Key Messages from the 2008 EPICC Forum
Day One, February 25, 2008
The 2008 EPICC Forum held at the Delta Airport Hotel, Richmond BC, 25 to 27 February was very well received. Bruce Drake (Industry Canada) opened the Forum and reminded us diverse telecommunications increase the likelihood of having communications when an emergency occurs, and collaboration is the key to Business Continuity. Collaboration is what EPICC is about and Industry Canada provides communications networks that help businesses stay afloat during disasters.
Keynote speaker Bill Brugger (WWB Consulting) addressed building a Business Continuity culture in a large organization, pointing out that business continuity is a holistic approach – a program, not a project. Within each phase (design, assess, improve, validate, and sustain), if you can be more business minded than you are continuity minded, you will succeed.
The first plenary panel discussed Flood Mitigation Planning and the Fraser River Freshet 2007. Cam Filmer (Provincial Emergency Program) provided background, and the panelists described lessons learned in each of their areas of participation. Al Ritchie (Spectra Energy) described the continuous monitoring of stream crossings and stream behaviour, and the need for ongoing dialogue with PEP. He pointed out that Spectra’s all-hazard approach to emergency management has contributed to the firm’s 51 years of uninterrupted service in the Lower Mainland. Sheena Vivian (BC Hydro) described the ways in which each department of BC Hydro used the 2007 training exercise to develop new guidelines that will improve its ability to respond to flood threats. BC Hydro is willing to share its Life Safety Model to better predict the impacts of overtopping or dike breach. Harvey Sasaki (Ministry of Agriculture) pointed out that agriculture in BC generates $2.7 annually, 62% in the Fraser Valley. Outcomes of the 2007 experience were a revised plan for relocating at-risk livestock and poultry and renewed respect for the Ministry and provincial government. Finally, the experience shifted the Ministry’s thinking about risk management from recovery to planning. John Lavery (Ministry of Health) reported that Ministry successes included excellent cooperation and communication among health stakeholders, the Ministry, and PEP, as well as successful Emergency Response. Challenges included difficulties with interpreting flood risk information in the health context. This experience highlights the importance of BCP and of understanding the EM/BCP/Risk Management continuum. Jim Rule (District of Maple Ridge) concluded that the District’s key lessons were: pre-planning is essential; constant communication is crucial; there will be no forgiveness for a lack of preparation; and we must plan for the worst and pray for the best while we prepare for recovery.
In his Luncheon Address, Brian Miller (DRI Canada) noted that there has been a significant amount of growth in the Business Continuity profession since DRI Canada was formed by the few professionals working in 1996. There are now 3,060. More and more, Business Continuity is taking a very strong hold in public and private sectors. Very soon, governments are going to be demanding that their suppliers have Business Continuity programs in place, and everyone will want certified professionals to manage their programs. DRI Canada is member-based and members only; as members, you own the corporation.
Workshops addressed: Crisis Management (with Jack Smith – ABN AMRO Bank); Planning a Tabletop Exercise for Business (with Laurie Pearce – Pearces2 Consulting, andDon Bindon – EPICC Organizing Committee); An All Hazards Approach to Recovery Planning and Crisis Management (with Vicki Gavin – Barclays Bank); and Business Impact Analysis: Foundation for Business Continuity Management (with Russell Stewart – KPMG).
Day Two, February 26, 2008
Cam Filmer (Provincial Emergency Program) opened Day Two with greetings on behalf of Minister Wes Shoemaker. He said the premier has announced $10 million per year for maintenance and preparation for flood mitigation, and Business Continuity will remain one of the top three priorities. In closing, he said that Minister Shoemaker has much respect for EPICC and would even like to see EPICC’s footprint in the province increase; the Ministry will provide as much support as possible. Cam was pleased to receive, on behalf of the Provincial Emergency Program, the “Friends of EPICC” award.
In her Keynote Address, Kathleen Tierney (University of Colorado) pointed out that resilience is fostered by: understanding interdependencies (lifelines, local business ecologies, supply chain issues) and basing plans on knowledge (of expected impacts and realistic expectations regarding outside assistance). However, resilient responses involve not only having and following plans, but also deviating from plans when necessary; plan to improvise and innovate when the plan won’t work.
