By Thomas Hartley, CAPP, and Lissette Hernandez, CAPP

Sometimes we are part of unforeseen events that put to the test our ability to react and take control of the situation by testing our skills and knowledge. It’s critical to establish a concise, well-organized emergency operations response plan, to help us personally and professionally, but do you know how?

During our presentation at the 2021 IPMI Parking & Mobility Conference & Expo, an overview will be exhibited of a successfully established internal process following the university Emergency Management, NIMS (National Incident Management System) Management structure, resource management, and communication as developed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Learning key elements to effectively prepare detailed activities and roles before, during, and after an emergency will help you through the unforeseen emergencies. Enhancing your knowledge in identifying an artery versus a vein will help you save a life! This is reviewed in the Stop the Bleeding part of this presentation.

The development of an emergency preparedness plan, whether for a natural, structural, human caused, or operational disaster, can be the key point to have a quick response time mitigating any loss, human or structural. As a user, creating a SWOT analysis of your department helps enhance the areas where you succeed, but most importantly, understand how you can be prepared to breach the gap and identify your improvement opportunities.

In addition, developing your team and finding other roles and processes that can be used in these emergencies reduces your struggle and cost, and should be clearly defined and communicated during training to address, mitigate, and recover should an emergency arise.

Lastly, understanding important elements such as data gathering, assessment, monitoring, and evaluating all essential components before, during, and after an emergency is integral to the operations. This in an essential and meticulous task that can result in reimbursement being approved or denied.

Thomas Hartley, CAPP, is assistant vice president, and Lissette Hernandez, CAPP, is director of sustainability and physical plant at Florida International University. They will present on this topic at the 2021 IPMI Parking & Mobility Conference & Expo, Nov. 29 – Dec. 2, in Tampa, Fla.