1

Ready or Not?

Identifying (and Filling) Critical Gaps in Private Sector Disaster

Preparedness

H. Lobdell

Director

National Emergency Response & Rescue

Training Center

Texas Engineering

Extension Service

The Texas A&M

University System

National Emergency

Response and Rescue Training

Center (NERRTC)

Purpose

�Discuss the results of a survey of private

sector preparedness conducted for

NERRTC

�Discuss ways in which private industry can

contribute to state and local preparedness

�Discuss closing the shortfalls

2

�Explore the degree to which companies have already prepared for response & recovery.

�Survey the level of planning, training and exercise for emergency response.

�629 online interviews were conducted among those with the responsibility or authority for planning and preparing to respond to disasters or terrorist attacks.

Survey

Six Industry Sectors

1. Chemical/Petrochemical

2. Energy3. Transportation/Trucking4. Commercial Facility

5. Healthcare/Medical6. Amusement / Recreation / Sports / Entertainment

• Over 100 interviews in each sector

Key Question Areas

�Company size

�Most recent experiences with disaster response/recovery

planning/training/drills

�Types of individuals involved in

disaster response/recovery

planning/training/drills

�Rating of plans/training/drills

3

Detailed Findings

10,000+

Employees

32%

1,000 to4,99927%

500 to99925%

The organizations participating in this research range widely in their size.

• While the median size was about 4,500 employees, 25% have fewer than 1,000 employees and 32% have more than 10,000.

5,000 to

9,99915%

Median 4,550Employees

Disaster response/rescue is usually assigned to a mid- or upper-level manager.�Few organizations appear to have a position dedicated

exclusively to disaster response/recovery. Total Total (629) (629) % % Managerial 53 Other Administrator 4 Agent * Director 11 Analyst 5 Executive 3 Architect * Manager (Operations/Sales/Disaster) 30 Assistant 1 Supervisor 5 Chief Dispatcher 1 Coordinator 3 Top Level 7 Consultant/Specialist 5 CEO/Chairman 3 Engineer 8 COO/CFO/Technology Officer 1 Fellow 1 Vice President (Oper./Emerg. Planning/Info.) 3 Officer 1 Medical (Surgeon/Nurse/Paramedic/etc.) 3 Financial 1 Accountant * Controller 1

4

7%

45%48%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Mostly by Company

Employees

By a Combination of

Employees and

Consultants

Mostly by

Consultants

93%

Employee involvement appears to be a requisite of disaster planning.� Half say their plans were developed mostly by company employees.

� Of those who used outside consultants, nearly all also involved their

employees to a substantial degree.

52%

4%13%

25%

58%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Within Last 6

Months

Within Last

Year

Over 1 Year

Ago

Don't Have a

Plan

Most organizations appear to assign at least some priority to disaster recovery.• More than half updated their disaster plans in the past six

months, and eight of ten did so in the past year.

83%

17%

12%9%

21%

58%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Within Last 6

Months

Within Last

Year

Over 1 Year

Ago

Haven't

Conducted Any

Training

• More than half the companies have conducted training within the past six months.

• A substantial minority (21%) either have never trained their employees or have not trained them in over a year.

79%

21%

5

25%

13%15%

47%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Within Last 6

Months

Within Last

Year

Over 1 Year

Ago

Haven't

Conducted Any

Drills

While less likely to have conducted a drill than training or planning, more than half have done so within the past year.

�That said, a full quarter (25%) have never conducted a drill.

62%

38%

Preparedness Continuum

39%

61%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Yes No

A majority of organizations conducting drills involved the jurisdictional organizations with which they would have to coordinate in the event

of a real disaster.

�A substantial minority did not.

6

Private Sector Participation

�Company conducts exercise in coordination

with jurisdictional exercise

�Test company response plan

�Evaluate coordination with local authorities

�Identify assistance needed by or which can be

provided by the company

�Test notification and communication

�Test continuity/recovery plans

Private Sector Participation

� Industry participation at the State Emergency Operations

Center as a resource to provide:

�Advice on status of critical infrastructure

�Essential supplies -- food, water, fuel, etc.

�Stockpiles of equipment and materials

�Locations for staging/operations/shelters

�Transportation, communications, logistics

�More practical for industry to provide a limited number

of personnel at the state level than at each local EOC

The Texas Experience

• Pre-Katrina / Rita

• Current partnerships

– Texas Fuels Group

– Food, Water, Ice Distribution

7

7% 7% 6%

29% 24%19%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Plans Training Drills

Excellent Very Good

37%31%

25%

The majority of those responsible for disaster recovery consider their plans, training and drills to be less than optimal.• Only 37%, or less, consider their plans, training and drills to be

“excellent” or “very good”.

Industry VerticalTotal Chemical Energy Transport. Comm. Health Entertainment (629) (105) (105) (105) (105) (105) (104)

% % % % % % %

Updated Plans within past 6 months 58 64 64 60 47 61 49

Conducted Training within past 6 months 58 58 66 58 44 72 46

Conducted a Drill with the past 6 months 47 45 63 45 31 62 38

The Commercial and Entertainment industry appear to be somewhat less prepared than other

sectors.

