Emergency Preparedness FMJ Article

What Have You Done For Me Lately?

Two years after 9/11

Bill Conley

It has been two years after one of the most tragic events to occur on American soil. On Sept. 11, 2001, the surreal became the real. The shock and denial that we all felt as wave after wave of reports washed over us and through us still resonates in our culture and our lives.

The major impact though, the initial feelings of helplessness and frustration, has waned over time. The fresh, raw grief and outrage this atrocity fomented has turned instead to the more passive feelings of sorrow and remembrances. This is human nature. This is how we cope. Anything less than an active approach, though, will allow history to repeat itself.

As facility professionals, we are trained to handle crisis. It is our role to provide for the safety, health and well-being of the people and property in our charge. We are the first line of defense against any disaster that may befall us. This not only entails the physical security of our surroundings, but also the emotional needs of our constituents and it applies especially to the prospect of future threats.

Ground Zero
The immediate reaction to the events of 9/11 was the concept of “more.” More security guards were hired, more surveillance equipment was added, more locks and bars were installed. The first inclination facilities managers and corporations had was to create more impregnable buildings and workplaces, to expend extra efforts into making our sites unassailable.

According to an IFMA survey in February 2002, 90 percent of the Facility Managers responding reassessed their security systems after the attack on the World Trade Center. Correspondingly, 12 percent upgraded their video equipment and 23 percent added additional private security officers. Interior and exterior building patrols were increased. Armed guards were hired. Nine percent of the respondents hired security consultants. The trend to improve our safety through augmentation was our first response.

As time went by, though, emotions gave way to pragmatism, studies were developed on the causes and effects of terrorism, and our approach to the problem shifted. Businesses have moved their focus to emergency response and business continuity efforts. This trend is evident from billion dollar companies in the mid-west to multi-tenant buildings on the west coast.

Knowing the enemy
The real first step in anticipating a terrorist attack is to try and understand the psychology behind these actions. The question is not “will there be another attack?”, but “when will there be another attack?” We must recognize the eventuality of further incidents. We have learned that these attacks can happen anywhere, at any time. It doesn’t matter if all a company does is manufacture dog scoop bags. Everyone is vulnerable.

Perpetrators of these acts do not believe in the sanctity of life, either their own or others. It is almost impossible to protect ourselves against a foe who is willing to end their own life to cause us pain.

They do not look for a high-kill ratio. Thus, they use conventional bombs rather than high-end explosives. Their intent is more to disrupt our lives, our economy or our business and weaken our morale more than to create a huge body count. Although their level of planning may be complex, for the most part the attacks are simplistic; ram & destroy. This has been their modus operandi in nearly every major terrorist attack over the past decade, from the USS Cole, to the marine barracks in Lebanon, to the two attacks on the World Trade Center.

Our job, assuming damage is done, is to minimize the destruction and get back to business as quickly and as seamlessly as possible.

First steps
In order for facility management to rise up to this challenge that in actuality faces us every day, there are things that we can do, that we must do. It involves creating and subscribing to a pact, whether it be tacit or expressed, between ourselves and those who rely on us. This pact revolves around four major activities: preparation, awareness, communication and training. Its strength lies in continuity and adherence. The road to ruin is paved with good intentions; the path to success relies on perseverance.

In the last two years, FMs worldwide have come to understand this better. It has become crystal clear that great plans can’t be created and then left on the shelf. Practice, repetition and visibility of the plan must become an integral part of life in the workplace.

As a case in point, in 1993, a bomb went off in the underground parking lot of the World Trade Center. Six people were killed. Based on that attack, all companies in the complex embarked on the development and implementation of evacuation procedures. Training of responsible personnel was ongoing and periodic drills were conducted regularly. When the planes struck the towers on Sept. 11, approximately 2,800 people died. Yet more than 25,000 people were evacuated safely. The saving of so many lives was due only to the fact that evacuation training was conducted, upgraded and practiced in a dedicated effort for the intervening eight years.

There is empowerment through preparedness. A tangible sense of confidence and strength is evident when people feel that they are ready for anything. A facility manager in Kansas City expanded her security procedures to cover the possibility of an attack. Two years later, she says; “How do we feel now? Strong, alert and vigilant.”

Preparation
A plan has two major phases. First, it needs to be developed. One major company in Orange County, Calif. not only revisited its security plans, but it almost completely revamped it. The event convinced upper management to focus more on preparedness and continuity planning. It caused the creation of a team to develop a formal business continuity guidance manual. This manual was used as a guideline that all offices and business units could use as a tool that along with site audits would help develop individual plans endemic to their sites.

However, a plan is only as good as the last time it was tested. It must be rewritten and updated as time goes by. It must be utilized regularly so that everyone is familiar with it. It should be treated as a living document subject and subjected to change. It has to be maintained. The maintenance of any program is where most of the pitfalls appear. It’s very easy to have ideas, but to work them through the years means overcoming boredom, stagnancy and lack of interest. There is a direct correlation between the rise of apathy and the fading of memories. As has been said many times before, a plan must be “worked” in order for it to be a viable, successful option.

Awareness
Awareness is key, but it must be cultivated and kept alive. To many, this may sound like Observation 101. But in many cases, the most simple applications of common sense are the ones we take for granted. People sometimes forget to do the obvious thing when hustling from point A to point B, or when engrossed in their activities. If we harken back to our childhood when crossing the street, we may still hear our parents’ admonishments to “Stop, look and listen.” That precept still works today.

Everyone in the facility must learn to be continually observant during the course of the day. This applies to safety hazards as well as intrusive presences, but in the case of terrorism, the need to be aware of surroundings has been heightened.

