Emergency Management

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Emergency management is a key aspect of any organization. A business can fall victim to a number of emergencies including natural disasters, fires, and terror attacks to name a few. Security professionals play an integral role in emergency management. They are often first responders to emergencies within an organization. As such, the security manager should be a part of the emergency management process from brainstorming to implementation. The four components to the emergency management process are mitigating, preparing, responding, and recovering.

Mitigating an emergency is when an organization does their part to ensure a particular situation does not occur. An example of this is during construction, an organization can pay extra for their facility to be built with fire retardant materials. This does not completely eliminate the risk of a fire however; it does lessen the risk of a fire spreading throughout the building and potentially destroying everything. Mitigation may not always remove a threatening factor, but it will lessen the consequences of a particular event shall it occur.

If an emergency can not be mitigated, an organization must prepare for it. When preparing for an emergency, a business will plan what steps should be taken in the event of a particular emergency. Following the fire example, the preparation may include the placement of fire extinguishers, rally points for evacuation, accountability, and what actions each individual should take given the circumstances. This allows for everyone to be on the same page and keeps the situation as orderly as possible.

The next step in the process is responding. Depending on the emergency at hand, the response can happen immediately or in phases. A predictable emergency, such as weather, can be responded to in a phase manner. The individuals that respond will be determined by the type of emergency. During a fire, it should be written in the plan and someone should execute notifying the fire department which will generate an immediate response. A response for a flood warning may generate a layered response from civil engineers to fortify the facility and perhaps individuals to move assets that are in danger of water damage.

Recovery is the final stage in the emergency management process. During this phase, an organization rebuilds. Keeping along with the fire scenario, this can begin by calling the insurance company. That will lead to rebuilding the affected areas and getting people back into a safe work environment.