In a disaster of the magnitude of Hurricane Katrina, perhaps a better question is whether your organization could survive the initial impact and provide initial response until additional support arrives.  Previous planning efforts have indicated that organizations should expect to be self reliant for the first 48-72 hours of any major disaster.  It is expected that within this time frame, additional resources can be deployed and become useful. 

Regardless of the cause, following Hurricane Katrina’s impact, there were significant delays in the arrival of additional resources and a coordinated rescue, response, relief and recovery effort.  The EMS units and hospitals in the impacted areas did an amazing job with the conditions and resources that they had available to initiate rescue efforts and provide necessary health care.  The stories that will be told in the coming months related to those efforts will be both heartbreaking and uplifting.

One of the lessons that has already come from this storm is the need for emergency service organizations to be better prepared to survive a disaster and provide first response until additional support services arrive.   After the attacks of September 11, 2001, hospitals and EMS organizations began to take a greater role and increased participation in emergency preparedness efforts for the community and their own facilities.  We’ve come a long way since then, but Hurricane Katrina has provided significant lessons on additional steps that need to be taken.

Organizations need to take a realistic look at what it would take to be self sufficient for 48-72 hours or longer.  This is especially true for smaller organizations that may have minimal recourses available to carry them through the initial few days.

Organizations should consider the following as they review their organizations preparedness and capabilities:

Þ           Does your organization have the capability to feed your personnel should typical resources be unavailable?  The ubiquitous meals-ready-to –eat (MRE’s) provide a solution that can be easily stored for long periods of time and provide nutritious meals.  Consider also that there may not be utilities avaialbe to store perishable foods or cook.

Þ           What are your resources for drinking water?  Do you have a well or operate off the municipal system.  What if either of these is unfit for consumption?  Can your organization maintain a stockpile of bottled water to ensure that you can provide sufficient drinking water to maintain crew hydration under stressful conditions?

Þ           Does your organization have a generator capable of supporting your operations?  A generator that is too small may be insufficient to maintain routine operations, much less emergency operations.  Also consider the location of the generator.  Hospitals in New Orleans lost their backup electrical system when their generators flooded.

Þ           Do you have a plan to address the “multiple-hat” syndrome?  This occurs when personnel have multiple responsibilities in a disaster or emergency.  The same person may be a fire-fighter with one organization, a paramedic with another and a member of a specialized team, all of which may be activated in response to the emergency.  Who gets them first?  Remember that they may also have roles outside of emergency services where they are the primary caregiver for children or an elderly relative.

Þ           Do you have a plan to deal with the families of your employees?  Can they bring their families to shelter at the organization while they are working?  For many people their first concern will be the safety and security of their family.  If you address those issues, you will likely have a greater response and retention during the initial rescue and recovery efforts.  Also consider that many consider their pets to be part of the family.  Ensure that these concerns are also addressed.  Encourage them to develop family emergency plans which include methods to contact other family members after the immediate incident has passed.

Þ           Do your personnel have “Go Bags”?   Encourage your personnel to pre-develop a suitcase, backpack or duffel bag with supplies, clothing, prescriptions and other items that they might need if they were to be at work for several days.  Provide support and assistance in completing these kits and encourage them to develop kits for each member of their family. 

There are excellent resources available from the Federal Emergency Management Agency; the American Red Cross and others that provide guidance and recommendations on emergency preparedness and business continuity.