Emergency Activation Bookends

Corporate emergency plans provide a structured framework that prepares organizations for unexpected crises—ranging from natural disasters and medical emergencies to workplace violence. These plans are essential for protecting employees, and minimizing operational disruptions and reputational risk. When a company prioritizes emergency preparedness, employees feel safer and more secure knowing there’s a plan in place.

But what happens when the plan is activated?

There are two elements of emergency planning that serve as bookends to deal with the crisis as hand and improve processes that support organizational resilience: Incident Reporting / Communications and Scenario Testing.

Incident reporting is a critical component of corporate emergency preparedness because it enables organizations to respond effectively. Codified incident reporting procedures allow for faster mobilization of emergency teams and resources, thus reducing harm to employees and assets. Incident reporting triggers defined communications and escalation pathways for internal teams.

The communications pathway includes responsibilities for mobilizing emergency team members, notifying authorities, and providing clear and accurate initial information to employees and external parties about the incident and its immediate impact. There is a reporting element to an emergency communications plan that provides a factual basis for investigations, insurance claims, and regulatory compliance. Ongoing reports provide Information on the status of the incident as it evolves, including updates on mitigation efforts. Documenting actions and preliminary findings will enable root cause analysis and feed the final post-event findings report.

Security practices should never stand still.

The post-incident report helps identify lessons learned and ways to adjust risk registers and improve the emergency plan. It is a best practice to integrate the findings into scenarios for future tabletop exercises that test the emergency team and plan. Some scenarios should address simultaneous multi-domain incidents to improve security and life-safety practices.

Building true organizational resilience is not a one-time exercise but an ongoing effort requiring continuous improvement. Making sure an emergency communication plan provides transparent communication with employees, leadership, and external stakeholders will build trust and accountability during and after emergencies. Leveraging the documentation of a crisis will enable companies to respond effectively in the future regardless of type of emergency that occurs.