Cyberattacks don’t just expose technical weaknesses—they expose operational failures. Many organizations believe that they are ready because they have an incident response (IR) plan on paper. But in reality, most plans fail miserably during crises. The only way to truly validate your organization’s preparedness is through functional exercises—real-world simulations that test your response capabilities. These…
Crisis management exercises are an essential component of any organization’s preparedness strategy. These exercises allow teams to test their crisis response plans, identify areas for improvement, and build the skills and confidence needed to respond effectively to a crisis. One type of exercise that is particularly useful for this purpose is the functional exercise. A…
The Functional Exercise is a fully simulated interactive exercise that tests the capability of an organization to respond to a simulated event. This exercise focuses on the coordination of multiple functions of organizations and takes place in an Emergency Operations Center. The Functional Exercise strives for realism, short of actual deployment of equipment and personnel….
All organizations have a responsibility to plan and prepare for crises, but few know how to do it effectively. Crisis simulations are an excellent training tool that can be used to develop relationships among team members, employees and other stakeholders. It also provides practice for those responsible for managing crises so they feel more confident…
All organizations should consider the advantages of implementing a comprehensive exercise program rather than focusing on singular periodic simulation exercises. Whether they are a start-up company, an older well-established company, an organization undergoing a leadership change, or a company that is has just completed a merger, and are in the process of developing a…
How does your organization prepare for crises? Have you been through the planning process thoroughly? In this interview, we speak with WeWork’s crisis and emergency preparedness manager Michael Gladstone. He talks about the difference between planning in high threat places and those safer or less vulnerable environment. He also spoke about technology and how it’s…
58 people died and over 500 were injured during a music festival in Las Vegas on October 1st, 2017. A lone actor shot at festival goers from the Mandalay Bay Hotel room, a scenario even the most seasoned security experts couldn’t have predicted. In this episode we talk to a security advisor James DeMeo who…
Being able to create calm during a major emergency is not easy, Michael Brown will attest to that. It’s what you do to ensure you learn those lessons and there are always lessons-to-be-learned from major crises. Recent hurricanes, cyber-attacks, wildfires, and the mass shooting in Las Vegas are challenging situations that needed to be managed….
Crises can strike without warning. Some incidents are slower and we can often start our response early. No matter what the situation is, we need to do more to prepare our businesses, communities, and families to survive and thrive after a crisis has passed. In this excellent episode, Mark Hoffman discusses how organizations can better…
Forty percent of businesses do not reopen after a disaster and another 25 percent fail within one year according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Having a more resilient community requires preparedness and that means work! In this interview with Michael Morlan of Two Rivers Emergency Management, we discussed some of the major concerns…