Improving Disaster Improving Disaster Preparedness: What Preparedness: What

California Employers Can California Employers Can Learn from Other Learn from Other

CatastrophesCatastrophesFrances L. Edwards, PhD, CEMFrances L. Edwards, PhD, CEMAssociate Professor, San Jose Associate Professor, San Jose State University; Associate State University; Associate

Director, Collaborative for Disaster Director, Collaborative for Disaster MitigationMitigation

Hurdles to Disaster Hurdles to Disaster PreparednessPreparedness

1. Inadequate threat evaluation1. Inadequate threat evaluation Expecting “the cavalry”Expecting “the cavalry”

Government is broke – not stockpiling goods for own Government is broke – not stockpiling goods for own first responder employeesfirst responder employees

72 hours for federal response72 hours for federal response Inadequate number of emergency responders to Inadequate number of emergency responders to

meet all needs – so focus on most critical that require meet all needs – so focus on most critical that require professional trainingprofessional training

Don’t understand how rapid onset will beDon’t understand how rapid onset will be E.g., earthquake, terrorismE.g., earthquake, terrorism No time to wait for outside direction to save livesNo time to wait for outside direction to save lives

Hurdles to Disaster Hurdles to Disaster PreparednessPreparedness

2. 2. Lack of resources for response Lack of resources for response within the workplacewithin the workplace ““Won’t happen during my tenure” as Won’t happen during my tenure” as

CEO/CFO/other, so protect the bottom line CEO/CFO/other, so protect the bottom line profitabilityprofitability

Can’t afford lost productivity time for Can’t afford lost productivity time for employee trainingemployee training

Can’t justify investment of scarce Can’t justify investment of scarce resources in training and equipment that resources in training and equipment that may never be neededmay never be needed

Stockpiles of food, water, medical supplies, Stockpiles of food, water, medical supplies, sanitation suppliessanitation supplies

PPE and detector for CBRNEPPE and detector for CBRNE Relying on government, but response will be Relying on government, but response will be

hours to dayshours to days

Overcoming the Hurdles:Overcoming the Hurdles:What Employers Can DoWhat Employers Can Do

Form a partnership with Form a partnership with CEO/CFO to view CEO/CFO to view Business Continuity plan Business Continuity plan as an insurance policyas an insurance policy Not just ITNot just IT Vital recordsVital records Employees are key to Employees are key to

response and recovery!response and recovery! NO Bus drivers refused to NO Bus drivers refused to

come to work, no busses come to work, no busses for evacuation of special for evacuation of special needs populationsneeds populations

Overcoming the Hurdles:Overcoming the Hurdles:What Employers Can DoWhat Employers Can Do

Employees are the Key to your SuccessEmployees are the Key to your Success 50% of NOPD did not show up for work at some 50% of NOPD did not show up for work at some

point due to family/personal lossespoint due to family/personal losses Have an employee and family contact plan when Have an employee and family contact plan when

phones don’t workphones don’t work Buy ad time on a specific radio or TV station both in the Buy ad time on a specific radio or TV station both in the

normal work/living area and regional coverage, so normal work/living area and regional coverage, so employees know what station to monitoremployees know what station to monitor

Organize a HAM networkOrganize a HAM network Have an out of area 800# for detailed Have an out of area 800# for detailed

information on alternate work sites, report to information on alternate work sites, report to work arrangementswork arrangements

Overcoming the Hurdles:Overcoming the Hurdles:What Employers Can DoWhat Employers Can Do

Family Family preparednesspreparedness

Home Home preparednesspreparedness, reunification, reunification

50 NOPD left their 50 NOPD left their posts to care for posts to care for familyfamily

80% of NOPD 80% of NOPD homelesshomeless

Memo re: Employee Memo re: Employee Assistance ProgramsAssistance Programs

Website information Website information for employees on for employees on anxiety, children’s anxiety, children’s fearsfears

Note TV for Information

Overcoming the Hurdles:Overcoming the Hurdles:What Employers Can DoWhat Employers Can Do

Educate employees Educate employees about safety in the about safety in the workplace: duck and workplace: duck and cover, use of safety cover, use of safety systems - e.g. lab systems - e.g. lab cupboard locks, securing cupboard locks, securing furnishings, equipmentfurnishings, equipment

Educate employees Educate employees about 72 hours of self-about 72 hours of self-preparedness: “Car or preparedness: “Car or Desk Kit”Desk Kit”

Overcoming the Hurdles:Overcoming the Hurdles:What Employers Can DoWhat Employers Can Do

