| A crisis can take on many forms such as industrial | | | | analyze data, make decisions that protect life and |
| accidents where a number of people are | | | | property, maintain continuity of the company |
| affected, plant damaged and construction sites | | | | within the scope of applicable directives and |
| affected. Natural risks such as fires, earthquakes, | | | | communicate the decisions to all concerned. |
| etc. can also result in a crisis. Additionally a crisis | | | | The crisis command and control centreThe crisis |
| can be as a result of man made risks such as air | | | | command and control centre should be equipped |
| or water pollution, toxic waste spills, collapses, etc. | | | | with the following items: |
| The other risk that can and normally does result | | | | - The physical structure should be sound and |
| in a crisis is the threats associated with terrorist. | | | | comply with good building standards and should |
| Protecting the company's reputation, commercial | | | | not be constructed in a place where it has an |
| viability, employees and other key business assets | | | | outside wall. |
| and stakeholders in the face of extreme, | | | | - The air conditioning, fire detection and protection |
| complex, unpredictable, and constantly changing | | | | systems as well as the computer installations |
| risks is an ongoing challenge that can only be | | | | contained in the crisis command and control |
| effectively done if one is appropriately prepared. | | | | centre should comply with standards that require |
| The creation of an emergency response | | | | them to be independent of other systems to |
| management plan to deal with these treats | | | | prevent them from being affected by an on site |
| involves developing a three phase strategy that | | | | crisis. |
| will indicate how a company and its affiliates | | | | - The crisis command and control centre must be |
| should respond to a crisis. The preparation should | | | | for the exclusive use during a crisis and should not |
| also include the creation of appropriate | | | | be used for any other general purpose in the |
| infrastructure for the purpose. | | | | absence of a crisis. |
| The development and construction of an | | | | - A standby power generator that will |
| emergency response management plan and | | | | automatically kick in and should have a capacity |
| infrastructure will give a company a competitive | | | | and reliability that will ensure sufficient power to all |
| advantage by protecting their reputation, key | | | | communication, data and lighting requirements |
| business assets, employees and other | | | | even in cases where there is a total power failure |
| stakeholders. This however is an ongoing challenge | | | | for a long duration of time. |
| that can only be sufficiently dealt with if the | | | | - Secure access control that will allow only |
| company is appropriately prepared. To wait until a | | | | authorized staff to enter should be ensured. |
| crisis occurs could be disastrous to the continued | | | | - Visual display units that are connected to a |
| existence of the company and is much more | | | | communication system that will allow the |
| expensive than investing in developing and | | | | company executive team to be able to visually |
| constructing a complete solution that includes plans | | | | follow the development of the crisis from the |
| and infrastructure to deal with it when it happens. | | | | crisis control room. |
| A complete solution includes components that | | | | - Suitable, reliable and secure communications |
| addresses strategic as well as tactical requirement. | | | | systems that can be used to communicate with |
| The ideal crisis management system should cover | | | | the crisis site as well as government agencies and |
| the three main phases of a crisis situation. These | | | | other interested and affected parties should be in |
| are: | | | | place. |
| - crisis prevention | | | | - A speaker system attached to communication |
| - crisis management | | | | devises that will allow a team approach in |
| - crisis recovery The preparation and planning | | | | communication is a necessity. |
| needs to be comprehensive, consistent and | | | | - An independent secure fax machine is a must. |
| integrated in order to ensure an efficient plan that | | | | - A recording system that records all voice |
| will be able to be invoked successfully when the | | | | communication into and out of the crisis command |
| crisis hits. | | | | and control centre should be installed and records |
| The company's executive team will be responsible | | | | should be kept for a period of at least 12 months |
| for all aspects of a response to a crisis. This will | | | | after any activity in the centre. |
| include developing incident objectives, providing | | | | - A suitable number of desks, tables and lockable |
| suitable and sufficient plans and infrastructure and | | | | cupboards should permanently furnish the crisis |
| managing all incident operations to bring the crisis | | | | command and control centre. |
| under control and implement the strategies to | | | | - Copies of all sites based emergency response |
| return to normality. | | | | plans of the company and its affiliate must be |
| The crisis management plan and infrastructure | | | | available in the centre. These plans should include |
| needs to be able to be sufficient to deal with all | | | | sections on emergency contact details, duty |
| three phases of the crisis. This includes the | | | | rosters and emergency team member |
| following: | | | | information. |
| Before the crisis (crisis prevention) | | | | - A planning board where staff allocated specific |
| The systems and infrastructure should be able to | | | | tasks in relation to the emergency organization |
| collect and process data on a ongoing basis | | | | should be available and display updated information. |
| allowing for the monitoring of potential disasters in | | | | - A cupboard that contains the appropriate |
| order to warn management when predefined | | | | identification insignia to clearly identify the roles of |
| criteria or warning levels are reached that could | | | | all the staff present in the control room should be |
| indicate a crisis is imminent. Critical data should be | | | | included in the centre. |
| analyzed constantly and any unusual trend should | | | | - A dedicated copier for the sole use during a |
| be detected and when analysis indicates that a | | | | crisis is necessary. |
| crisis is anticipated management should be alerted. | | | | - A crisis log book where a scribe can record the |
| This should also be the point when the general | | | | activities taking place during the crisis. |
| alert level is adjusted and published in the | | | | After the crisis (crisis recovery) |
| company. The information should include security, | | | | The crisis control plan should include a requirement |
| safety and health items as well as the interaction | | | | to develop and implement a crisis recovery |
| of these issues. The focus areas should include at | | | | strategy once the crisis has been brought under |
| least people, buildings, plant, systems and | | | | practical control. |
| processes. | | | | ConclusionAny amount of planning cannot prevent |
| During the crisis (crisis management)The key to | | | | all emergencies. It is however a fact that with the |
| managing a crisis once it hit a company is to have | | | | appropriate plan and infrastructure in place the |
| a dedicated crisis command and control center. | | | | impact and consequences of emergencies can be |
| The crisis command and control centre serves as | | | | drastically reduces. It should be noted that a crisis |
| a secure location from where the company's | | | | command and control centre that is not |
| executives who is responsible for the strategic | | | | supported with a suitable and sufficient |
| resolution of the crisis can obtain a big picture to | | | | emergency response plan that is based on a |
| evaluate and provide direction to the crisis site. | | | | formal threat assessment could provide a false |
| The primary functions of the executive team | | | | sense of security. |
| during an emergency are to collect, gather and | | | | |