Our response to Covid-19 has taught us a lot about what is needed when assessing risk and planning emergency response. I certainly wouldn’t have expected any incident to result in 18 months of response, with recovery to follow! This pandemic has brought attention to the Emergency Planning profession and highlights how the decisions we make to mitigate impacts are increasingly reviewed and critiqued. As such, we’re always looking to learn and improve the way we do things.
Setting up Covid testing sites across the boroughs saw us arranging deliveries and cleaning of portaloos, and while not something I’d ever expected to spend so long working on (and hope not to again!) it does remind me how wide-ranging a day at work can be and the importance of being prepared for whatever gets thrown our way. The experience we’ve all had since March 2020 will inform many changes, and schools particularly have an important role to play in both protecting children when an incident occurs, as much as educating them in the importance of emergencies and being resilient.
I think there’s an easy emphasis placed on the impact of disasters, rather than the easy and small steps we can all take to best prepare ourselves.
Smart School Services
Emergency Planning is keen to support schools in developing and exercising their business continuity and emergency incident capabilities.
If you would like to know more about our Emergency Planning services, please book a meeting with us to discuss your needs.
