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Dedicated to helping organizations prepare for the unexpected, Clas Consulting brings well-proven methodology to the planning process. Our standards are designed to meet or exceed the requirements of the National Incident Management System (NIMS), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1600 planning standards, the National Response Plan, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administrations (OSHA) Emergency Action Planning Requirements. In the scope of Emergency Management Planning, we partner with clients to ensure that the necessary plans, contracts and procedures are in place before a disaster strikes. Our approach not only provides for efficient data collection to minimize the time spent by personnel; it also produces concrete deliverables that can be used in the event of a real emergency. Additionally, our team helps clients secure government funding to which they are entitled following a declared disaster. Our vast understanding of FEMA’s and other agencies’ requirements for eligibility and documentation assures that organizations recover the maximum reimbursement allowed. |
| Our Comprehensive Emergency Management Planning Includes the Following Services: |
Disaster Management Planning Hospital Disaster Planning Sheltering/Evacuation Planning
Emergency Operations Planning First Aid/CPR Training Training/Testing/Exercise
Pre-Positioned Contract Development IT Recovery Planning
Bioterrorism Planning Continuity of Operations & Business Continuity Planning
Schools Crisis Planning Personal Protective Equipment Selection and Training
In the scope of Emergency Management Planning, we partner with clients to ensure that the necessary plans, contracts and procedures are in place before a disaster strikes. Our approach not only provides for efficient data collection to minimize the time spent by personnel; it also produces concrete deliverables that can be used in the event of a real emergency.
Business Impact Analysis. An organization needs to determine the cost and
impact of interruptions to operations, services, customers, the organization and
employees. We work with your functional managers to determine the impact of an
interruption or disaster in relation to the cost of an interruption or outage
over time. This information is essential for your organization to determine
functional recovery priorities, the recovery time objective and to develop the
most effective recovery strategies. This will also help justify a sufficient
budget for the Business Continuity planning process.
Risk Assessment. It is much better to eliminate a potential disaster than to have to suffer through an expensive recovery. Our specialists perform a detailed risk assessment of your operations. They thoroughly check your facility to include; offices, equipment and storage rooms. They examine building diagrams and blueprints and physically inspect the roof, basement, adjacent buildings, generators, and other vital facility components. You will receive detailed documentation regarding risks as well as suggested mitigation solutions. The Risk Analysis also includes geographic location vulnerabilities and proximity hazard identification that are of critical importance to your facility, operations and personnel.
Emergency Response Plan Development. Despite all of the planning and training an organization invests in developing a continuity plan, the actions taken immediately following a disaster are critical to the recovery of the organization. The recovery effort will fail if the employees are not trained in responding to an emergency situation. An effective Emergency Response Plan will contribute to personnel safety, facility integrity and protection of organizational information, equipment and other assets.
Emergency Procedure Development. We can develop detailed emergency procedures for handling bomb threats, fires, severe weather, workplace violence, and other emergencies.
The profound impact of Hurricane
Katrina in 2005 greatly emphasized the importance of all-hazards
Emergency Operations Planning
(EOP). Through our extensive background in disaster preparedness, Clas
Consulting helps clients refine their current emergency response plans and
ensure compliance with industry standards.
Our approach to Emergency
Operations Planning consists of three primary stages:
Initiation and Documentation
Review. Key personnel
and the scope of the Emergency Operations Planning process are identified.
Current plans are reviewed for compliance with EMAP and NIMS guidelines.
Plan Construction.
Based on findings from the documentation review and an on-site visit, the
first draft of the new or revised EOP is drafted by the CLAS CONSULTING
project team. This draft consists of a basic plan which defines the purpose,
situation and assumptions, concept of operations, authorities and
references. It is consistent with the guidelines established by the federal
government through NIMS, the Federal Response Plan and EMAP as well as those
set forth by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for meeting the
National Preparedness Goal.
Pre-Positioned Contract Development
Having contracts pre-positioned ensures rapid response and
efficiency in the event of an emergency. At Clas Consulting, we recognize the
necessity of competitively bid contracts in the scope of disaster preparedness.
We assist organizations with all facets of the pre-positioned contract
development process, saving them considerable time, effort and expense.
Our proven approach to pre-positioned contract development
involves understanding the geography, demographics and culture of a community,
and developing a work strategy that encompasses that your organizations needs.
The result is the creation of sound contracts that assure valuable contractor
relationships, conserve dollars and protect the financial health of the client.
Clas
Consulting can assist with:
Broadly defined, bioterrorism refers to the use of biological
agents such as anthrax, smallpox, botulism, and plague in an act of terrorism.
With today's intense political climate and technological advances, the threat of
biological warfare in the U.S. is more real than ever.
A successful defense against
bioterrorism begins with a sound plan for general disaster preparedness. Once a
organization has achieved this, Clas Consulting can help them plan for the
unique challenges posed by a bioterrorist event. The goal of
Bioterrorism Planning
is to establish and maintain all-hazards response capabilities critical to
protecting the population during a public health crisis.
Our comprehensive approach addresses all aspects of
Bioterrorism Planning, including:
Clas Consulting also
assists clients in identifying and obtaining federal funding for the
establishment of Bioterrorism Planning programs.
Since disaster can strike
suddenly without warning, the optimal time to initiate
Schools Crisis Planning
is now. Whether it is a hurricane, fire or act of bioterrorism, ensuring the
safety of students during a large-scale emergency requires careful coordination
at the building, district, team and community levels.
