MOCK DISASTER

To afford participants maximum exposure to events reflective of a true disaster scenario, I created a fictitious company and scripted an experience that cycled guests through various aspects of a company dealing with the aftermath of a business interruption.

Each registrant was assigned an employee persona (IT procurement, network specialist, media contact, lawyer, software manager, etc.) in a company called Firestein, Burham & Frye. 

The experience began under the premise of a “company-wide” assembly (held in the hotel ballroom) during which an explosion occurred. Fire marshals quickly evacuated the facilities ushering participants out in assigned groups. Groups rotated through a series of vignettes projecting different scenarios that would be encountered during a real-life disaster/interruption. Actors in triage makeup represented deceased and badly injured personnel. At this stop, paramedics gave guidance on how to account for missing staff, care for the injured and highlighted the importance of establishing emergency meet-up plans.

Once outside, participants were swarmed by media. Here, Corporate Communications specialists shared best practices for coaching corporate spokespersons and appropriate responses for unsuspecting staff approached by media.

Other stops addressed mission critical functions such as network restoration, technology replacement, logistics and legal issues/ramifications. At strategic points throughout, participants learned their own fates. Some perished in the disaster, some were injured and had to delegate work to backup personnel, some had to assume new responsibilities or negotiate emergency contracts with external vendors. At times entire job functions had to be solved for within the recovery effort. 

We coordinated with The Red Cross and Osceola police, K-9, fire and hazmat teams who in turn leveraged this exercise as a live test of their own readiness. Given the presence of helicopters, emergency units, K-9 units, SWAT, hazmat teams and real-life media covering the event, guests in 4 area hotels were given advanced notice of the planned test.

At the conclusion of the 3-hour exercise, participants returned to the ballroom where they were informed by the then-CEO of Fiduciary Trust, that this “disaster” was modeled after their own experience.