How can the hospitality industry align with emergency response efforts?

The hospitality industry can align with emergency response efforts by implementing robust crisis management plans, providing staff training in emergency procedures, establishing communication protocols with local authorities, and collaborating with community emergency services. Offering facilities as emergency shelters, contributing resources, and participating in community drills further solidifies this alignment, enhancing the industry's role in supporting and facilitating effective emergency response efforts.

Critical infrastructure is just that, critical to life safety. Looking at the hospitality industry, several components of critical infrastructure are important to operations. Electricity, natural gas, running water; all are just a few examples of things that could be compromised in a disaster that are essential to the operations of a business within the industry. Determining how reliant a business is on these components and evaluating secondary resources that could be used in a disaster makes the business more resilient and aids in the recovery of the community as whole since the sooner the hospitality industry can get back on their feet, the sooner it starts bringing money into the community.

Thinking about a hospital is thinking about a physical structure that houses hundreds or thousands of people, many of them in a vulnerable capacity. Situation that makes it mandatory to create emergency plans that take into account the hospital industries. These plans must clearly and detail establish the potential risks to which the hospital may be exposed, as well as the tools available to mitigate these risks or counteract them in the event of the occurrence of any of these. Since just to give a few examples, risks such as earthquakes or fires have the potential to end the lives of hundreds of people if appropriate preventive medications are not taken within the hospital.

Know your community (Hotels, Motels etc.) Visit these buildings often Familiarize yourself with the Security staff and Fire Safety Director(s) Know your available resources from the building, staff as well as what you will need to support or supplement those resources

EM folks often reference the "Waffle House index" when discussing how bad an area is post-disaster. The reason why Waffle House can be such an indicator is because they spend a significant amount of time planning for disaster. They lean into supporting locations that are affected by a disaster. They are able to immediately pivot into a post-disaster recovery and even plan how to handle workforce impacts and plan for those needs. This has made them a leader and Craig Fugate was correct in using them as the resiliency standard. Hospitality organizations need to make real plans and consider all aspects of how to support business continuity post-disaster. Then you need to test those plans, and make adjustments based on what you learned.

Hospitality is just that, it also comes with the responsibility that the clients feel safe. Developing a team and liaison with local law enforcement would show competency towards their safety, thus bolsters confidence. I would assure that staff be trained and involved in emergency evacuations.

A elaboração de protocolos de emergências é fundamental para responder as demandas que o momento mais agudo de um desastre pode ocasionar. A definição do fluxo de informação, os papeis e responsabilidades e a logistica necessária são itens básicos para manter um planejamento de gestão de riscos a desastres. Mas não podemos utilizar somente desses protocolos ou planos para justificar a nossa preparação aos momentos de emergência. A prevenção é uma fase primordial para diminuir e mitigar os impactos e garantir menos danos humanos.

It is the responsibility of the hospital authorities to create not only the hospital plan, but also the creation of trained teams that can provide effective and quick solutions to the risk or emergency situation.

Training and exercising is a great way to test what's on paper in the plan and see if it actually works that way in a disaster while still being in a controlled environment. The hospitality industry is an important component of the "whole community" as it is one of the larger sources of money being brought into the community and restoring its capabilities allows for a quicker recovery that is why it is important to have representatives from the hospitality industry at the table for training and exercises to provide perspective from the industry and ensure the capabilities are feasible.

As etapas de prevenção e pós desastres precisam ser consideradas em sua continuidade. A avaliação e o monitoramento dos processos é fundamental, pois isso garantirá um acervo de experiências e preparação da equipe para outras situações.

Disasters start and end locally. The businesses and industries within a community will still be there after the major response partners from the state, regional, federal, etc. level pull out. While there are specific response partners who specialize in feeding and sheltering, the hospitality industry can partner with these organizations and it will be much more enabling for the communities recovery because when these partners leave, the local businesses and industries will already be getting back on their feet. A restaurant in town can partner with The Salvation Army to provide meals for responders or survivors. A hotel in town can partner with the Red Cross to provide rooms and lodging for responders and survivors.