Jack Smith’s (ABN AMRO Bank) Plenary Address walked us through LaSalle Bank’s Business Continuity success after the worst skyscraper fire in Chicago. He advised us to: develop comprehensive crisis communications plans; provide multi-channel communications to key stakeholders; conduct external communications through identified channels; be conservative in projections; and maintain goodwill by working with insurance providers on behalf of employees.
The Day Two Breakouts addressed: Climate Change: A Serious Long Term Threat for Business(with David Etkin – York University); Critical Infrastructure and Business (with Doug Allan – Joint Emergency Liaison Committee, Allan Galambos – Ministry of Transportation, and Seiki Harada – Harada Management Consulting); Transient Populations & Business Impacts of Evacuation (Peter Tarlow – Tourism & More Consulting); and More Than Zeroes and Ones(with David Witzer – IT Security, Government of BC).
During the lunch break, Peter Tarlow (Tourism & More Consulting) discussed security for event risk management. The world’s largest industry, tourism’s two big mistakes are its tendency to downplay security and to confuse terrorism and crime. Criminals live off the industry, while terrorism wants to destroy it; 80% of non-military terrorism has been against tourism. Tourism-oriented police security (TOPS) is successful when the public thinks nothing is happening.
In the second Plenary Address of the day, David Kaye (Risk Reality) suggested that modern businesses have huge power and size but little ability to micro-manage the details of their own business. Risk is integral to all opportunity, and the risk/reward balancing act involves reducing the risk, reducing the impact, transferring the risk and/or impact, preparing to finance losses, or establishing resources and abilities for contingency response.
The final Plenary Address of the afternoon, presented by John Fowler (Northern Trust Corporation), outlined the structure and role of Chicago First, which includes critical providers (clearing houses) and core providers (large financial institutions). Regional public/private partnerships coordinate with city, state, and federal authorities to increase the resilience of financial services through their seat at Chicago’s Joint Operations Center.
Day Three, February 27, 2008
On Day Three, EPICC’s bonus breakfast session brought Bob Walker (Justice Institute) to discuss new developments in emergency management training. EM is about decision-making. Critical incident decision makers can now gain experience through JIBC’s Applied Learning Lab, which provides individuals with experiences of real world situations and enables them to transfer these skills to an actual major event or emergency.
Opening remarks from Bill White (Public Safety Canada) reminded us that Public Safety Canada’s activities include: a Canadian EM college, cyber security, a national exercise program, a government operations centre, an urban search and rescue program, and the joint emergency preparedness program. They publish and distribute the Emergency Preparedness Guide and other self-help brochures, coordinate the whole of federal government assistance, and fund recovery from disasters (DFAA).
The Plenary Panel focused on pandemics. Ralph Dunham (Marsh Canada) demonstrated that the foundation of successful risk management will be core values: health and safety first, equitable treatment for employees/clients, and legal compliance. Ethical challenges abound, legal issues could arise, and trust will be the critical success factor. Andrew Wilson (WorkSafeBC) said more than 20% of firms do not have sufficient working capital to enable them to survive an outbreak of avian flu lasting 12 weeks. Unless the mortality rate is catastrophic, the critical issues will be infection rate, duration of the recovery period, and employees’ willingness to come to work. Allan Holmes (Global Consulting) took a positive view, pointing out that Pandemic Planning can stabilize corporate performance by protecting key revenue streams, growing the firm’s market share as others fail to deliver, identifying new market opportunities, avoiding lawsuits, and optimizing business processes. Also, effectively planning in advance for a pandemic will help your organization to be viewed as responsible and proactive, robust and visionary.
The final day’s breakouts addressed: Insurance & BCP (with Jim Olsen – Georgia State University); Emotional Continuity Management (with Vali Hawkins Mitchell – Certified Traumatologist & Mental Health Counselor); Emergency Health Issues for Businesses of Tomorrow (with Bonnie Henry – UBC Centre for Disease Control); and Telecommunications & Business Perspectives (with Jason Macdonnell – TELUS).
The forum wound down with Vali Hawkins Mitchell’s (Certified Traumatologist & Mental Health Counselor) Luncheon Address on "Taking Your Own Pulse First." Emotional continuity management is about looking at the people-factor piece of Business Continuity – how you take care of your people. First responders must learn to take care of themselves first, because what they do is difficult. It is not just about catastrophic events, but about dealing with everyday trauma and the disasters inside the disaster.
Business Continuity is everybody's business; if you take care of your business,
your business will take care of you!