Emergency & Crisis Response System

Development and Testing

Having successfully managed thousands of field-based incidents, Merrill & Associates advocate that every organization, school, college, university and conservation corps have a custom developed AND tested emergency and crisis response system.  If you currently have a plan, we can help to improve it by conducting live scenarios (see below).  If not, we can help you create a plan.

The plan will:

• Facilitate decision making during a crisis event

• Define a chain of command and communication structure
• Identify a predetermined response team
• Define roles, responsibilities, and specific tasks to be undertaken during an emergency
• Define key stakeholders and communication strategies
• Ensure the continuous operation of essential functions during an emergency

Our approach is simple:  To work with you in designing a crisis response system that will manage any type of crisis event.  An appropriately designed emergency response system is broad and deep enough to manage ANY crisis event from an office fire, a national emergency, or a field-based accident.  Benchmarking off of proven and time tested emergency response systems from across the country, Merrill & Associates will collaboratively work with you to develop a system that will fit your unique needs.

Crisis Response System Testing

During crisis events, organizations and companies that practice perform at a much higher level.  Merrill & Associates will custom develop emergency response scenarios for your organization to strengthen your response and improve your plan.  Live testing is a valuable tool for any organization or company serious about successfully managing incidents.

Tabletop Exercises:
Working closely with you, we will develop a realistic scenario and facilitate a low-stress discussion involving your crisis response team and other key department staff.  These walk-through scenarios provide an opportunity to examine and correct any potential deficiencies in your plan.

Full-Scale Drill:
After conducting a tabletop exercise, it is important to perform a full-scale exercise as close to the real thing as possible.  The drill takes place over several hours as the facilitator unveils a live scenario.  Depending on your company or organization, this may include mock media responses, calls to and from family members, the notification of next of kin, and other elements that will stretch your crisis response team to make decisions.  The live drill will manage the event as if it was a real scenario starting from your desks to convening your crisis response team in your situation room.

After-Action Report:
Using the results of the drills and exercises, we will develop an after action report which will include suggestions for improving your crisis response.