Core Competencies : Emergency Planning & Business Continuity

Emergency planning and business continuity are critical competencies for facilities management. It ensures that the facility can respond effectively to emergencies and disruptions and minimize the impact on its operations and occupants. A facilities manager with vital emergency planning and business continuity skills can plan, manage, and support the entire organization's emergency preparedness and business continuity programs.

Some key aspects of the emergency planning and business continuity competency for facilities management include:

1. Planning, managing, and supporting the entire organization's emergency preparedness program: This includes developing a risk management plan, developing emergency management plans and procedures, assisting in the design of simulations or exercises to test the emergency management and business continuity plans, managing the execution of simulations or exercises to test the programs, and securing technology systems and services.
2. Managing, overseeing, and supporting the entire organization's business continuity program: This includes developing a business continuity plan and ensuring that it is implemented and tested to minimize the impact of a disruption on the facility's operations and occupants.
3. Developing a risk management plan: This includes identifying, evaluating, and prioritizing potential risks to the facility and creating plans to mitigate or manage these risks.
4. Developing emergency management plans and procedures: This includes outlining procedures and protocols to be followed in cases of an emergency, such as evacuation, sheltering, and communication plans.
5. Securing technology systems and services: This includes ensuring that the facility's technology systems and services can withstand and recover from disruptions, such as power outages, data breaches, and natural disasters.

Overall, effective emergency planning and business continuity are essential for a facilities manager to ensure that the facility can respond effectively to emergencies and disruptions and minimize the impact on the facility's operations and occupants. Additionally, the ability to develop, implement, and test emergency management and business continuity plans can ensure that the facility is prepared to respond effectively to any emergency.