ATLANTA —Many operators don’t know what to do when disaster strikes because they rarely plan ahead for such an occurrence, giving consultants versed in the subject an opportunity to be of service.
That was the viewpoint of Food Service Consultants Society International North American Conference speakers Ruby Puckett and L. Charnette Norton, registered dieticians and co-authors in conjunction with the American Dietetic Association of “Disaster and Emergency Preparedness in Foodservice Operations.” —Many operators don’t know what to do when disaster strikes because they rarely plan ahead for such an occurrence, giving consultants versed in the subject an opportunity to be of service.
Puckett, president of Foodservice Management Consultants, and Norton, president of the Norton Group, led a conference session on preparedness planning. With the country on high alert due to terrorism and with recent natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, disaster preparedness has never been more critical, the two women said. They pointed out that modern disasters might include the loss of utilities, water or computer systems. —Many operators don’t know what to do when disaster strikes because they rarely plan ahead for such an occurrence, giving consultants versed in the subject an opportunity to be of service.
Norton said consultants have a responsibility to help clients protect their business from disasters and help them safeguard staff and customers. Business continuity plans are imperative for operators, she said, as “without one, they may be out of business and not know how to recover.” —Many operators don’t know what to do when disaster strikes because they rarely plan ahead for such an occurrence, giving consultants versed in the subject an opportunity to be of service.
Added Puckett: “A disaster plan that is well-developed and thoroughly thought out will save lives. There is no substitute for preparedness and timely actions.” —Many operators don’t know what to do when disaster strikes because they rarely plan ahead for such an occurrence, giving consultants versed in the subject an opportunity to be of service.
Restaurants usually are not part of larger disaster planning drills, Norton said, but the bottom line is that “operators need to plan for their employees, employees’ families and their pets.” —Many operators don’t know what to do when disaster strikes because they rarely plan ahead for such an occurrence, giving consultants versed in the subject an opportunity to be of service.
“That was a huge issue in New Orleans,” she said. —Many operators don’t know what to do when disaster strikes because they rarely plan ahead for such an occurrence, giving consultants versed in the subject an opportunity to be of service.
Norton said that after Hurricane Katrina operators found out that they had become social workers. By that, she meant that employees had to solve basic problems like finding food, shelter, transportation, medicine and banking services before they could think about going to work, making their problems their employers’ problems. —Many operators don’t know what to do when disaster strikes because they rarely plan ahead for such an occurrence, giving consultants versed in the subject an opportunity to be of service.
Norton said a preparedness plan should include communications protocols, emergency phone numbers specifying a chain of command, identification of emergency shelters inside and outside the facility, staff responsibilities and assignments, and checklists and action plans for each worker. She urged people to ask questions like “How long will the food last, and what should be done with it?” and “Who should be fed first: employees, first responders, or the elderly and the infirmed?” —Many operators don’t know what to do when disaster strikes because they rarely plan ahead for such an occurrence, giving consultants versed in the subject an opportunity to be of service.
Contingency planning also is critical. Contingency plans should have short- and long-term elements, and operators need to decide in advance if they will remain open after a disaster or close, the panelists contended. —Many operators don’t know what to do when disaster strikes because they rarely plan ahead for such an occurrence, giving consultants versed in the subject an opportunity to be of service.
But lists aren’t enough, Norton said. She emphasized that training, education and drills amongst staff, as well as provisions for periodic review and revision of the plan, are also critical to the success of preparedness plans. —Many operators don’t know what to do when disaster strikes because they rarely plan ahead for such an occurrence, giving consultants versed in the subject an opportunity to be of service.
“While no one would have ever predicted some of the recent disasters we’ve had—9/11 and Katrina, for instance—things were a lot worse because solid, practiced disaster plans weren’t in place,” Norton said. —Many operators don’t know what to do when disaster strikes because they rarely plan ahead for such an occurrence, giving consultants versed in the subject an opportunity to be of service.
Norton and Puckett recommended attendees contact the South Dakota State University Cooperative Extension Service to obtain a copy of “Food Defense: Security in Food Service Operation,” a DVD the extension produced in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. —Many operators don’t know what to do when disaster strikes because they rarely plan ahead for such an occurrence, giving consultants versed in the subject an opportunity to be of service.