The Five P's: Lessons Learned From Hurricane Katrina By Carmen Daecher

Katrina. Nothing else has to be said. The most far reaching disaster in our nation's history. I hope and I pray that it remains so.

Mother nature reminds us once again that no matter how powerful and intelligent we think we are, there is a greater force. A force we cannot control; a force that can control our destiny. While evil men may try to shake our lives, Mother Nature can do the same thing with more devastation. And while we can thwart evil men, we cannot stop Mother Nature.

As we look back on the devastation of Katrina, there appears to be a woeful lack of planning and preparation for meeting such a disaster. Katrina and 9/11 are somber reminders of one simple fact: we must plan and prepare to respond to emergencies and crises before they occur; it is nearly impossible to respond effectively once we are in the midst of them.

OSHA has required us for many years to be prepared for fires, bomb threats and natural disasters at our facilities. These regulations are aimed at protecting our employees during a time of emergency.

Katrina (and 9/11 before that) is teaching us that destruction of our facilities or disruption to our course of business can be just as damaging to our lives as injuries to our fellow employees. Whether by injury or by loss, the lives of many in our organizations are affected as a result of emergencies and crises.

Last year the motorcoach industry received security awareness training to prepare employees to guard against terrorism and suspicious activities as well as to prepare for responding to crises. There is plenty of material available to companies who choose to develop effective emergency and crisis response plans.

Have you planned? Have you prepared? Do you have your own Security & Emergency Preparedness Plans? Have you thought about how you would communicate with your employees during a disaster such as Katrina? Have you thought about where your employees may go and how they can remain safe if they find themselves in the midst of a disaster such as a hurricane or a flood? Can you move your buses quickly to a safe place at a moments notice if necessary? Do you have the names and numbers of emergency contacts at your fingertips if you need them during an emergency?

The painful lesson of Katrina is simple: Planning and Preparation Prevents Poor Performance - the five P's. If you are not prepared for such emergencies and crises, you are not prepared to protect your employees and your business nor to serve others in need during disasters and catastrophes.

A plan which describes what you will do and how you will get it done must be based upon a reasonable assessment of threats and vulnerabilities to your operations and facilities. A self-assessment of your entire operation and a determination of potential threats and vulnerabilities and their likelihoods will be the foundation for a Security & Emergency Preparedness Plan. If you don't have one now you cannot afford to wait any longer.

As you are reading this article, a series of workshops presented by the American Bus Association and the United Motorcoach Association, and funded by the Department of Homeland Security is being presented throughout the country. These workshops will help you build your preparedness plan and remain ready for emergencies and crises when we are again confronted with them. You may have already read about these workshops and know of their locations. If you don't, feel free to go to the following link for more information: http://www.buses.org/government_affairs/.

The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was a wake up call. We must be prepared to respond appropriately to any disasters for our own well being and to be available to serve the greater need. If you haven't already you should start practicing the five P's. Ask any fellow bus operator in New Orleans how true they are.

*** Click here to visit the NADME training web site ***