Generic planning is followed by the anticipative analyses of certain crisis scenarios. The aim is to work out and evaluate different options in order to keep them available as plans of action. This form of planning is also known as ‘alternative planning’ or ‘emergency planning’. In principle, contingency planning for anticipated events enables the organization to get a considerable head-start that essentially helps them to be more sure about their decisions in complex situations and when under pressure. The planning process, especially its detailing, is limited by financial and human constraints as well as restrictions of imagination.
It is, therefore, recommendable to carry out the basic efforts among similarly concerned entities and to continue fine-tuning the basic plans to the individual needs. This can be achieved, for instance, through associations such as the previously mentioned Caribbean Hotel Association, which produced together with the Caribbean Tourism Organization the ‘Hurricane Procedures Manual’ for the members of the Association.
Obtaining information
Disseminate information
On the other hand it is important to pay a lot of attention to the details when it concerns situations for which there is only a short reaction time available. Also for standard situations, it is important to strive for a high level of detail. In this way, the focus is more on the reaction to the situation and less on the event. Furthermore, situations in which the strict following of certain steps is required must be covered in detail in order to avert damage to the organization. For the last two cases, formulated planning modules are the result. They can be brought into use in a crisis situation and leave only the need to concentrate on minor adaptations.
Diagram 37: Checklist for the preparation against tropical storms
Natural disasters such as tropical storms leave little or no time to prepare for the onset. The preparation of checklists is therefore of major importance and should not be neglected by resorts in areas which are likely to be affected. The following example gives an idea of how a checklist can be prepared:
I. Activation of management
Identify a person who • Building (resort)
will take on each of the • Emergency shelter coordination and supplies following eight major • Communications
responsibilities • Employee coordination
• Guest roster maintenance
• Evacuation coordination
• Travel assistance and transportation coordination
• Security coordination II. Preparing the resort
(a) Verify the status of: • Emergency communications equipment, including walkie-talkies and mobile telephones
• Fire protection systems
• Lightning protection systems
• Water-level monitoring systems
• Overflow detection devices
• Automatic shutoffs
• (Rechargeable) batteries, emergency power generation systems
• Fuel supplies (full if possible)
• Hazardous materials storage
(b) Define shutdown • Determine who can order shutdown of major resort elements (including evacuation) conditions • Determine how a partial shutdown would affect other facility operations
• Verify the length of time required for shutdown and restarting
• Specify the conditions that could necessitate a shutdown and provide this
information to the decision-maker in conjunction with information on what parts of the facility would be affected and the time needed to shut down and restart
• Determine who would carry out shutdown procedures
(c) Preserve vital records • Secure vital records not needed during the emergency. Store computer tapes and disks in insulated and waterproof containers
• Initiate back up of computer systems
• Ensure the your own web services are redundantly available on servers outside storm area
• Arrange for evacuation of records to back-up facilities Short reaction
time Standard situations
(d) Secure outside • Move equipment to protected areas facilities • Move furniture inside buildings
• Remove banners, flags and vulnerable potted plants and artwork
• Relocate livestock and move pets to indoor facilities
• Secure materials to shutters or protect windows (e) Prepare shelter Clear and organize interior rooms for:
facilities • Guest and employee occupation (if appropriate) • Food, fuel and luggage storage
• Food distribution
• Sanitary needs
• Communications
Provide for emergency heat, lighting and cooking III. Emergency shelter coordination and supplies
Determine for whom the • If the facility is NOT intended to be a shelter, identify official shelters and evacuation facility will be used as an sites and prepare directions to them
emergency shelter site • If the facility WILL provide shelter, verify the accessibility and adequate provision of (i.e. guests, employees, fuel, food water, blankets, pillows and first aid supplies to the sheltered areas of the essential operational facility. Verify telephone and backup communication lines to civil authorities and employees). Base action emergency assistance
on the items below on this decision:
IV. Communications
• Move communications equipment to the shelter space and test it to verify it works. This should include radios and, where possible, telephones and televisions
• Distribute portable short-range two-way radios to managers, coordinators, critical facility locations and security staff
