From the Front Desk

Coping With A Major Disaster

All large corporations and organizations have emergency response plans. Those that are cautious, also have contingency plans in place to continue in business if major facilities are seriously damaged or destroyed. They back up vital computer information daily in different, widely dispersed geographical locations; they have a roster of several over-lapping suppliers; they make sure that if one plant is destroyed, they can continue production in a different location.

Disasters, we are prone to believe, affect "someone else". Yet the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) copes with forty or fifty natural disasters every year. Many are localized, but some can affect large areas and communities-runaway bush fires, flooding, winter storms, tornadoes, earthquakes, man-made emergencies caused be civil disturbances or disturbed individuals. FEMA has found that people in their private lives, like large companies, are better able to cope with emergencies if they have thought ahead, and are prepared for the unexpected.

How much warning can you expect?

Tornadoes, hurricanes and floods, and the conditions that cause them, are monitored closely by the Weather Bureau. You can expect to receive ten to eighteen hours warning that you should evacuate. Earthquakes give little or no warning.

Most people survive the disaster. Problems arise after it is over. The Red Cross recommends that you prepare to be isolated and on your own for 3 days and nights. It recommends that you check and monitor your home environment to make it less hazardous in a disaster, and that you keep a cache of emergency supplies away from your dwelling, or in a place that is well protected. 

Make Your Home Disaster Resistant

No one knows who will be available to render aid, or who will need it. So post your emergency evacuation and survival plan where it is visible to all family members.

Look about you. See what you can do to make your home safer.

• Examine each room. Look up. What could become a missile in a high wind or a quake?
   
• Move heavy shelves, wall hangings, pictures and mirrors that could become missiles in a high wind, away from beds and living room couches.
   
• Inspect your roof. High winds can take your roof off. Roof trusses or rafters should be tied in with steel strapping, and fastened with bolts or hardened nails.
   
• Chimney bricks have killed or seriously injured people inside a house in strong winds. Nail plywood on top of ceiling joists to protect from falling bricks.
   
• Flammable or toxic chemicals: These can cause or fuel fires in a blaze, Store in fire resistant containers away from living quarters. 
   
• Have your natural gas connections and gas appliances overhauled.
   
• Natural gas and propane have caused many fires after earthquakes. See that gas appliances are firmly secured.
   
• Check your yard. Items such as trailers or tool sheds must be securely anchored. Overgrown softwood trees that could come crashing down over sleeping areas should be trimmed or removed.

Membership

Stars of the Industry Survey

While we try our best to ensure the best event each year we know that there is always room for improvements and ways that we can improve the event year after year.  This can be from the format of the presentation to categories for the committee to consider adding.   Please take a moment to complete a short survey and give us your feedback.  You can find the survey on our website www.akhla.org.  Under the Meetings and Events tab, you will see the Stars Event Survey.

Thank you again for your participation and your feedback.  We really appreciate your being a part of this special event and look forward to celebrating with you next year.

 Legislative Membership Survey

 In order to help us better serve you, we ask that you participate in a membership survey. The data provided here will help the AkH&LA Board of Directors and staff better evaluate our level of service and the needs of the members.  Please take a moment to complete this survey! 

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Government Relations

Senate considering nearly $9B operating budget

The Senate Finance Committee is considering a nearly $9 billion state operating budget, slightly more than the Alaska House passed, slightly less than Gov. Sean Parnell proposed.

Differences between the House version and the one ultimately passed by the full Senate will be settled in a conference committee. The House passed its $8.9 billion spending plan with little fanfare though Democrats tried unsuccessfully to get money back into it for such things as a pre-kindergarten pilot program.

Among the more controversial aspects of the Senate plan is a proposal to swap the $8.2 million that Parnell requested for merit scholarships with the $1.1 million he put toward a program for students with financial needs.

Parnell has seen this as an affront to one of his top legislative priorities, though concerns have been raised among lawmakers about whether students will have equal access to the classes they need to qualify for the merit scholarships. There has been testimony, too, that the needs-based AlaskAdvantage program has been underfunded and unable to meet demands.

The Senate bill also rejected requests by the governor to add a public records attorney to the Department of Law and allocate $175,000 for outside legal counsel to help with federal environmental litigation.

It also denied $3.6 million to begin preliminary operations of the Goose Creek Correctional Center. Leaders of the finance committee have expressed interest in auditing the prison after it was learned that running the facility would cost the state 3 1/2 times what it now spends to outsource inmates to a Colorado prison.

The overall proposal is about $10 million more than the House version and about $8.6 million less than Parnell proposed, according to a legislative fiscal analysis. The finance committee has been taking public comment on its plan.

The operating budget is only part of the state's overall spending, albeit a large part.

Lawmakers still must finish a supplemental spending bill to help address additional costs that have arisen this fiscal year, plus craft a capital budget for next year. Parnell has proposed an estimated $1.9 billion capital spending plan but that's expected to grow - perhaps substantially - when lawmakers write their version.

The co-chairs of the Senate Finance Committee have said they believe the state can afford a "healthy" capital budget, though they have also made clear their desire to see money put into savings first before the spending begins.

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Education

Guest Service Program Offers a Complete Property Training Plan and Certification

Guest Service Gold, a new guest service training program developed by the Educational Institute shows employees and properties how to achieve a new standard of exceptional service based on emotionally engaging with guests in memorable ways.

Training, Employee Certification, Property Certification

• Employee Certification
  Each line-level employee who completes the Guest Service Gold Training Programor an equivalent training program offered by the property is eligible to become a Certified Guest Service Professional (CGSP).
   
• Property Certification
  A property that certifies 100% of its line-level positions will become a Certified Guest Service Property.  The property will receive a plaque to proudly display in their lobby/front desk area for guest to recognize their commitment to providing exceptional guest service. 

In order to become certified by the Educational Institute, you must meet the knowledge requirements, the experience requirements and then successfully complete a certification examination. For additional information, please call:  

Academic Institution       1-800-344-4381 or 1-517-372-8800  

All other inquiries           1-800-349-0299 or 1-407-999-8100  

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If you see something, say something...

Information Center

One of the benefits to membership is access to the information center of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. If you have a question about the industry, Tamika is a great resource to research the topic for you and find websites, articles and details on what you need.  Typically she is able to respond in just 48 hours. 

For more details, visit AH&LA's Website.

For questions, please contact AH&LA Senior Vice President of Governmental Affairs Kevin Maher at kmaher@ahla.com or (202) 289-3147.

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