Emergency Preparedness and Business Continuity

• Introduction
• Comprehensive Preparedness
• Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan
• Mitigation
• Preparation
• Response
• Recovery
• Summary
• Appendix A: Resources and References
• Appendix B: Sample Outline of Emergency Management Plan

Introduction

Educational institutions throughout North America and around the world must prepare for unusual conditions that disrupt or otherwise affect the normal flow of operations. Some of these conditions might require urgent and immediate action on the campus in an effort to save lives and protect property and environment. Other conditions might require the institution to simply react to a national tragedy and absorb the grief felt by the campus community. Regardless, facilities managers have a vital role in helping the campus to reduce the effects of emergencies, prepare the campus for emergency action, respond to emergencies, and recover from any loss of life and damage to property.

The emergency management community believes that all emergencies are local. However, resources to respond to these emergencies can come from all over the country, depending on the scale of the event. Although facilities managers will operate in the hub of preparedness, emergency response, and business continuity, they also must understand the full span of resources, whether local, state, federal, or nongovernmental. They must know how to operate with those external resources, and they must understand the language of emergency responders.

Facilities managers play a critical role in emergency preparedness and business continuity. They direct responders, provide logistical support, and assist with short-term planning during the event as well as long-term planning for recovery. Depending on the size and scope of campus operations, a person or group already might be performing the duties of emergency manager. If so, the facilities manager must integrate activities and programs with that effort. If not, the facilities manager must lead that effort.

Regardless of whether the role is leader or follower, the facilities manager will be a vital component in all phases of emergency management planning and operations. As a subject matter expert on facilities, utilities, and operations, the facilities manager must be a credible asset to the organization in times of emergency.

This chapter prepares facilities managers for their central role in mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.