� While satisfaction is low across all sectors,

Entertainment, Commercial and, to some extent,

Transportation organizations are the least satisfied.

� Chemical organizations are the most satisfied with

their disaster programs but even they indicate

improvements are warranted, particularly in the areas

of training and drills.

� Companies with 10,000 or more employees are the

most satisfied with their programs, but still admit

an opportunity for improvement.

Conclusions

8

Survey Conclusions

�The companies participating in this research, regardless of size, are largely attentive to disaster response/recovery, although a considerable number are not up-to-date.

�Most organizations are not highly satisfied with their disaster recovery plans, training or exercises.

Preparing Texas Today... Preparing Texas Today... Preparing Texas Today...

...for Tomorrow...for Tomorrow...for Tomorrow’’’s Challengess Challengess Challenges

Governor’s Division of Emergency Management

Texas Department of Public Safety

Preparedness Continuum

9

Texas Exercise Program

�A Program Combining Planning, Training

and Exercises

�Terrorism, Natural Disaster and Health

�Local, Regional and Statewide

�Public and Private Sector Participation

�Both Prevention and Response Exercises

• Jurisdictional understanding of key components of program

• Program “buy in” from jurisdiction and confirm key program dates

Interactive, working meeting to design scenario and coordinate

training and exercise requirements

Forum to discuss strategic and executive level

WMD/Terrorism preparedness issues

Outcome: participants ready to “manage” the

incident using ICS

Enhanced Response

Plans,

Improvement Plan &

After Action Reports

Workshop for personnel with PIO duties, or who would be

involved in media related duties

Pre-exercise working meeting to identify jurisdictional needs, capabilities and

emphasis areas for training and exercise requirements

A walkthrough to ensure all participants

understand the plan and their roles

Texas Exercise Milestones

Texas

Incident Exercise

Program Orientation

Incident Exercise

Pre Exercise Tabletop

Incident Command System

w/ Tabletop Exercise

Senior Officials Workshop

PIO WMD Workshop

Exercise Scenario Planning

Meeting

Pre-Orientation

Jurisdictional Assessment

Meeting

Implement Improvement

Plan / Follow-up

Assessment and Monitoring

Exercise Scenario

Planning Meeting

Interactive, working meeting to design scenario and coordinate training and

exercise requirements

Exercise Milestones

10

Senior Officials

Workshop (SOW)

Incident Command

System (ICS) w/Tabletop

Exercise

Forum for elected and non-elected senior officials to discuss strategic

and executive level WMD/terrorism

preparedness issues

Outcome: Exercise participants

ready to manage the incident using NIMS/ICS

PIO WMD Workshop

Workshop for personnel with PIO

duties, or who would be involved in media related responsibilities

Exercise Milestones

Pre-exercise Tabletop

Provides a pre-exercise walk

through to ensure all participants understand the plan and their roles

Exercise Milestones

Incident Exercise

Enhanced

Response Plans, Improvement

Plan & After Action Reports

Exercise Milestones

11

� Objective 1: Gain Control of Incident� Situational appraisal and awareness

� (“How big is big?; How bad is bad?”)

� Establish ICS structure

� Identification of WMD agent(s)

� Immediate protective measures

� Other immediate threats and vulnerabilities

� Objective 2: Coordinate Response� Communications interoperability

� Mutual aid agreements

� Response asset visibility and time frames

� Inform the public and media relations�

Exercise Objectives

Objective 3: Request Assistance� Regional jurisdictions

� Mutual aid agreements

� State resources via the DDC

� Federal support via DDC and state

� Private and charitable organizations

� Industry

Objective 4: Mass Care� Medical and health

� Evacuation� Sheltering

Exercise Objectives

Objective 5: Mass Decontamination� Scope of decontamination

� Type of decontamination

� Resources required for type and scope of

decontamination

� Evacuation to decontamination locations

Objective 6: Resolution/Restoration/Recovery� Identify desired end-state

� Identify mid-term resource requirements and actions

� Identify long-term resource requirements and actions

Exercise Objectives

12

Prevention Exercise Objectives

�� Enhance capability to deter or prevent Enhance capability to deter or prevent

WMD/terrorism incidentsWMD/terrorism incidents

�� Improve the planning and cooperation Improve the planning and cooperation

betweencriticalbetweencritical infrastructure entities, private, infrastructure entities, private,

local, state and federal law enforcement.local, state and federal law enforcement.

�� Improve the exchange of intelligence between Improve the exchange of intelligence between

privateprivate, local, state and federal law enforcement , local, state and federal law enforcement

in the prevention or deterrence of a terrorist in the prevention or deterrence of a terrorist

incident.incident.

Preparing the Nation Today...

...for Tomorrow’s Challenges

Assess

Plan & Organize Equip ExerciseTrain

National Emergency Response and Rescue

Training Center

Questions?

http://teexweb.tamu.edu/nerrtc

nerrtc@teexmail.tamu.edu

H. Lobdell