Emergency Response Plans (ERPs) are like insurance: you have them, but hope you never need to use them. Unlike insurance, though, they are not “set and forget” documents. ERPs should be all-encompassing, heavily trained, regularly reviewed, and routinely exercised. You don’t want the first live event to be the first time your ERP has been activated. Emergency situations are chaotic enough. Adding the complexity of a poorly understood response plan can actually hinder your organization’s ability to respond effectively.
The fact is, at many organizations, the ERP doesn’t get the attention it requires on a routine basis. Drills are run to satisfy auditors, not to genuinely test the plan. Training is a one-size-fits-all, box-checking exercise. Plans focus heavily on the aviation accident or incident, but not on the full range of events that can occur. Let’s explore ways to keep your ERP current, effective, and well understood.
When was your ERP last reviewed?
The days of the “red binder on the conference room shelf” are long over. We work in a distributed workforce environment now, and response plans need to be regularly reviewed for responder accessibility, content, and appropriate depth. As organizations change, the ERP should be reviewed for continued applicability. New procedures may affect existing plans. Organizational changes may require a redistribution of response tasks. It’s worth noting that a review is not the same as an ERP exercise. A review is a detailed, line-by-line, non-tactical examination of the checklist. A drill is running the checklist as written.
Do you have the correct responders?
Along with having the right plan, the right people need to be in place to execute it. If it has been a while since the last review, your responder list may need updating. The obvious reasons are an outdated list or job titles that need to be changed. However, as procedures and checklists evolve, you may also need to reconsider who is responsible for what. ERPs can be rendered ineffective if the individual running the checklist lacks decision-making authority or a fundamental understanding of what is needed. This is one area where you can’t afford to simply nominate someone — they have to have both the authority and the working knowledge to act.
Is everyone trained to the right level?
When we talk about Safety Management Systems, we say to train everyone to the level needed to discharge their duties. Emergency Response Plans are no different. Everyone at the company should receive some form of ERP training. For frontline employees, that training is awareness-based. For non-responder leaders, you might add information on their role in operational continuity during an event. Responders, however, need a different level of training entirely. They need training on the plan, certainly, but they also need training on their individual checklists. Don’t assume they know exactly what to do or where to find information. Responders should be reminded on a recurrent basis of their emergency response tasks and how to execute them.
Does your ERP cover the right events?
Aviation organizations naturally plan best for emergencies in the aviation operation. What doesn’t always follow is adequate preparation for the myriad other events that can take place: from illnesses and injuries, to fire and flood, to severe weather. This is where a good ERP earns its keep. Operators in a room can usually work through an aviation event even if the plan isn’t perfect. But can they do the same for a fire at a facility? Can they handle a tornado event as confidently as a runway excursion? They should be able to. A rock-solid ERP doesn’t focus only on aviation events, it covers all reasonable scenarios your organization may face. And every now and again, your drills should reflect that too.
Accessibility is key!
Even the most well-written and regularly reviewed response plan is useless if it isn’t there when you need it. Individuals should have multiple ways to access the plan whether they’re in the office, at home, or in a remote location. Some organizations push the response plan to individual desktops so that it’s always accessible, even without a WiFi connection. Also consider every individual who may need to access the plan and how they would do so in an emergency. A fire in the facility means the people inside probably aren’t sitting at their desks. Physical flip books are handy in facilities for exactly this reason: they can grab them on the way out.
Don’t forget about continuity!
With a longer-term ERP activation, your executives at the highest level may be tied up for hours, days, or even weeks in the worst cases. As much as we’d like to drop everything when an event occurs, you probably still have an operation to run. Encourage your responders to have a plan to delegate day-to-day duties in the event of a lengthy emergency response period. This can live in the ERP manual, but it often lives in department business continuity plans. This will ensure operational efficiency and continued safety even if a key decision maker is unavailable.
A well-written, well-rehearsed, and well-trained ERP is something you hope you never need to use. When you do need it, you want it to be there, you want it to be reliable, and you want it to be as low-friction as possible. Take this opportunity to review your plan with these key points in mind. You may just save yourself a lot of anxiety — and frustration — in the unlikely event you need to deploy it.
