When it comes to facilities management —as we’ve sadly been reminded recently and all too often — there is no such thing as being over-prepared. When you are faced with a natural disaster, a medical emergency, or unpredictable crowds, to name a few, your level of readiness is key to an ideal and successful outcome.
It takes planning, preparedness, and practice to handle an emergency efficiently and smoothly. To ensure that your response meets the challenges of the hour, you need well-oiled protocols.
Five Preparedness Steps to Mitigate the Effects of a Disruptive Event
- Hire the most qualified security team possible, and make sure everyone is thoroughly trained and equipped with a comprehensive emergency notification system
- Make sure the security team has done a comprehensive review of the venue and prepared for all eventualities
- Understand insurance costs and benefits: proper preparation for emergencies should lower your insurance costs
- Implement a push-of-a-button notification solution that cuts response time from agonizing minutes to life-saving seconds, and allows for first responders to get to the emergency faster
- Regularly test all communication networks to ensure everything is functioning optimally
The last thing you want your teams to experience in case of an emergency is panic. Their responses should come without hesitation or second guessing their actions. The key to that outcome is information and communication, when it counts. When safety is on the line, minutes matter. Seconds matter more.
