Session Objectives. The need for reliable notification methods EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION. What s Best for Your Organization?

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1 EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION What s Best for Your Organization? Suzanne Bernier, CBCP Emergency Mgmt Program Coordinator Workplace Safety & Insurance Board suzanne_bernier@wsib.on.ca Doug Sievers, CBCP Manager of Business Continuity Kroll Ontrack, Inc. dsievers@krollontrack.com Session Objectives Emergency notification methods and tools Why you need them What s out there (tools of the trade) Good old-fashioned call trees Criteria when looking at emergency communication systems Strengths and weaknesses in communication devices Testing and Training Why? What do you need to confirm/verify? Sample script for Notification Exercise Summary/Wrap-Up The need for reliable notification methods While we have one of the world s most dependable and extensive communications systems, unusual conditions can put a strain on it With a little effort and a few bucks, you can prepare yourself in advance A successful business continuity plan should anticipate communication failures and build in reasonable redundancies

2 Emergency Notification Methods and Tools Manual Call Trees and Notification Lists Automated Notification Systems Emergency Information Lines Tools of the Trade Call trees and notification lists Every organization has key people they must inform of an emergency, including response teams, employees, appropriate authorities and external stakeholders. Every department should develop and update a prioritized list of key contacts to be notified during an emergency Obtain as many modes of contact for each person, including office, home, cell and vacation numbers, addresses and blackberry PIN numbers This will greatly increase the odds of your organization being able to reach everyone quickly during an emergency Sample Call tree Emergency Response Team Call Tree A XXXXX ERT Leader (Chief Prevention and Corporate Strategy Officer) B XXXXX Assistant to ERT Leader (Director, SEM) Assistant to ERT Leader (Emergency Management Program Coordinator Security/External Awareness (Director, SEM) XXXXX, COO Business Operations Operations Primary XXXXXX Business Operations Health Services Primary XXXXXXX Technical - IS/IT/Comms Primary (VP and CIO) XXXXXX Finance Primary (Chief Financial Officer) XXXXXX Facilities and Power Primary (Director, Facilities Mgt) (Executive Director, P & R) (Manager, Security) XXXXXXX Alternate (VP, Service Delivery) XXXXXX Alternate (Director, Professional Practice) XXXXXXX Alternate (Director, Architecture Office) XXXXXXX Alternate (Treasurer) XXXXXXX Alternate (Manager, Facilities & Leasing) Occupational Disease Policy)

3 Sample Notification List Automated Notification Systems Can rapidly distribute information to large numbers of people Many vendor choices out there with various systems to meet your organization s needs Be sure to provide extensive training and conduct regular testing Regular training and testing will help prevent human-driven errors, such as sending incorrect messages or failing to notify the right parties Emergency Information Lines Set up toll-free number where employees can call to report on their safety, while receiving information and updates on the emergency Apart from communicating important emergency information to staff, enables management to account for employees, determine where they are evacuated and identify potentially missing employees Messaging can include valuable information on payroll, health care, satellite office locations, etc

4 1-800 Emergency Information Lines (cont d) Employees are able to receive information when convenient, not only within the short window of time possible with automated outbound calls Make arrangements for the lines now during an emergency is too late Create scripts/messaging in advance, which can be quickly adapted to the specific emergency Make sure all employees are aware of the number and have it on them at all times Tools of the Trade Land lines Cellular phones SMS messages Blackberrys, PDAs, s Satellite phones Pagers (alphanumeric, digital and voice) Fax machines Strengths and Weaknesses in Communication Tools Cell phones and landline phones Most efficient for less severe events and most accessible for reaching employees, family, first responders or citizens Devices also offer ability to bridge into conference calls or command centers for full incident management with touch of a button Cell phone coverage varies in certain areas, buildings, underground Phone lines may be compromised or tied up during a more severe incident During power outages, remember cordless phones will not work Cell phone batteries die, and may not be able to be recharged during a power failure Invest in some crank flashlight/radio/cell phone charger units

5 Strengths and Weaknesses in Communication Tools SMS/Text Messages While it takes longer to type a message than speak it, SMS is a proven and reliable method of communication, even in more severe incidents Most cell phones now accept SMS messages Because they require less bandwidth, the ability to send SMS messages is often available when a voice call is not These channels continue to be overlooked and underutilized in emergencies Some people are unaware of this feature on their phones, and do not know how to recognize when they have received a text message Include text messaging in your next notification/call tree test Strengths and weaknesses in Communication Tools Blackberrys, PDAs and s Blackberrys prove valuable because they can receive , voice or SMS messages However, they often rely on a corporate server or back-up server that must be in a safe location, distant from the incident without a Blackbery is effective only in less-severe incidents when someone is near a computer Again, Blackberry batteries will eventually die and rely on power to recharge Strengths and Weaknesses in Communication Tools Satellite phones Most effective for critical incidents, as they will work when a cell phone or landline is unavailable Essential for those who work in remote or isolated areas where cell phone coverage is unavailable However, they are expensive and harder to manage and may be best for decision-makers and first responders only

