Top 3 Insights on Managing Emergencies on the Headlines

As you know, with the current spate of disasters in the headlines, slow response and not being prepared have been the top 2 most criticism being brought up. See headlines below:

· Kurnool administration ignored flood warnings, causing 5 million affected by ‘worst floods in 100 years’ in south India; 250 killed >>more
· Philippine government being accused of not preparing the nation properly for Ketsana, leaving 293 people dead, 3 million people affected and millions of dollars in business disruption >>more
· Air France crash killing 200 people could have been avoided, if there’s access to more recent weather maps >>more
· Anger mounts at slow response to Java earthquake >>more
· Singapore Mosque, without sprinkler systems, gutted by fire, costing more than 1 million dollars in ruins >>more

I would like to highlight 3 insights from the EMPRR Global Agenda to address the above challenge.

Insight #1: Even with our desire to respond quickly, it seems that if we are not ready for all disasters, we are not prepared for any.

The floods in the Philippines and India recently highlight the fact that our defence to natural disasters just has to be better and well prepared for. With harsher climates and more frequent natural disasters, the scale of impact has become wider and more severe. Our investments in preparedness have to relatively increase, as well as our skill and capacity to respond.

Insight #2: Unexpected severe disasters will affect not only the public, but also businesses, despite compliance with safety and disaster management standards. We need to test and monitor our organisation’s preparedness or readiness to face and manage crisis/disaster during the moment of truth (MOT).

One of the causes of many organisational and corporate failures is that an operation has failed and business is discontinued or interrupted because of a disaster or crisis. We have simulated scenarios and we score well in them, but only when you test your BCP/BCM initiatives to be functional and operational will ensure your organisation’s readiness to face and manage crisis/disaster.

Insight #3: Proper response needs accurate real-time information.

President Yudyhono criticises the local authorities that response to the recent earthquake in Padang was slow and ineffective, as the supplies are either not sufficient or not relevant. Proper and quick response would have been done if real-time communication had been effective.

I would like to share with you the content-rich EMPRR Global Summit, which will concentrate on a holistic approach to emergency management and compiles solutions to address the challenge quickly responding, testing your BCP and EM plan and providing a suite of solutions for accurate real-time information—a great business case to attend EMPRR Global Summit, including how you can:


· Restore order and business (product/service) continuity, especially of critical services, protect organizational assets (properties) from further damage; not compromise vital or confidential resources (such as records, customer/data information)
· Protect and ensure the safety of people (employees, customers, the public at large)
· Minimise and mitigate the negative impact of the crisis
· Contain and ensure that the crisis will discontinue and not escalate or spread further

In Singapore alone, workplace safety is under scrutiny, attributing half of 200 workplace fatalities to failure in following safety plans endorsed by bosses and hast cost companies close to SGD 4 million dollars. In fact, construction, manufacturing, logistics and transportation, marine, water supply, sewerage and waste management and architectural and engineering industries figure prominently in these fines.

EMPRR 2009 Global Summit, supported by IAEM Asia Pacific and Business Continuity Institute, recognizes that your role in emergency preparedness, facilities management and business continuity management is more demanding than ever. With the economic landscape yet to withstand the downturn, your role as a professional is more critical to safeguard your infrastructure from internal and external threats, be prepared in all matters of contingencies and more so, help the company generate revenue and deliver your products and services.
The program has been designed with your challenges and purpose in mind, that is why we are bringing the top experts in the field to share with you best practices and a crowd that’s involved in emergency preparedness, facilities management and business continuity management to provide you with a holistic interaction. The EMPRR Global Summit features experts in risk management, crisis management and disaster recovery and are also top-notch and award-winning in their craft, including:
· Chosen to run the 2005 benchmarking of the UK financial sector and wrote the original 1200 questions used in that survey as the Tim Armit, who will be chairing the conference, wrote the original plans for the London Stock Exchange, Bank of England and British Airways as well as the BBC and the chapter on testing for the Definitive Handbook of Business Continuity and has been testing and using plans since 1989. Tim has led BCM tests in all business sectors from short sharp surprise tests to three day all company events. He will be sharing many "war stories" or case studies of what really happens to companies and how plans are either not used, not understood or not appropriate when a real incident occurs.

· Awarded as SPE’s Distinguished Lecturer, Peter Cockcroft who has dealt with crises in many parts of the world—evacuations of personnel in 3 different countries, has negotiated with both terrorists and criminals and has survived coups in four countries and is currently the Chairman of Blue Energy. He will be discussing how you can effectively address geopolitical risks and negotiation strategies for your business.


· The top of guy for the world’s safest airport in its category, awarded by ACI, Zeev Sarig, MD of Ben-Gurion Intl Airport, who has led the airport to become one of the safest airports in the world, awarded first prize by ACI and has been responsible for continuous revenue generation in the airport while ensuring safety, security and credibility.

By investing in EMPRR 2009 Global Summit, you will receive the following benefits:
· You will UPDATE your crisis management, organisational response and business continuity manual from multi-hazard, multi-sector and full cycle approaches, allowing you to restore order and business continuity, protect organisational assets from further damage and protect and ensure safety of people· You will IMPROVE your response time, organisational notification system, disclosure and information channels, whilst not compromising vital or confidential resources and maintain reputation and credibility internally and externally· You will BUILD rapport with various partners and service providers and focus your efforts on resources and infrastructure you need to contain and ensure that the crisis will discontinue and not escalate or spread further and bring back your business to normalcy
Plus! Attending the pre-conference workshop C will benefit your team by letting you gain insights into:
· Who is commanding?· Establishing a rescue area· Establishing a rescue team and representations of the response, rescue and medical support· Preparing alternatives· Means of communication · Technologies for command and control· Information to the public· Procedures, exercise and quality control
I have a good feeling that you will benefit from this training course that have kept Ben-Gurion as one of the safest airports in the world, awarded by ACI first prize in the category of airports. I am pleased for you to also meet responders, emergency managers, policy makers and solution providers, including:


Department of Transportation and Communications • New South Wales Fire Brigades • Ben-Gurion International Airport • Communicable Disease Control • PTIT Focus • Blue Energy • ConocoPhillips • Ministry of Home Affairs • International Association of Emergency Managers • National Science & Technology Center for Disaster Recovery • GVK Emergency Management Research Institute • Philippine Coast Guard • Risk First Consultancy • Business Continuity Institute • BCP Asia • IAEM CEM Commission • Nepal Center for Disaster Management • ASEAN Secretariat • Canadian Red Cross • Kyoto University • Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority • APEC Secretariat • Asian Disaster Preparedness Center • Aviation Security Company Limited Hong Kong • Murphy Oil • Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation • French Regional Police Attache, Embassy of France Singapore • Singapore Contractors Association Limited • Dupont • Independent Power Producers Forum • Kyoto University • White & Case • Airports Council International • Forbes Calamity Prevention • United Nations World Food Program • Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore • Singapore Changi Airport • Utilis S.A.S. • Crisis Asia • Maritime Transport Authority, Singapore • OSH Inspectorate, Occupational Safety and Health Division, Ministry of Manpower • and a lot more.