Employees must know what to look for: strangers in or around the site, unfamiliar cars in the parking areas (especially for extended periods of time), anything out of the ordinary. Sometimes these just register subconsciously. There is a feeling that something is wrong, but people don’t pay attention to it. They must learn to take the time to make note of these anomalies.

Facility managers are usually the most attuned to these types of feelings. There is a certain resonance evident when all is going well––a constant hum of sorts. The noise, when something is not quite right, that points to something being a kilter can be quite strident, an inner voice that cautions us to “check this out.” We need to pay attention to these early warnings.

Employees need to know where and to whom their observations should be reported. Again, this is part of working the plan. If we don’t have a control point, all the efforts and awareness in the world will prove worthless.

Finally, we need the means to investigate and mitigate any such occurrences in the workplace. Whether we have someone on site that is qualified and trained to handle these types of situations, or we have a good rapport with local law enforcement agencies, knowing about a situation and being able to handle it are as different as night and day. As much as we feel that we are the ones responsible for the safety and well-being of our site, it may not always be the smartest thing in the world for an FM to try and be the saviour.

Communication
Having a plan is great. Working the plan is great. However, it is probably fairly important that you communicate the plan. Keeping employees apprised of policy and procedures and updates will go a long way in ensuring success.

Department heads and senior management must be a part of this process. Not only do we need their buy-in and support, but we must always alert them to changes that will affect them or their employees.

Some FMs have a Web site or a place on the company’s intranet where information is accessible. Reminder emails are sent out on a periodic basis as well as notifications of any changes. Other departments may have manuals or even a basic outline posted on bulletin boards. Site maps and evacuation routes should also be posted in well-traveled areas for visitors and guests in the facility. The more information that can be disseminated and ingested, the better off everyone will be.

Communication external to the facility is important also. We must create and utilize a large sphere of influence and feedback. Letting our neighbors know our plans and coordinating with them will facilitate evacuations and/or damage control when necessary. It also helps to have an established communications network within the local business community. In the cities of Los Angeles, Calif. and Phoenix, Ariz., for instance, there are regularly held meetings amongst businesses, law enforcement agencies, fire and emergency services to conduct planning and drills for the general area. Contacts within each business have also been created to report untoward activities or suspicious circumstances. They have created a macro-sized “neighborhood crime watch” system. The whole community has mobilized to increase awareness and create an early warning system.

As an offshoot of this, maintaining a strong and open relationship with local civil authorities is crucial to safety and security. Having someone to turn to for assistance and guidance, as well as enforcement and containment can be very beneficial in every aspect of running a facility. The more they know about us and our business, the easier it can be for them to respond to our needs. In some towns and cities, a local fire station crew will come out and evaluate evacuation efforts for us, actually taking part in the drills.

Training
If execution is 90 percent of planning, then training is 90 percent of execution. Drills and responsibilities must be performed and repeated again and again.

Some of the procedures that facilities employ entail evacuation drills on a regular basis. Floor wardens have been chosen. Volunteers are best, as they will be more committed to consistency than employees who are designated. These wardens are responsible for geographic areas in the facility, whether it be floors of a high-rise or areas of large, single-story facilities. They are to control the flow of traffic out of the building, ensure that everyone in their tactical area of responsibility is accounted for, and maintain education and communication throughout the year for their charges.

Some companies have even gone so far as to implement a “buddy” system. Many departments have employees who work together constantly. With a “buddy” system, we can track all personnel, knowing if someone is out sick, on vacation, at an off-site meeting or just away from their work area when an evacuation is necessitated.

Another action that 9/11 prompted companies to take was to establish a medical response team. Members of this team have the responsibility to handle medical emergencies in the workplace. The availability and use of automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) has also become more prevalent in some workplaces. The American Red Cross can help with training on these machines.

This task force of managers, wardens, security and medical responders must be continually challenged to adhere to their duties. Periodic drills and exercises must be performed optimally on a quarterly or semi-annual basis. Emergency communications devices, alarm systems, paging and public address systems must be tested. Assembly areas must be chosen for accessibility and safety. These areas must be checked regularly to see if they are still usable.

Experience has taught us that dust can’t collect on our tools, whether they be emergency plans or electronic devices, and neither can rust collect on our consciousness. We must stay active to be effective, and it is hoped that the events of 9/11 have shown everyone that drills and training classes might disrupt productivity a bit, but they are better than the alternative.

Aftermath
There’s a certain feeling of self-satisfaction that facility managers get with the realization that we’ve done a good job. Usually, FMs don’t get the kudos that we think (we know) that we deserve, so sometimes our only solace is the fact that everything that can be done has been done. In fact, most of the activities handled in facility management are performed so that adverse occurrences do not happen. It is a rare melding of reactive and proactive stances, using history to project the future. Thus we implement preventive maintenance, analyze cycles and formulate plans––strategic, tactical and operational––to prepare for any eventuality.

As leaders in the workplace, it’s up to us to look beyond the day to day activities of bringing in revenue and ensure that others understand that without these efforts, without constancy of purpose and dedication to security issues more is at stake than mere dollars.

One CFM put it this way, “The success of any program put in place is driven by the passion and desire of the facility manager to maintain a safe and secure work environment.” It may be needed to add that we must infect others with that attitude.

FMJ
About the author: Bill Conley, CFM, CFMJ, is one of the principals of CFM2, a facility management consulting practice in Aliso Viejo, Calif., along with his wife, Anita Ciminesi. He is also a frequent contributer to Facility Management Journal.

Acknowledgements: The author would like to thank the following IFMA members for their input and advice on this article: Don Burrus, CFM; Anita Ciminesi; Cheryl Johnson, CFM; Donna Koontz; Phyllis Meng, CFM, IFMA Fellow; Mark Sekula, CFM; Jim Sharer, CFM; and John Sorich, CFM.