inFront Native - April 2018
There's an old saying in business, "If you think you have a problem, you probably do." If you think that your mustering process is lacking, it probably is. However, it can be difficult to judge the state of the site's ability to muster because most sites do not possess the most important ingredient for an accurate assessment: Reliable information.
The best way to assess your mustering process is to put it to these tests:
- Pace. Can your site collect and analyze data fast enough to empower the Emergency Response Team (ERT) to conduct rescue operations? A good benchmark is 15 minutes when mustering a full site. If your site can provide an accurate and manageable list of names of those unaccounted for in 15 minutes or less, then you're in pretty good shape. For unit level emergencies, the list must be ready in under 5 minutes. If not, the ERT risks converting the mission from rescue to recovery.
- Accessibility and Clarity. Is your data easy to understand so that the Incident Commander can quickly assess the situation and make decisions? Can all stakeholders access the information and collaborate? In most cases, sites are trying to sift through stacks of paper or dense onscreen lists. This often renders the data useless because the basis for the mustering scenario has changed based on wind, escalation, human behavior or other variables. Data should be streaming in real time and offer detailed, actionable information that is easy to understand. In other words, make sure that you've equipped your responders with information they can use. You'll know where you stand if you ask your ERT if they are confident in their ability to quickly translate the data into decisions.
- Accuracy. Can you trust that the data that reaches the Incident Command is correct? This sounds simple but the traditional methods (paper based mustering or badge system-based mustering) create gaps that cause the data to be inaccurate. Manual, paper based processes amount to a complex game of "telephone" wherein much of the data is collected manually and then communicated to the Incident Command. We all know what happens in a telephone game. While badging systems are well built to control access. their data capture and architecture result in errors about the presence of people on site.
Most sites use either a manual system or an adaptation of their security badging system to count people in muster events. The problem is that neither provide for the basic needs of the emergency response organization with data that is critical for either managing the emergency or for post event analysis.
Want to get a better handle on emergency mustering? Let inFRONT help you get started with a free analysis of your mustering process. Register here for a 2 part analysis to 1) assess the current state of your process and 2) discuss opportunities to close the gaps.
Request a complementary consultation to identify improvements in your mustering process.