Using
the U.S. Department of Education’s Practical
Information on Crisis Planning: A Guide for Schools and Communities
as a guide, Clas Consulting assists public and private schools in an all-hazards
Schools Crisis Planning process. Initially, deficiencies in the school’s current
emergency plans are identified, and revisions are made which ensure alignment
with the organization’s Emergency Operations Plan. Development of a School
Crisis Plan includes comprehensive hazard assessment and electronic
documentation of the school facilities (floor plans, digital photos) for fire,
police and emergency services
The Clas Consulting project team then guides implementation
of the new Plan through Train-the-Trainer sessions and by improving
communications with school personnel, parents, students and first responders to
ensure a coordinated response during a crisis. We also develop useful “quick
guides” which summarize the response activities for specific natural and
man-made disasters. These books can be kept in the classrooms to be on hand
should an emergency arise.
Threats of bioterrorist attacks, emerging new epidemics pandemics and large-scale disasters have greatly affirmed the need for Hospital Disaster Planning in recent years. Clas Consulting has the experience and knowledge to help hospitals effectively prepare for a diversity of potential hazards, whether natural or man-made.
It takes just a virus attached to
an e-mail message to bring down the entire IT infrastructure of an organization.
As businesses and governments move quickly towards paperless administration, our
dependence on technology exposes us to new and frightening vulnerabilities.
Developing a full understanding of these vulnerabilities is the first step in
effective IT Disaster
Planning.
Clas Consulting assists organizations with all-hazards IT
Disaster Planning that serves as a sub-plan of the Continuity of Operations Plan
(COOP). Our skilled project team composes a detailed inventory of systems that
are essential to day-to-day business operations. Such systems include
telephones, voicemail, fax, data lines, network access, Internet access and
wireless communications/PDAs as well as application software and hardware.
Clas Consulting then conducts a working group session to
prioritize “mission critical” systems. During this assessment, supporting
hardware, operating systems and applications software are documented as well as
vendor information, personnel resources and backup frequency and storage.
The result of IT Disaster Planning is a strategy drafted in a
concise “checklist” format, an effective method of implementing emergency
response activities. This checklist provides the framework for developing
detailed technical recovery procedures, and can be used as a guideline for
testing these procedures before an event strikes.
Continuity of Operations & Business Continuity Planning
Project Initiation.
A kick-off meeting with Clas Consulting and a designated COOP, BCP or COG
advisory committee, where key personnel and the scope of the planning process
are defined.
Disaster Readiness Assessment (or Business Impact Analysis).
Focuses on defining core government or business operations so that critical
processes and resources can be identified and prioritized.
Vulnerability and Risk Analysis.
Documents and prioritizes the vulnerabilities and risks identified during the
Disaster Readiness Assessment phase of the project.
Disaster Readiness Planning.
Pulls the process together in a set of planning documents and plan “checklists”
designed for use in responding to all hazards that disrupt normal operations. A
strategy for ongoing maintenance of the plan is also discussed.
The ultimate goal of our all-hazards COOP, BCP and COG
Planning includes the identification of alternate facilities, the ability to
operate within 12 hours of activation and the capacity to sustain operations for
up to 30 days.
Personal Protective Equipment Selection and Training
Sheltering/Evacuation Planning
After a disaster strikes,
the displacement of residents can quickly overwhelm the resources of surrounding
communities. Unfortunately, according to a report issue by the Department of
Homeland Security, the majority of the nation’s states and cities have not
developed comprehensive mass sheltering and evacuation strategies.
Following the criteria set forth in the Nationwide Plan
Review, Clas Consulting supports organizations throughout the
Sheltering and Evacuation
Planning process.
Our consultants facilitate group sessions with a cross-functional committee,
which includes representation from first responder agencies, law enforcement,
public works, American Red Cross, primary shelter providers and others.
Using a “worst case scenario” assumption, the committee
reviews current sheltering options, medical support, transportation and
communication and technology issues. Assessment reports on the client’s current
sheltering and evacuation plan are prepared which pinpoint weaknesses and
recommend improvements. In some cases, data gathered in after-action reports
from prior disasters lend further clarity to the Sheltering and Evacuation
Planning process.
The end result is a phase-by-phase strategy that includes the
development of the related Emergency Operations Center procedures, staffing
plans, evacuation implementation procedures, staff job descriptions and position
guides specific to an evacuation event. The process to provide adequate food,
shelter, water, and security for evacuees is documented in detail. Since
Sheltering and Evacuation Planning is an ongoing process, Clas Consulting
assists clients in continually modifying its strategy as its needs and
capabilities change.
At Clas Consulting, we recognize that intensive training is
the key to disaster preparedness. Since an emergency plan is a “living”,
evolving document, employees must be instructed on how to make disaster recovery
planning an integral part of their jobs going forward.
With this in mind, the Clas Consulting team assists clients
in the creation and implementation of effective Emergency Management Training
programs. Based on the fundamentals of adult education, our programs provide
guidance to personnel who have critical roles and responsibilities in the event
of a crisis. The goal is to establish a comprehensive, all-hazards strategy to
help agencies manage and execute response activities during a natural or
man-made disaster.
Our team also develops Emergency Management Training
instructor guides, student handouts, lesson plans, training aids, Microsoft
Power Point presentations, and take-away materials that enhance the learning
experience.
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