6 Other Communication Options Amateur Radio Operators and equipment LAN/WAN General Packet Radio Service Citizens Band (CB) Radios Family Radio Service Disaster Strikes Then What? Communication Objectives Alert Business Continuity Coordinator / Manager / Team Alert Senior Leadership (President/CEO, V.P s, Directors) Alert Department Heads Alert Employees / Confirm Whereabouts & Safety Alert External Stakeholders / Customers Recovery Site Vendors Communicating is Vital But Communicating What and Why? Communication / Message Content Objectives What is the message you wish to deliver? Who decides? What is the message you wish to receive? (response expected?) How many audiences are there? Different messages for each? Who initiates communication? More than one person? What is the sequence? Does the scenario, type of message, or audience dictate the communication method? If so, how and when is this decided, and by whom?

7 Scenario #1 Details of Local Emergency What Would You Do? What I Did If I Have a Do-Over, What I Will Do Criteria for emergency communications systems Should be easy to operate Have effective range Have a modest amount of protection against interference Be inexpensive (i.e. low initial cost, low maintenance, no monthly fees) Be readily available Be able to operate off the grid Notification Challenges Reaching people in different locations with different devices quickly and simultaneously Providing the right message (in terms of content, length and format) Monitoring delivery and response Ensuring that the process is initiated and suspended at the right times

8 Balance Features You Need Against Cost You Can Pay Virtual command center / resource library Web hosting server for document storage and resources Sends alerts to all people, on all devices, in all geographic regions Redundant data centers Easy maintenance customizable, scalable, user-friendly Compatible database formats (Excel, PeopleSoft, etc.) Unlimited testing, 24/7/365 support Charged per subscription / per user $$$ / year per person Less than $$,$$$ / yr for 25 users Notification Exercises Purpose is to test the effectiveness of current notification procedures, methods and tools Also to confirm accuracy of contact information found within emergency notification/call tree lists Do not give advance notice Rotate exercises to include during office hours and after business hours Notification Exercises cont d If no answer, must decide whether or not to keep dialing all numbers until someone is reached in person, or leave message asking them to call the operator/dispatch back Don t forget to leave a telephone number for a return call, and ensure a live body answers Be sure the operator identifies him or herself and states that: This is a test of the Emergency Response Plan/Business Continuity Plan notification process

9 Verify all contact information and record findings below: Verification of Contact Information Verify all contact information and record findings Name Title Office Telephone Number Local (extension) Fax Number (at work) Work address (and postal code) Cellular Home Telephone Home Address Blackberry Number Blackberry PIN OK CHANGES REQUIRED Emergency Notification Scripts Could make it very simple notification/relay of message, or could also be used to test knowledge of contact members Sample questions Where should you go after receiving notice of activation of the Emergency Response Plan? XXXX is the main EOC. Where are the alternate(s)? There are Emergency Response Team members who have the power to activate the Emergency Response Plan. Can you name them? Only one person in the organization can declare an emergency and activate the Business Continuity Plans. Who is it? Don t forget to thank each member for their participation, and re-iterate that This was only a test. Scenario #2 You have been assigned the task of creating a call tree(s) for your company s offices. What will your call tree(s) look like? What tools will you use to create it / them? Where will call tree(s) be stored? How will access be controlled? (can 1 dept see another s call tree?) How will you ensure your call tree(s) stay up-to-date & accurate? Will you test the call tree(s), and if so, how? What will constitute the test results, how will you obtain the results, and how will you use them?

10 Sample Call Tree Layout HEADING Should stress confidentiality, to be used internally only. Should outline proper protocol/procedure for executing calls. Should provide a means or method for recording/reporting call results, whether during an exercise or an actual emergency. Should indicate what to do with the results recorded. Sample Call Tree Layout Details, Details, Details All designated callers must have a copy of the call tree. All call trees must be updated regularly (at least quarterly). There may be a need for multiple update administrators. Call trees may be stored on a SharePoint portal, or similar network accessible location. Each department s Business Recovery Plan (BRP) should contain the departmental call tree.

11 Testing the Call Tree(s) Call trees should be regularly tested (quarterly). Tests should be initiated without warning. All designated callers must know the procedures governing the execution of a call tree test. Callers should record the date, time and status of each call and forward them to BCP manager or test coordinator after the test. Call Trees vs. Automated Notification Call Trees Automated Systems Pros Cons Pros Cons Not dependent on technology Relies on people No human error Single-point-of-failure Personalized messages High maintenance Low maintenance Less personalization Allows for granularity More prone to delay Instant execution Granularity costly Little or no cost Limited to phones Multiple devices Potential high cost Enables dialogue Difficult to track Delivery reporting No dialogue SUMMARY

12 QUESTIONS? Thank You & Happy Planning! Suzanne Bernier, CBCP Emergency Management Program Coordinator Workplace Safety & Insurance Board Phone: (416) Fax: (416) Doug Sievers, CBCP Manager, Business Continuity Kroll Ontrack Inc. Phone: (952) Mobile: (952)