National Network for Arab American Communities

Executive Critical Incident
Preparedness Briefing
March 16, 2016

Sanford Altschul 

Why Emergency Preparedness
Planning?
• Quick and effective action is required during the
onset of an emergency.
• Effective action often depends on having plans
in place before the disaster strikes.
• If response is delayed, staff, clients, visitors lives
maybe needlessly lost. 

Emergency Planning
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Risks/Hazards
Assessment
Planning
Likely Scenario
Resources 

Risks/Vulnerabilities
Vulnerability
The propensity (susceptibility or tendency) of
people and things to be damaged by a hazard. A
person or group’s vulnerability depends on their
capacity to anticipate, cope with, resist and
recover from the impact of a hazard.
Risk
The likelihood of a disaster happening to a
particular group of people. 

Risks/Vulnerabilities 

Assessment – What Are Your Risks?
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Severe Weather
Power Outage
Hazardous Materials (Facility, Transportation)
Other Natural Disasters (Earthquake, flooding)
Civil Unrest
Bomb Threats
Violent Intruder 

Assessment – Conduct One
• Survey the area
• Identify Safe Areas
• Identify Evacuation Routes and Assembly
Areas
• Look to local resources – Police, Fire,
Emergency Management, DHS
• On-Line Tools 

Preparedness 

Preparedness - Implementation
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Share the plan with employees, stakeholders
Install/Upgrade Security Systems
Develop Policies
Train (Tabletop Exercises, meetings, etc.)
Participate in Community Emergency
Preparedness Activities (Exercises, Seminars,
Workshops)
• Link to local Law Enforcement Intelligence
Sharing System (e.g. Fusion Center) 

The Plan
• Plans take many different formats, has to work
for the organization, if not, won’t be used.
• To include:
– Assessment (or reference to findings)
– Key Resource contact information, including local city
and/or county departments
– Key employee and management contact information
– Emergency procedures
– Some aspects of security procedures (some may be
sensitive/restricted 

The Plan (cont.)
• Locations of identified –
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Shelter areas
Evacuation routes
Evacuation Assembly Areas
Location of emergency supplies/equipment

• Introduction, Purpose, Objectives, Scope, etc.
• Site Maps 

Bomb Threat 

Bomb Threat
5-step process for effectively dealing with bomb threats:
1. Receiving the call and notifying the Control Point.
2. Evaluation of the call by the Control Point, and determining
which of the following steps is required:
• A search
• No search
• An evacuation
3. A search of the premises.
4. If necessary, evacuation of the premises in an orderly
manner.
5. All clear. 

Violent Intruder/Active Shooter
• We can not predict the origin of the next threat
• Assailants in recent incidents across the country were
not students or employees.
• Victims are often unaware they were targets, until
attacked **
• Very few of the attackers ever directed threats to their
targets before the attack. 

Mitigation
• Protective Measures:
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Early Warning / Notification System
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Surveillance System
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Organization training involvement
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Building construction
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Established escape routes
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Identification / location of safe rooms
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SEE SOMETHING – SAY SOMETHING 

Responding to an Violent Intruder

• RUN
• HIDE
• FIGHT
CALL 9-1-1 

RUN
• Always Be Aware
• Know Escape Routes
– Exits/Windows
• Move quickly; don’t wait for others to validate
your decision
• Leave belongings behind
• Survival chances increase if you are not where
shooter is or to go where he can’t see you 

HIDE
• If you can’t get out, secure the immediate area “hide out”
– whether office, bathroom, storeroom, classroom
• If you find yourself in an open area, immediately seek
protection
- Block/barricade the door using whatever is available –
desks, file cabinets, books, other furniture
- If the shooter enters your room and leaves,
lock/barricade the door behind him
- If safe allow others to seek refuge with you
- If two or more of you, DO NOT huddle together 

HIDE (cont.)
DOORS, WINDOWS, OPENINGS, and NOISE
- Close blinds
- Turn off electronics (TV, radio, etc)
- Dim or face computer monitors away from windows or doors
- Silence cell phones (put on vibrate)
- Place signs in exterior windows to identify the location of
injured persons
- Keep occupants calm and quiet
- After securing the room. People should be positioned out of
sight and behind items that might offer additional protection –
walls, desks, file cabinets, etc.
- Stay low- reduce your profile 

FIGHT
• If no other choice!!!
– Attempt to incapacitate and disrupt the
intruder
– Act with physical aggression and throw
items at the intruder
– Getting shot does not mean that you are
dead
• You can and must keep going! 

Resources
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Local Emergency Management Office
State Emergency Management Office
Local Inter-Faith Coalition
National Inter-Faith Coalitions 

Resources
• Ready.gov
• Faith Based Community of Practice,
Community.fema.gov
• Fema.gov
IS-907 - Active Shooter: What You Can Do
http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/IS907.asp
IS-906 – Workplace Security Awareness

• Dhs.gov/activeshooter 

Resources 

Questions?

Thank you for attending 

About ARK
•

ARK-CIM is a recognized leader in Emergency Preparedness,
Critical Incident Management, Critical Incident planning and
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responding to and recovering from critical incidents. Clients,
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us for our commitment to Protect Their Assets: People-ReputationProducts-Community-Infrastructure. Contact us at: (734) 612-7204
or visit us on the web at: ark-cim.com