Knowing me, knowing you
A previous Tip of the Month discussed the ‘post disaster’ priorities of the emergency services and other public authorities.
These organisations can be a great source of information during your recovery planning stage. For instance :-
· The council’s emergency planning officer can provide you with information on how their response to a major incident will be co-ordinated;
· The police can advise on the extent of any cordons which may be put up;
· The crime prevention officer can provide you with statistics on crime within your area to aid your risk management process.
Establishing relationships now could pay dividends later. For example :-
· Getting to know the fire officer and providing floor plans showing any hazardous areas could potentially gain you access to your building sooner;
· Allowing the fire brigade to use your premises for training exercises will not only help build a relationship but also means they will be more familiar with the layout of the site;
· Establishing contacts with the various bodies (police, fire brigade, emergency planner, city authority, etc) could improve access to crucial information in an emergency.
It can be helpful to make these people aware of your organisation’s recovery plans, maybe even lodging a copy with them.
So, establish those relationships now. After all, it’s not just what you know that counts, it’s who you know too!