Situational assessment

Situational assessment is about collecting information based on what is happening now so that those in charge can communicate instructions appropriate to the situation. This may seem counterintuitive to having a plan. A plan should always be treated as a guideline and something to fallback to if needed. There is no guarantee that a situation is going to be exact to what was predicated or planned for. In these cases, making deviations from the plan are necessary to achieve the best response.

Responding

Response should be carried out with a set order of priority with people stationed at the top. Incidents compromising people’s safety should sit within a framework of emergency management. But within business resilience, order of priority establishes the order of things to get done. Disruptions are quite often chaotic and overwhelming. And to reduce that effect, referring to a written document can help with the response.

Let’s say that a sudden storm occurs during business hours and minor flooding and a power outage ensues. By having your business in an elevated area and having stored a gas powered generator, you’ve protected your assets and prepared for a blackout.

Your response here, based on your business continuity planning might be to use the generator to power your machinery/ IT equipment or even to keep the lights on to help people navigate through the building. Depending on how safe it is, your business may be able to maintain its operation. But do take the ‘duty of care’ in mind when operating in a post-disaster environment.