Taking the panic out of an emergency

18 Mar 2011

In times of emergency, it pays to have a plan. Broadcast Australia’s latest revision of its emergency procedures has helped the company weather the worst effects of Australia’s recent natural disasters.

In times of emergency, it pays to have a plan. Broadcast Australia's latest revision of its emergency procedures has helped the company weather the worst effects of Australia's recent natural disasters.

As Australia's extreme weather in recent months has highlighted, the importance of having up-to-date emergency procedures in place cannot be over-estimated. In late 2010, Broadcast Australia Customer Contract Delivery Manager, John Postgate, set about working with stakeholders to revamp existing emergency procedures. Little did he realise how crucial a role these would play over the coming months.

What became important in this work was to communicate and agree on the principles of joint objectives, such as the priority BA placed on staff safety above all else. For Broadcast Australia's customers, understanding their updated requirements for emergency broadcasting and their expectations of Broadcast Australia were critical factors in ensuring procedures were aligned with these objectives where possible and were agreed and documented.

John began work on the updates in September and completed the revised document by December. The procedures were then tested in an internal exercise that simulated a cyclone hitting northern NSW, followed by a joint exercise with their largest national customer, the ABC. "The procedures we have put in place will benefit all our customers," said John. "These exercises were a great way to help embed the right emergency culture into the organisation at every level."

Framework for success

Hot on the heels of these 'dry runs', the procedures were then tested for real as the first of the season's natural disasters hit Australia. "The timing of the training was particularly fortuitous," said John, "As a result of the exercises, everybody in the company was very attuned to emergency management at exactly the time it was needed."

According to Broadcast Australia's recent Emergency Response manager, Col Harman, the company has used the procedures constantly since they were completed. "With the succession of floods that hit Queensland, Victoria, NSW and WA, and the effects of Cyclones Bianca, Anthony and Yasi, the procedures have provided an excellent framework to guide our responses," he said.

The procedures have also fostered a greater awareness by the staff of the types of action that need to be taken in various scenarios. "In one instance, field staff anticipated losing mains power at a major site, and pre-emptively started the emergency power plant," said John. "Pro-active responses like this reduce response times and help ensure continuity of broadcast services."

Timely response

While it is difficult to quantify exactly how much the revised procedures helped mitigate a greater disaster, they have undoubtedly had their benefits. "At times we were getting multiple requests for action," Col explains. "The procedures proved particularly useful for streamlining communications—especially with third-party organisations. This helped avoid duplication of effort, and enabled responses to be both properly prioritised and actioned in a timely manner."

Of course, no procedure should ever be a static document. "These natural disasters have highlighted a number of areas and downstream processes where we can further improve on," said John. "It's very important that operational plans are updated and reviewed regularly. By embracing the lessons learned, we will be able to further improve our emergency responses in the future."

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