Emergency Management

Winter may conjure up imagery suitable for a Norman Rockwell painting: sitting by the fire with a hot drink in hand, enjoying the twinkling lights and decorations, and watching through the window as snowflakes drift lazily through the air. But the reality is that the business impact of winter weather is anything but idyllic.

The economic impact of a simple snowstorm can be upwards of $1 billion. And it’s not just companies in the path of those epic nor’easters that need to take heed. Last winter, unusually cold weather as far south as Florida even caused several theme parks to close. Read More

Following the tragic 2015 Paris terror attacks, the Wall Street Journal published an article highlighting companies’ reassessments of travel security policies. One specific company impacted during the attacks was A.T. Kearney, a global management consultant with about 300 employees either working or traveling for business in the Paris area during the time. When they heard news of the attacks, the company immediately sent out a message to employees using their emergency notification system in an attempt to verify their location and status—but three days later, one employee still had not responded.

Managing Partner Johan Aurik checked the employee’s Facebook page and was relieved to find that the employee had just updated their picture with a French flag. Mr. Aurik learned a valuable lesson from the experience that we can all take away. Sending one message over one channel once just isn’t enough. Thankfully, in this case, the unresponsive employee ended up being alright. But waiting three days hoping to see some sign of life is not a situation any company wants to be in. Ensuring corporate travel safety requires comprehensive planning and a robust emergency communication system. Following these four tips will get your organization headed in the right direction.

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In 2018 alone, 213 casualties resulted from active shooter events in the United States. No company ever wants to think about an active shooter event occurring at their workplace, but with the number of active shooter incidents on the rise, it is crucial for companies to have an active shooter response plan in place. Since at least 60% of active shooter events end before the police even arrive, teaching employees response strategies can help save many lives. In this blog post we evaluate the most common method taught in the United States: “Run, Hide, Fight.” Read More

Most companies never want to think about the potential for an active shooter event at their workplace. The “it won’t happen here” mentality has resulted in many companies being unprepared to respond to a mass shooting event. In reality, more than half of all active shooter events—60%—occurred in the workplace in 2018. With no active shooter response plan, companies fail to provide their employees with the proper protection and safety. Read More

 No one expects to have a fire or other disaster at work, but they happen every day in office buildings across the country. We like to think of our workplaces as predictable outposts full of copiers, Keurig machines, and maybe a few too many meetings. But the truth is that when a fire breaks out, employees’ lives can be on the line. You and your company’s leaders need to be familiar with how to conduct a fire drill at work. By scheduling regular fire drills, your company can plan for a potential fire and prepare employees to exit the building safely.

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