• Establish back-up communications procedures which might include human messengers (runners)
• Activate automatic call divert to specialized call centre in the event of disrupted phone lines (important for the communication with relatives)
• Coordinate with civil authorities regarding facility intentions and status
• Establish a ‘Message Board’ for posting announcements on the status of the storm, warnings, evacuation notices, travel advisories and telephone numbers for assistance and emergencies
• Ensure that your own web services are redundantly available on servers outside storm area (mirror servers)
• Arrange for web maintenance during and after storm to disseminate important information to relatives and stakeholders (transmit important server access information to headquarters and to other (company) resorts outside the storm area)
• Copy and distribute checklists and advisory notices for tourists and guests V. Employee coordination
• Identify and notify critical employees needed at the facility for the preparation or maintenance and operation during the storm
• Provide checklists and advisory notices to employees and their families
• Determine the need for employee sheltering and inform shelter coordinators
VI. Guest and employee roster
• Provide a log for guest and employee sign-in and sign-out
• Prepare and maintain a roster of current employees and guests
• Establish a file in which to maintain data provided by guests about their home addresses, emergency family contacts and travel plans
• Upon evacuation, update the roster with information on departures and intended destinations VII. Evacuation coordination
• Determine evacuation conditions for the various categories of tourists, guests, non-critical employees and critical employees
• Verify who makes the decision to evacuate the facility
• Determine and post the evacuation routes and destination points
• Establish notification procedures to announce an evacuation
• Upon the decision to evacuate, contact civil authorities on facility intentions and evacuation progress VIII. Travel assistance and transport coordination
• Identify commercial and emergency travel coordinators for airline, train and bus lines
• Announce the availability of emergency travel assistance
• Contact tour directors and determine transport requirements and the availability of any additional seats, if they have their own transport. Post the availability of such opportunities
IX. Security coordination
• Determine security requirements during emergency preparations, onset of the storm and immediately after the storm
• Establish when security resources should be brought to the facility and when they should be deployed
• Identify a coordination centre for security resources and supply it with appropriate emergency communications equipment
• Coordinate with communications in the event of security problems and the need for civil assistance Source: Based on WTO (1998b)
If the modules from standard situations are not considered, planning must be interpreted again as situation bound, which requires adjustments over the course of time. Nevertheless, the ongoing planning updating must not lead into a permanent planning process that quickly exceeds the resources and can obstruct awareness of the essentials. It is much more advisable to carry out a review at regular intervals. The assessment of the actual threat, which is a result from the real environment, determines the appropriate rhythm.
Once developed, key personnel are to be made familiar with the contingency plans, especially the parts under their responsibility. For events with a high likelihood of onset, it is also in the interest of the guests to use an active approach of risk communication (see also Section 7.5.1.1). In the case of tropical storms, guests should already be informed upon their arrival about this natural phenomena and basic information about emergency procedures given. However, the details of the contingency plans should
be handled more restrictively and only be made available to those involved in the emergency activities.
The results of the contingency planning are plans of action, normally in the form of files, that have been drawn up for different situations according to a certain scheme (in spite of the advantages of computer-supported systems, printed crisis instructions dominate in practice).
They contain all information required for the situation, checklists and contact data for internal and external decision- makers and critical personnel.
Example 41: The Service Handbook of TUI
The Service Handbook of the tour operator TUI comprises some 200 pages. It complements the crisis manual described in Example 39 and is at the disposal of all the 1500 TUI travel guides worldwide.
In this Handbook, major negative events of importance for the tour operator are listed, among other things, and detailed binding instructions are given for the travel guide on how to handle a situation, what to prioritize first, what to be taken into consideration and whom to contact. The conceptional responsibility of the handbook lies with the department of Destination Support Services (ZUA) which regularly updates it.