Winter Storm Echo is causing havoc and leaving its footprint across nearly a dozen states, including Colorado. Forecasted to be a weak storm, Echo had another thing in mind.

The storm caused more than 250 flight cancellations at Denver International Airport by December 15. Airport reports stated the grounds had more than three inches of rain by 5 a.m. Tuesday the 15^th. 

Much of the Denver metro area received four to eight inches overnight. Due to snowy road conditions, many interstates were closed as well. The storm carried an abundance of snow, and also heavy rain.

Colorado residents were asked to take caution while traveling. "The roads are snow-packed," Bernie Meier, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service at Boulder, told the Denver Post. "Work from home if possible. Take your time getting to work, nice and slow."

Natural Disasters: What are you doing to prepare for your employees?

The winter season is upon us, and for many people, that means snow and icy conditions. Natural disasters, however, strike year-round. What happens if a storm hits during work hours and you must house employees until conditions are safe to travel again? Are you prepared? Ensure you are ready by using the Firestorm^® PREDICT.PLAN.PERFORM.^® methodology.

The “PREDICT” of Supplies

• What supplies should you get?
  • Identify Threats
    • Severe weather, earthquake, tornado, snow storm
    • Multiple threats- cover all bases
  • Scope and Training
    • Site objectives & policy
    • Level of training
  • Who you are covering
    • Demographics of coverage (age)
    • Special needs
  • Assume the worst
    • Past events are not the best indicator

The “PLAN” of Supplies

• How much should you get?
  • Coverage
    • Worst case- shift change/visitors
  • Duration
    • 24 hours or longer
  • Attrition
    • Zip code commute distance
    • Employees at risk policy
      • When employees go home, are they prepared for the commute? Do they have water, food, blankets? Ensure your employees are prepared once they leave the facility.
  • Usage rates (against objectives)
    • Generators, batteries
      • Ensure you have enough gasoline to power your generator for hours or even days.
  • Caloric & Hydration metrics
    • FEMA guidelines for water (the only one they provide)
    • Correct caloric levels for those covered
  • Monitoring & Maintenance (program element)
    • Shelf life monitoring
    • Integrity checks
    • Equipment PM’s & checks (i.e., generators)
    • Fuel integrity program (stabilizers, refreshers)
• How do you organize supplies?
  • “Kit” form
    • Rapid deployment
    • Avoids “shopping”
    • Application specific
      • Aligned to task – by component & functionally
  • Distribution
    • Strategically located
  • Overall cache as “one giant kit”
    • Prioritized deployment
    • Storage efficiency – fill center aisle
    • Rolling racks – strategic deployment
  • “Untrained” volunteers
    • Color coding
    • Avoid using jargon – keep language simple for volunteers

The “PERFORM” of Supplies

• Why Test Plans?
  • Train with supplies
    • Assumptions/Metrics -known & understood by ALL
    • Drills -“Dress rehearsal” & full functional
  • Continuous Improvement
    • “Hot Wash” post event
      • What worked, didn’t work
      • Input from team – ownership & competence
    • Revise assumptions/scope
  • Change – coverage, different threats, new level of training

Firestorm partner, Nexis Preparedness Systems (NPS), is the leader in providing a comprehensive approach to physical preparedness. With proprietary tools, NPS designs supply solutions based on best practices and critical metrics to align with site objectives. Additionally, NPS will monitor expiration dates so that supplies are always viable to meet response and life safety needs.

Still not sure where to start? Contact us, we can help.

What are you doing to prepare at home?

After a storm hits is not the time to plan and prepare. Right now is the time to prepare.

Everything previously discussed in this article is going to be true at home. The worse disaster you will ever see is the one that strikes your business or family. We have seen these personal impacts repeated in crises again and again. Firestorm^® knows “every crisis is a human crisis.” Do your employees have a disaster plan at home? Ninety-five percent don’t have a plan at home. Family trumps job. Research shows that if your employees cannot be sure that their families are safe, they will not show up for work. If an employee knows that their family is OK, they can then focus on their job, and that's an important element.

Learn more about preparing your business and home by downloading our free book, Disaster Ready People for a Disaster Ready America, or our webinar brief Natural Disasters in the Workplace - Providing for Employees in the Workplace.