By Jodi Richards, Associate Editor
Being Prepared
Workshop offers emergency training and resources for business aviation professionals
The two-day session
attracted some 25 registrants from corporate flight departments, FBOs,
and other business aviation segments.
Agur says each company should establish its own emergency response plan
(ERP) and rehearse scenarios to ensure the plan is understood by everyone
involved. The ERP includes an emergency response team (ERT), comprised
of:
- Corporate strategic leader;
- A member of the flight department;
- Human resources ("Because we're taking care of people," explains Agur);
- A communications professional. Agur says if the company doesn't manage communications, the news media will; and,
- An administrative coordinator: somebody used to multi-tasking.
There should also
be ERT support members, including people to handle risk management, financial
aspects, legal, and government relations (OSHA/EPA).
The company phone directory should be kept up to date. Review every six
months, roughly, to ensure the accuracy. "This could end up being
a roadblock and not a resource if not accurate," says Agur.
RESPONDING TO AN INCIDENT
The first hour following an incident is critical, according to Agur.
After an accident, an emergency operations center, for which the location
should be determined beforehand, is activated. Agur recommends that it
not be at the airport, as the staff there is already going to be stressed.
Top management should be notified. "Tell what you know, what you're
already doing, and when you'll get back to him or her." Agur says.
Confirming the flight manifest then becomes critical, especially when
it comes to next of kin notification. "The manifest doesn't have
to be a piece of paper," says Agur. "It can be on voicemail
so you can go back and retrieve it later."
The next of kin notification can be a difficult challenge - particularly
when there is loss of life. According to Diane Domit, crisis intervention
specialist with Crisis Management Inter-national, the person who announces
a death is "marked" with the death forever in the minds of the
family. "There are certain people that you expect bad news from,"
she says. "You don't want the notifier to be the person who helps
with the recovery." She offers the following procedure for the person
who delivers the death notice:
- If it's done at the family's home, ask to come in.
- Ask all the family members to be seated.
- Make sure they are not left alone - assess their needs, bring somebody else in, and then depart the home, leaving them with a contact number.
"It's the toughest
role that somebody can have," Domit relates.
Anybody who goes to notify a family of a death needs proper training,
according to Agur. He explains that a major part of the Emergency Response
Plan is the strategy and processes of notifying families of loss of life.
The ERP should include at least two people who are capable of this task
in case of an event, however, it's important to have separate notifiers
for all families. Notifiers can be accompanied by a member of the clergy,
a police officer, or a physician. One suggestion Agur offers is that companies
add a form to its HR system that states, "In case of an emergency,
this is who I want to notify my spouse."
SUBSEQUENT HOURS
After the family has been notified, an ERT member takes on the role of
family liaison. Agur stresses that the notifier cannot act as the family
liason too - these are two separate roles.
Domit explains, "You want them trained so they don't become victims
themselves," adding that research has shown that 12 months after
an accident, family liaisons suffered from the most post-traumatic stress
disorder of all those involved, including the family.
The family liaison should work with the family members after notification
and then for about a week, Domit says. However, he or she should remember:
don't take over - you're there to assist; don't baby-sit - call other
family members for childcare; and, don't be involved in the identification
of remains process.
Agur adds that "there should be a sunset" to the liaison's role,
even though it's often the family's tendency to "hang on." Also,
this is all instead of that person's normal job, not in addition to. When
an employee is actively engaged as a family liaison, he or she should
not be expected to perform regular duties.
The on-site team is activated at this time as well. Among the duties are:
