Are your emergency plans up to date?

March 15, 2011
As the latest disaster in Japan reminds us, natural disasters — earthquakes and tsunamis, being just two examples — can occur at any time, often with little or no warning.  While the tragedy unfolding in Japan is on a scale we, fortunately, do not see very often, we have had our own share of floods, earthquakes and hurricanes across the United States and certainly across the world.   While we should be regularly reviewing and updating our own plans, there’s nothing like a fresh disaster to re-focus our minds on the importance of being prepared.   Unfortunately, my experience working with airport authorities on emergency preparedness is that most do not have a plan that deals with GSE — both in terms of securing GSE in the event of a disaster, or marshalling GSE resources in the event the airport becomes the staging area for dealing with the movement of supplies and rescuers.  (Even when the airport is damaged, as New Orleans’ was after Katrina or Haiti’s after the earthquake, rescue efforts could not really begin in earnest until the airports were rendered useable and airlifts of supplies, equipment and personnel could begin). So my question to all of you is, do you have emergency plans and are they integrated with your airport authorities plans?  And, just as importantly, do you practice them on a regular basis? The right plan can  save lives and help minimize equipment and property damage.