Time is of the essence during a critical incident. Who is alerted and how quickly and accurately crucial information is provided to emergency teams makes all the difference. A critical incident such as a shooting, bomb threat or natural disaster such as an earthquake, may happen anyplace there are people always around, such as a hotel.
Getting the right people to the right place within a moment's notice is key to a successful resolution. Failure to do so may mean lives lost.
Hotels must be proactive in developing and incorporating a critical incident plan that is geared towards the successful resolution of a complex and dynamic situation such as a shooting, bomb threat or natural disaster. Key components that every hotel should have in place are an emergency preparedness plan, evacuation plan and first response plan in addition to having communications capabilities in place.
A hotel's critical incident plan is designed to assist the hotel's staff as well as 911 Emergency Communication Center dispatchers, police, ambulance and fire departments in providing a coordinated initial response to a critical incident. The plan should contain relevant site data including hotel maps, floor plans, utilities information and contact information. It should also include a field guide for the police's Incident Commander to utilize, which will assist him/her in the rapid deployment of public safety personnel. The field guide should include details for contact and rescue teams, traffic diversions, fire and EMS services, mutual aid and a staging area for the media.
Once the critical incident plan is established, a copy of it must be provided to the 911 Emergency Communications Center, so that dispatchers and first responders to the scene will have access to its specific information so they can best facilitate an emergency response. The police department should have access to the hotel's master keys so they may gain access to every area during a crisis situation.
It's imperative that hotel owners/managers have the capability to 'lock-down' their establishment and notify everyone in the building. Locking down the hotel may seem daunting, but it is one of the best ways to minimize the danger, in particular in a shooting or bomb threat situation. It limits the ability of a violent shooter or threatening party to gain access to rooms, guests and staff.
One way to alert hotel guests of a lock-down is to use a reverse call system with a pre-recorded message that instructs all guests to remain in their rooms until the police can respond to the incident. Staff may also be alerted utilizing the same system, with a different pre-recorded message that may also include specific instructions.
Time is of the essence and communication is key. A lot of information needs to be disseminated immediately to the appropriate first response emergency teams and sometimes too much non-essential information gets in the way. It's imperative that a critical incident plan is already in place so that first responders, as well as the hotel's staff, knows what to do.
What NOT to Do
Hotel owners should be aware of the more frequent incidences of violence and natural disasters that have occurred throughout the world. Don't assume that a critical incident isn't going to happen. Don't wait to put a critical incident plan in place. Hotels are 'ripe for the picking' when it comes to a shooting or bomb threat incident due to their size, scope and the sheer number of people that are in the hotel at any given time. Without the proper information and a communication system established, such as an evacuation plan, floor plans and a reverse call system, a critical incident becomes a near impossible situation that is sure to have a tragic ending.
Having a critical incident plan in place well ahead of time ensures that the necessary information is efficiently communicated to first responders, Incident Commanders, hotel staff and guests, the media and all others involved. It is essential to the successful resolution of a crisis situation.
Sgt. Jason Brennan is the co-founder of Synergy Law Enforcement Solutions of Massachusetts. He is a full-time active duty police officer and Operation Commander of a multi-jurisdictional Tactical Unit/SWAT Team responsible for providing police services to 43 cities/towns in the Northeast. His company travels the country developing IMPACT programs which are designed to assist schools, hospitals, companies and emergency teams by providing a coordinated initial response product that will help save lives in the event of a hazardous situation, gas leak, natural disaster or an act of work/school violence. For more information, visit synergy911.us or contact (508) 989-3578.)
