How prepared is a facility visited by hundreds of people on a given day for an emergency?
Security managers and officers are responsible in undertaking precautionary measures before emergencies strike. Emergency preparation and management are necessary to keep the peace and order situation of an establishment. In a mall setting, emergency preparation strategies consist of the following phases: groundwork, training, and post operation.
Weather Forecasts
It is essential to always monitor the changing weather conditions, especially during the rainy season. Security personnel should keep abreast of checking the weather news or weather bureaus to determine any eventuality that may occur, particularly during typhoons. Security guards usually tune in to their transistor radios listening to weather broadcasts and other news on a timely basis. Understanding the demographic data of an area will help in determining how safe is the location of an establishment.
Keeping Informed
Being responsive means taking appropriate action to address an ongoing emergency. Having a good grasp of the situation enables security officers to act accordingly. When responding to an emergency, every staff should be aware of the step-by-step process in resolving an emergency. At the same time, the personnel should know what he is supposed to do. Crowd control, proper evacuation procedures, and/or rescue operations must be conducted in an orderly manner.
In some instances, timing when responding to an emergency is very critical, especially in cases of fire, earthquake or stampede. Pulling together the team members might not be that easy when the personnel are scattered to the different areas of the facility. This is when an efficient radio communication system is necessary when giving instructions or checking the status of a rescue operation.
Responders should bear in mind that the safety of the individuals or employees inside an establishment is of utmost importance above the valuable properties within the facility. When employees know what they should do will be helpful for the responders to rescue them. The faster they can secure the mall’s personnel, the more they can help other customers or individuals to get out of the troubled shopping facility.
Clearing the Area
Quick recovery and returning to normal operations are of paramount interest for most businesses like malls or shopping centers. However, there are emergency cases during a fire or an earthquake where returning to normal operations would not be that easy. As this happens, it is not only the enterprise but also the welfare of the employees are affected with the disruption of the company’s operations. A well-coordinated emergency response is a primary factor to prevent any damage to property and life.
Post rescue operations are usually conducted for damage assessment or an inventory of the lost items or equipment that become inoperable. In cases of health hazards or employees’ death, it is very essential to ensure that similar situations would not happen in the future.
Being Prepared
Certainly, emergency preparation is needed for any organization. The readiness or preparedness of the tasked personnel or unit/department to prevent an emergency is vital for business continuity. Although many emergency responders are not fully equipped with the advanced equipment (as most of them are not rescue units), having some first-aid training or skills during emergency cases will be crucial in safeguarding the personnel and clients of an establishment.
Emergency preparedness requires continuous updating of skills/training to help the personnel-not just the security people-on the basic safety measures during an emergency. This provides tips on what to do when an emergency occurs. This gauges the capability of the responders in safeguarding the lives of the victims and valuable properties.
