1. Improving Resiliency through Employee Disaster Preparedness Daniel Nibouar Metro

3. The ability of an individual, organization, or community to resist, absorb, accommodate to and recover from the effect of a hazard in a timely manner. Resilience

6. Disaster Resilience

7. Plans – Mitigation – Response – Continuity – Recovery Back-up Systems Alert and Notification Partnership Disaster Resilience Risk Assessments Education and Training Wellness Programs Financial Instruments Organizational Coordination Response and Recovery Capabilities

8. 2004 Survey of Medical Reserve Corps volunteers ability and willingness to report – Most significant barrier: family responsibilities 2004 Survey of Law Enforcement to report in a biological incident – Determinant factor: family preparedness and safety 2005 Survey of Firefighters ability and willingness to respond in a pandemic – Principal variable: centers around family safety Literature Review

9. Israeli hospital staff unwillingness to report following an unconventional missile attack – Primary Cause: need to care for family Survey of healthcare workers in 47 NYC hospitals – Willingness impacted: concern for family – Ability impacted: childcare, eldercare, pet care Unpublished study of Philadelphia PD – 59%-66% would refuse to report or would abandon for concern for their safety Actual Events

10. New Orleans Police Department and Hurricane Katrina – Event: NOPD was unable to maintain order – Media: Officers were derelict and participated in the lawlessness – Reality: A very small portion were derelict About 7% were victims themselves or had storm related personal crises Actual Events

11. 83% do not have a written family disaster plan Of those 65% have not reviewed of practiced it in the past year or longer And 95% have not used the plan in an actual emergency Survey of emergency responders

12. How prepared are you? How about your coworkers and colleagues? Has your agency determined how many people it needs to perform its essential functions? Will you be able to get that many? Questions to Consider

13. 2009 Survey of organizations and employees – 97% Agreed that employee & family preparedness is essential to organizational resilience – 52% Agreed employers should encourage preparedness by providing training – 53%: Agreed employers should assume some responsibility for employees and their families during a response Study Recommendations

14. NOPD and Hurricane Gustav (2008) – Three years later – Predicted to be Katrina style direct hit – NOPD gave employees paid time off to prepare and evacuate families – Gustav only gave Gustav a glancing blow, but NOPD had full accountability of staff Actual Event

15. How do you implement?

16. Organizational Culture and Leadership – Engage Multi-Level Leadership – Create Supportive Policies – Create Supportive Environments Consider All Phases of an Emergency – Preparedness – Response – Recovery Multi-Faceted Approach

17. Engage Multi-Level Leadership – Successful programs have buy-in from the corner office to the cubicle farm – BEWARE those managers who don’t participate Roles – Executives: Provide legitimacy and resources – Middle Managers: Integrate with dept priorities – Line Management: Provide time and support Organizational Culture and Leadership

18. Create Supportive Policies – Response Time to Work – PAY!!: Wages and Paychecks – Hazard Pay – Labor Agreements – Continuation of Benefits, Employee Assistance – Safe and Functional Workplace Organizational Culture and Leadership

19. Create Supportive Environments – Provide Training Opportunities – Provide Collaborative Experiences – Determine the Needs of Employees – Recognition – Compare/Integrate to/with Wellness Programs Organizational Culture and Leadership

20. Preparedness – Support to all employees Those prepared Those not prepared – Awareness and Preparedness Campaigns – Purchase Kits or Pieces of Kits – Assist in Planning – Employees other skills All Phases

21. Response – Lodging/Shelter/Food – Work Reassignment – Dress Code – Flexible Work Hours/Telecommuting All Phases

22. Recovery – Returning to Work – Financial Assistance – Emotional Support – Recognition All Phases

23. A resilient organization is part of a resilient community and requires resilient employees Officer Paul Schubert – "I chose my wife, It was a no-brainer." Final Thoughts

24. Discussion