Red Alert

As a supervisor, how can you ever be prepared for the worst? When the UK arrested suspects plotting more air terror, the US raised its terror alert to red. One of our daughters arrived to board her plane just as the airport went to red alert but before the information had been communicated to the public. She found her entire day a tangle of confusion and delays.

Bottom line: managers and supervisors are increasingly put in situations where they must react with perfect and immediate solutions.

Having supervised in a work environment that demanded immediate emergency response, I will share some basic steps that can help each supervisor be prepared for immediate action and recovery plans. Should it be a robbery, a natural disaster, a violent employee, a terrorist threat, virtually all responses can be implemented in somewhat the same manner.

It doesn’t matter how large or small your business, you need a disaster plan. I emphasize: the point of a disaster plan is not having a book you dust off once a year. It’s a plan where all the people involved have THOUGHT about what could happen, how it would happen, and the actions it would take to lessen or survive the situation. It’s a plan that is reviewed with all employees several times a year. The plan should have a yearly review just for the purpose of updating, plus, again as situations and employees change.

Some people react better in emergency situations. They go into an emotional mode that allows clear, correct and immediate decisions. Chances are if you have not been placed in an emergency, you cannot predict how you will react. Others have been trained (military, security, medical, police, fire, etc.). I suggest all management and supervisory employees need disaster training for their specific business and the possible emergencies.

Large corporations often have disaster plans. It is imperative, as the supervisor, you know and understand the plan. Only you will be in charge at the very moment a disaster strikes. Only a thorough knowledge of the plan, having trained yourself and your employees, can help you react well enough to save lives and other company assests.

If you work for a smaller organization, you may have to be the one who develops a plan. I suggest you do this even if upper management doesn’t consider it a priority. Have your employees gathered and ask them to seriously consider every emergency situations they might encounter on the job. List the situations and then ask for concise and appropriate actions to mitigate the danger. List each appropriate reaction and list each follow-up. Make a list of who does what and how. Do you need certain supplies? Where should you locate the supplies? Where do people go and who do they contact? . There are good books in the library and web sites that can help walk you through establishing an emergency plan. Your local police, ESDA office, EMTs, fire department, health department, electric and gas utility, weather station, airport, military headquarters, and more all have people who have been trained for emergency situations. Most have people who routinely give talks or are willing to collaborate on your effort. There are businesses you can hire, on a consulting basis, to help you develop your plan. Ask other businesses if they have a plan and if they are willing to let you study as a prototype. The point is you must have this plan in place before an emergency strikes. You and your employees must be so familiar with the plan they will react immediately with calm and intelligent behavior.

Realize you can never be 100% prepared for every situation. As much as our business was prepared for emergency disasters, every disaster came with it’s own particular new scenario. But, a well-trained employee will react well even in new or surprising situations. They can adapt and make the best of any situation. That does not mean the media will portray you as perfect but then again the point of your emergency plan is protecting your employees, your company’s assets, and the public. One way to mitigate the adverse portrayal of your company’s handling of an emergency, is having spokespersons who are also a part of the plan. They should know how to say things well and how to relay information. Should there be injuries or death involved in the situation, you do not want to be unprepared for what you should/should not say to the media. You will want to know before you experience these situations how you should legally handle the media, the public, other employees, and families.

Finally, you will want to share with your family (or your other close contacts) what your duties and responsibilities will be in work emergency situations. You will want to let them know how to contact you and how you will contact them. Should the disaster be more involved within your community than just your work, you will want to define to them what they should be doing while you are working. Establish your network of family support prior to your being consumed by the responsibilities at work.

As a Christian, remember to have your God plan in place prior to an emergency. If you rely on God in your everyday/everything plans, you will automatically call on Him in emergency situations. If you frequently pause a moment every time you are stressed to bring God into your thoughts and situation, you will automatically pause to let Him fill you with His love and serenity during stressful emergencies. If you have turned to God in times of grief and tragedy, you will routinely turn to Him when faced with the horror of an emergency. This will be your life line as a supervisor during chaos. As with the company’s disaster plan, it can only work if you have the plan in place, have practiced the plan, and if you are committed to the plan.

Psalm 102:1-2 "Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come unto thee. Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily."

Psalm 100:1-5 "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Service the Lord with gladness; come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations."