuation, how confident are you that 1) your employees would know how to get everyone out or 2) you would know how to get out if your first choice in exit is not available? One scenario that will put a your knowledge of how to get out in a hurry is the active shooter.  There have been many stories about employees becoming trapped in stores and customers trapped in stores because they do not know where the nearest exits are besides the main entrance/exits.

As the owner or operator what steps have you taken to make sure your exits are clearly visible and route to get to those exits are clear and easy.  Most stores have shelves so high you can’t see any other area of the store from that point.  Some have aisles that lead to other aisles and not a main aisle that leads to remote exits.  All stores have remote exits but can one find them in a true emergency like an active shooter incident?  If getting out is a priority why do we feel like we are in a maze?  As an Inspector for many years I know business owners are concerned about cost, and that is important, but they also don’t think about the simple things that do not have a large cost like illuminating the exit pathway or placing signs that explain which way one needs to go to get to the exit.  Sure the exit signs are there and you can see them in the distance but there is a maze to get to it.  Line of sight of an exit sign is not always enough.

The active shooter scenario lets us know our world has changed and we need to change our evacuation plans to meet the needs of the day, assuming you have an evacuation plan. If you don’t have an evacuation plan then you now have one good reason to increase your organization’s learning in the area of managing emergencies. One of the first lessons is how to get out of the threatening environment.  I am sure you have seen movies when the shooter is stalking employees and people are trapped in their workspace. Most exits are no more than 200 feet away from any point in a room but the exit is almost invisible to us because we don’t know it’s there.

There are many other areas where we can increase our survival if we just increase our knowledge about disasters and emergencies and how to survive them.

This blog and Systems Emergency Preparedness Consultants are dedicated to educating business owners and employees on the need to manage emergencies everyday through effective mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery actions. Accidents can be reduced, eliminated and their effects can be lessened if a good strategy is adopted.

If you need preparedness training or would like to have a preparedness discussion for your employees checkout my website http://www.ejones224.moonfruit.com/ (Systems Emergency Preparedness Consultants) and contact me via email at sysmanemerconsult@aol.com for a free consultation.