Assignment Five - Disaster Planning

Disaster Preparedness Plan – Better Health Abroad

Shut Down of Air Travel

Overview

Our organization depends heavily air transit to conduct everyday business. Any widespread suspension of air travel would seriously affect our operations including both employees and client services. Air travel may be stopped for a number of reasons from inclement weather and natural disasters to terrorist threats. No matter what the scale of the shutdown, the continued care of our clients and employees abroad must be of the highest consideration. The following guide outlines the protocol for approaching suspension of air travel that may affect our international destinations.

Incident Command

A travel emergency is determined by the CEO and board of directors upon recommendation from the chair of the travel department. If a travel emergency is declared, the organization puts incident command in the hands of the chair of the travel department. The incident commander has overall responsibility for planning strategies and implementing tactics.

Logistics

A previously assigned logistics chief will be responsible for overseeing ordering, obtaining, maintaining, and accounting for essential personnel, equipment, and supplies. Depending on the scale of air travel shutdown, the logistics section will decide how to reassign current personnel to travel and communication departments.

Travel Operations

A previously assigned operations chief will be responsible for overseeing alternative travel and accommodation arrangements for affected employees and clients. As personnel from other departments will be reassigned to the travel department, incumbent personnel will be expected to assume managerial roles as dictated by the operations chief. Depending on the cause of the suspension in air travel, immediate transfer of traveling employees and clients to foreign U.S. embassies may be necessary. We already have in place ground transit at all our facilities that are capable of moving patients to these destinations if necessary. At the discretion of the incident commander, it is the responsibility of the travel department to carry out these measures.

Communications

We already have a full-time operator on call at headquarters that can be reached by a toll-free number from anywhere in the world via pre-paid cell phones given to employees and clients for use in the case of an emergency. During a suspension of air travel, employees not reassigned to the travel department may instead be assigned to answer calls on the toll-free line. The number of operators will be determined by the volume of calls, and the logistic chief’s assessment of need. Information will be relayed to the information and intelligence management section.

The communications section will also be responsible for responding to concerns from relatives and friends of affected employees and clients. This may include arranging communication between affected parties if possible.

Information & Intelligence Management

A previously assigned intelligence chief will be responsible for overseeing the collection and evaluation of incoming air transit information as well as information from foreign employees and clients. This information will be formatted and presented to the incident commanders and other sections for use in planning. The section will also maintain incident documentation and track resources assigned to the travel emergency.

Finance & Administration

A previously assigned finance chief will be responsible for overseeing the negotiation of any contracts necessary to arrange travel for employees and clients. The section will also be responsible for timekeeping, cost analysis, and if necessary compensation to affected parties.

Public Relations

A previously assigned public relations liaison will be responsible for overseeing media relations. All inquiries from outside of the organization will be directed to the liaison, who will have prepared statements based on collaboration with the intelligence section.