SECURITY CONSULTING

Business Continuity

In order to improve an Organization’s preparedness in dealing with any type of emergency while ensuring continuity of Operations, availability of Critical Resources, minimization of interruptions to business processes and recovery of business applications a comprehensive Business Continuity Program (BCP) or Business Continuity Management System (BCMS) is crucial. Often existing Programs are not kept up to date and are there is a lack of synchronization amongst various business departments and locations. This potentially can result in lost revenues and extra expenses when business is disrupted.

We work closely with our Clients to develop and implement a BCP or BCMS in addition to reviewing current programs and identifying gaps that can impact critical business operations and processes. This will provide a strategic and operational framework to improve the Organization’s ability to withstand any type of emergency.

Crisis Management, Communication
Assessment & Development

Crisis Management is a process designed to prevent or lessen the damage a Crisis can inflict on an Organization and its stakeholders. It is a holistic management process that identifies potential impacts that threaten an Organization and provides a framework for building resilience with the capability for an effective response that safeguards the interests of its key stakeholders, reputation and brand.

The Purpose of the Crisis Management Plan (CMP) is to prevent or reduce loss in a Crisis situation. The priorities in Crisis Management are to ensure the safety and welfare of all Employees and the surrounding community, ensuring Business Continuity and reducing financial loss, and safeguarding the Organization’s reputation. The CMP provides information on crisis management practices and procedures and we work closely with our Clients to utilize an all-hazards and holistic approach so that the CMP addresses all the phases of the Crisis Management Cycle – from mitigation to preparedness to response and recovery.

The purpose of a Crisis Communications Plan (CCP) is to serve as the primary tool for implementing communication related activities to crisis situations, including communication within the Organization’s community as well as the media and public. We work closely with our Clients to develop and implement the CCP so that it can provide guidance to the Organization’s Management in regards to delivering an effective, efficient, timely and comprehensive message before, during and after emergency situations.

Emergency Management Plan
Assessment & Development

Prompt but deliberate responses are crucial during the initial stages of an emergency. When developing an Emergency Response Plan (ERP), Emergency Action Plan (EAP) or an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) it is key to conduct a Risk Assessment to identify any and all emergency scenarios. Plans can then be developed allowing for measured responses for employees to either evacuate, shelter in place or lockdown. At MSS our experts can support you in the assessment, development and implementation of emergency plans by exploiting these four critical phases, we have provided these services internationally in a range of different industries to include the public and private sectors, energy, education, manufacturing and multi tenant commercial real estate.

• Mitigation: Policies preventing future emergencies or reducing their effects
• Preparedness: Procedures preparing a culture to handle an emergency
• Response: Policies and procedures ensuring a culture can respond to an emergency in a deliberate and safe manner
• Recovery: Procedures to resume normal operations

Emergency Management
Planning & Training

Organizations have a duty of care to their employees and in many cases are required to conduct drills and exercises for certification, insurance and/or funding requirement(s). Nonetheless everyone within an organization regardless of position needs training in how to react safely during an emergency. At MSS our experts can assist you in developing an Emergency Response Team (ERT) outlining role and responsibility and provide information and support on compliance with regional, state, federal, and accreditation requirements. These resources include documents, summaries, checklists, courses, forms and links to relative training websites. Our Training and Planning exploits these six critical areas of emergency response referred to as Functional Annexes. We have provided these services internationally in a range of different industries to include the public and private sectors, energy, education; manufacturing and multi tenant commercial real estate.

• Reaction & Response: Having the ability to integrate correspondence such as text or e-mail is critical it notifies the appropriate personnel as defined within an action plan of the type of emergency allowing for deliberate reaction and curative responses.
• Communication and task tracking: Ensuring the safety of all people involved or affected in an emergency situation is a necessity, and communication is key. Communications protocol should be implemented as quickly as possible ensuring ongoing monitoring and updating of the emergency situation.
• Resources and asset management: A deliberate and collaborative reaction to emergency and availability of resources and distribution of equipment to staff and first responders is key. It allows emergency managers to strategically place responders to aid in evacuation et cetera. It allows for quick decisions to be made while avoiding further endangerment.
• Safety and security: Outlines strategies to protect the life safety of an Organization’s staff, and to preserve an Organization’s property and assets in the event of an emergency. When faced with natural disasters, health-related pandemics, random shootings and a wide range of other risks, it is critical that more time and attention be spent considering better policies and procedures for safety, security and emergency preparedness and crucially training of staff.
• Staff responsibilities: To most effectively fulfill their duties, staff members must fully understand their role and responsibilities during an emergency. The ERT members and their duties need to be specifically outlined. All team members may or may not be needed, depending on the nature and magnitude of the emergency. Some functions may be combined but this needs to be clearly understood. Non-essential and members of staff not allocated to a safety or security position need to understand their role or response during emergency.
• Recovery of services and operation: This is the effort to restore the infrastructure and the culture and economic life of an organization back to normal after the emergency has dissipated. Short term it includes medical treatment and aftercare, power, communication et cetera. Long-term goals are restoring economic activity and rebuilding facilities, manufacture et cetera. A critical part of control in any serious emergency situation is in the management of the recovery phase. By definition, the emergency recovery phase is likely to involve, to a significant degree, external services. The priority during this phase is the safety and well being of the employees and other involved persons, the elimination or minimization of the threat of further injury or damage and the re-establishment of external services.