Form a partnership with the employee Form a partnership with the employee organizations/unionsorganizations/unions Keep them informed of the focus of the effort: Keep them informed of the focus of the effort:

employee safetyemployee safety Reassure them about any changes in working Reassure them about any changes in working

conditions, e.g. having to wear a badge, some conditions, e.g. having to wear a badge, some positions requiring backgrounding in the futurepositions requiring backgrounding in the future

Have a pre-made labor agreement for staff to Have a pre-made labor agreement for staff to default to vacation if there is no work rather default to vacation if there is no work rather than going to disaster unemploymentthan going to disaster unemployment

Overcoming the Hurdles:Overcoming the Hurdles:What Employers Can DoWhat Employers Can Do

Use cost/benefit as guide in developing Use cost/benefit as guide in developing projects projects Focus on immediately beneficial actions, Focus on immediately beneficial actions,

like creation of an ERT – day to day medical like creation of an ERT – day to day medical emergencies as well as disastersemergencies as well as disasters

Consider low cost options like extra bottled Consider low cost options like extra bottled water to rotate through an existing system, water to rotate through an existing system, extra food in the cafeteria that rotates extra food in the cafeteria that rotates through – one time costthrough – one time cost

Overcoming the Hurdles:Overcoming the Hurdles:What Employers Can DoWhat Employers Can Do

Practical site considerationsPractical site considerations Hold evacuation drills-saved lives on 9/11Hold evacuation drills-saved lives on 9/11 Enhance internal securityEnhance internal security

Badges/visitor IDBadges/visitor ID Hazardous materials securityHazardous materials security Biological agent securityBiological agent security Loading dock confirmation/monitoringLoading dock confirmation/monitoring

Remove signs from HVAC intakeRemove signs from HVAC intake UPS, generator with rotated fuel storageUPS, generator with rotated fuel storage

Overcoming the Hurdles:Overcoming the Hurdles:What Employers Can DoWhat Employers Can Do

Work place violence Work place violence awareness/disgruntled awareness/disgruntled employeeemployee ““Dirty Donut”Dirty Donut”

Mail handlingMail handling Suspicious package Suspicious package

trainingtraining Mail delivery/acceptance Mail delivery/acceptance

proceduresprocedures Employee absenteeism Employee absenteeism

surveillance and surveillance and reporting to County reporting to County Health DepartmentHealth Department

Overcoming the Hurdles:Overcoming the Hurdles:What Employers Can DoWhat Employers Can Do

Evaluate all safety systemsEvaluate all safety systems Update or repair fire alarms, including Update or repair fire alarms, including

ADA complianceADA compliance Lock all external doors except for main Lock all external doors except for main

public entrances, including all stairway public entrances, including all stairway exits at the ground floor level and exits at the ground floor level and “backdoors”“backdoors”

Install a PA or CAN for building Install a PA or CAN for building notifications to employeesnotifications to employees

Businesses with a BCP Businesses with a BCP Weathered KatrinaWeathered Katrina

Hibernian BankHibernian Bank Had office space and apartments rented with company Had office space and apartments rented with company

funds, based on its emergency plan at a location 7 hours funds, based on its emergency plan at a location 7 hours from New Orleansfrom New Orleans

Housing was for employees, their families and their petsHousing was for employees, their families and their pets 107 branches effected, 47 re-opened within a week, 39 107 branches effected, 47 re-opened within a week, 39

more within a month; 21 severely damaged, long-termmore within a month; 21 severely damaged, long-term Wal-MartWal-Mart

Had 123 damaged stores, reopened 18 within 1 weekHad 123 damaged stores, reopened 18 within 1 week Shipped recovery supplies to its stores: mops, buckets, Shipped recovery supplies to its stores: mops, buckets,

bleach and diapersbleach and diapers Northrup-GrummanNorthrup-Grumman

Sent out 3,000 paychecks from their Texas location to Sent out 3,000 paychecks from their Texas location to their shipyard workers, used Western Union for workers their shipyard workers, used Western Union for workers who could not get to their work sitewho could not get to their work site

Speaker Contact Speaker Contact InformationInformation

Frances L. Edwards, M.U.P., Ph.D., CEMFrances L. Edwards, M.U.P., Ph.D., CEM Associate Professor, San Jose State UniversityAssociate Professor, San Jose State University Associate Director, Collaborative for Disaster Associate Director, Collaborative for Disaster

MitigationMitigation One Washington Square, San Jose, 95124-0119One Washington Square, San Jose, 95124-0119 408-924-5559408-924-5559 kc6thm@yahoo.comkc6thm@yahoo.com www.sjsu.edu/cdmwww.sjsu.edu/cdm

Overcoming the Hurdles:Overcoming the Hurdles:What Employers Can DoWhat Employers Can Do