04/10/2024
My family and friends know that I have spent a great deal of my professional career responding to emergencies of all types around the world. For example, I served as:
*Crisis Manager – Marriott International 8/5/03 Bombing in Jakarta, Indonesia. *Crisis Manager – Marriott International 9/11/01 Incidents. *Crisis Manager at the Seattle Station – Crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261. *Crisis Manager at the JFK Station – Crash of Egypt Airlines Flight 990. *Mental Health Specialist for the American Red Cross on DR #835: Hurricane Iniki on the Island of Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands in 1992. *Coordinator of Disaster Mental Health Services with the American Red Cross on DR #290 Southern California Earthquake in 1994; DR #476: Central Wisconsin Tornadoes in 1994; DR #507: Greater Houston Floods in 1994; DR #829: West Virginia Floods in 1996. *Officer of Disaster Mental Health Services for the American Red Cross on DR #854: Oregon Floods in 1996; DR #867: Weyauwega, Wisconsin Train Derailment in 1996. *Educational Consultant for the American Red Cross on DR #156: Fond du Lac County Tornadoes in 1996. *Dean for the American Red Cross Emergency Services Institute in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin in 1994.
The American Red Cross also awarded me the Certificate of Recognition for Extraordinary Personal Action saving the life of an accident victim following a tornado.
I point to my experience not to boast but to speak to my background and credibility with the thoughts I wish to share. I hope my experience and thoughts are helpful to others!
I usually do not speak out loudly with advice. I post this with the hope of adding insight to the current disasters/emergencies that have impacted so much of the United States. I have compiled them into my top lessons learned during my professional career:
1. The VERY BEST (and worst) of people may emerge during crisis. It may surprise us who steps forward as leaders. We all need to understand and support each other during emergencies. Everyone (including those showing what may be their worst side) is doing their absolute best to survive and cope with the situation.
2. The true FIRST RESPONDERS to widespread catastrophes and disasters are the survivors and communities directly involved in these situations. This is because it takes time, money, and extraordinary efforts for professional responders to reach everyone impacted. The survivors and communities directly involved almost always immediately step forward to help others in the immediate aftermath of these events.
3. Over and over, I have experienced the fact that the NUMBER ONE PROBLEM in the immediate recovery efforts is COMMUNICATION. This is often because typical communications systems and technologies have been impacted and may even be failing. Communication then immediately falls on the survivors and communities directly involved until professional responders can reach those impacted.
4. Since the survivors and communities directly involved will truly serve as the first responders, it is essential to identify immediate needs as well as identify the most vulnerable affected that may need sooner assistance.
5. The true first responders should appoint a temporary crisis manager and a primary communicator. The crisis manager and primary communicator should work closely to coordinate the immediate response and those immediately impacted and transition their roles to professional responders once they arrive.
6. The temporary crisis manager should identify anyone currently certified or licensed in any emergency specialty areas. This would include medical professionals and anyone certified in First Aid/CPR/AED. Also identify close locations of any specialty medical equipment including first response kits, first aid kits, and AED’s.
7. The temporary crisis manager should identify immediately vulnerable needs and availability of resources such as food, water, and road access for emergency needs.
8. The general public will likely begin to step forward to offer goods, materials, and assistance. During the immediate response, this may (or may not) be helpful with immediate needs.
9. After the immediate response, the outpouring of charitable acts by the general public following a disaster or other emergency can reveal humanity at its best. But this can also take the form of spontaneous acts of generosity that flood supply chains with unwanted or low priority goods that slow down the distribution of supplies most needed by survivors. The challenges of sorting and distributing donations as well as disposing of inappropriate donations can be so bad that it is sometimes referred as the secondary disaster.
10. Following the immediate response, the general public can be most helpful with donating money (rather than goods and materials) to respected and credible organizations. The exception would be if specific goods and materials are requested by those immediately affected or by professional response organizations.
11. If members of the general public wish to volunteer their time and/or their trade/professional services, it is best to coordinate efforts with professional response organizations. Again, the exception would be if specific trade/professional services are requested by those immediately affected or by professional response organizations. You do not want to because another problem to manage even though you are attempt is to be helpful!
12. It is impossible to offer a complete list of respected and credible organizations to coordinate monetary donations and trades/professional services. Thousands of these organizations are out there. A few that I have worked with are the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, the United Way, and the National Organizations Active in Disasters. I again emphasize that this is far from an exhaustive list!
13. Employers of those immediately affected can be most helpful by extending exceptional flexibility and support to those immediately affected by these situations. Affected employees are doing their absolute best to cope and survive the immediate situation and should not need to worry about losing money, time off, or benefits during the immediate aftermath.
I will continue to think of other major lessons I have learned through my professional experience and I may create other lesson lists.
