Emergency Management Solutions Newsletter

 

Helping Managers Lead Better in Crisis

October 2012


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In This Issue
Reputation Damage
CPR Makes You Undead
Professional Development
Life Balance
From the Bookshelf
Speaker's Corner

Last Call for My Reader's Survey
 
My reader's survey ends this Friday, October 19, so if you haven't taken it don't miss out on the chance to win a $100 Amazon gift certificate.

Your participation is very important to me as I develop my editorial calendar for 2013. It will help me make sure that my newsletter and other services are meeting your needs.

So take the time to complete the survey by clicking on the link below. It's short and should only take you a few minutes. Who knows? You might be the lucky winner!

Zombies and Preparedness

Five tips for using metaphors in exercises and outreach

One of the fundamental concepts of emergency management is that no plan is complete until it has been tested with an exercise. However, it's worth going beyond this just a bit to look at what is being tested. An exercise is intended to validate plan concepts but it also tests the ability of your crisis team to apply those concepts. Both must be successful if your plan is to succeed.

 

Part of the problem with many exercises is that they can become routine. Players can anticipate the scenario and are no longer demonstrating the creativity and flexibility so critical to crisis response.

There are a number of ways you can keep exercises fresh: limit resources, use alternate sites, increase complexity, etc. A technique that has become popular lately is the use of unusual or fantasy scenarios that serve as metaphors for actual events.

 

Yes, I'm talking about zombies.

 

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE

CPR Makes You Undead


CPR Makes You Undead!
CPR Makes You Undead!

Tired of boring public service announcements? Try this one from the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation. It uses a very graphic zombie attack scenario to teach the key points of CPR. It's an excellent example of using humor and an unexpected theme to engage the attention of the target audience. Perfect for your Halloween party!

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Greetings!  

Welcome to this special Halloween issue of Emergency Management Solutions

 

Many thanks to those of you who have already responded to my reader survey. I'm already finding your comments and suggestions extremely useful. If you have not yet had the chance to participate, remember that the survey closes this Friday, October 19. 
 
With Halloween coming up, I decided to have a little fun with this issue. You'll probably sense a theme running through this edition as zombies and werewolves teach lessons on emergency management. Enjoy!
 

If you are having trouble viewing my featured article, try clicking on the link at the top of the page. Alternatively, you can always find my articles in the white paper section of my blog site,  Canton on Emergency Management. 

 Regards,
 
Lucien Canton
PS: If you're enjoying my newsletter, be sure you also sign up for my blog, Canton on Emergency ManagementClick the link below and sign up today!

 

 

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Professional Development 

 

Zombies don't ask "Why did this happen to me?" They don't meditate on the meaning of their reanimation. Nope. It's up out of the grave and right on the hunt for brains.

 

Zombies have a way of making the best of a situation.

 

Scott Kenemore

The Zen of Zombie

 

This quote from Scott Kenemore reminds us of the importance of adaptability. As emergency managers, we are expected to adapt our plans to meet the unique needs of a crisis, to demonstrate creative in our thinking, and to have a high tolerance for ambiguity.

 

But adhering to the Principle of Flexibility sometimes requires that we let go of old ideas and old ways of doing things and this is hard to do. Many of us are from hierarchical organizations that do not encourage deviation from established rules and procedures.

 

So strange as it seems, sometimes you have to be like a zombie: act without being paralyzed by preconceived notions. Do the right thing because it's who you are.

Life Balance  

 

When morale is low, a swiper...is energized the by the spirit of so many who split hairs before him.
Sgt. Crash Payne
US Army Werewolf Sniper Manual
 
Halloween has it's roots in pre-Christian tradition as a time for reflection before the harshness of winter. There was also a belief that this was a time when the veil between the real world and the spirit world grew thin and it was possible to communicate with those who had gone before. Christian tradition merges this concept with the feasts of All Saints Day and All Souls Day.
 
Whatever your tradition, this is a good time to reflect on the colleagues and friends who have had an influence on your life. Each of us is the product of our interactions with others. Some interactions may have been good; others may be ones we would like to forget. But it is the sum of these interactions that makes us who we are.
 
I have been fortunate to have had several generous mentors during my career and colleagues without number who have shared their skills and ideas with me. I'm sure you can all say the same.
 
So in between the craziness of trick-or-treating and haunted houses, spare a minute to reflect on how far you've come and those who set your feet on that path.
 
From the Bookshelf  

 

U.S. Army Werewolf Sniper Manual
 
Paperback
List Price: $14.95
Our Price: $5.98
Buy Now

 


Here's a classic that should be on every emergency manager's bookshelf. We're all about all-hazards right? This illustrated manual is the "official" US Army guide for training, equipping and deploying their elite werewolf sniper teams. With Halloween just around the corner and a full moon on October 29, it pays to be careful!

 Looking for more books? Check out An Emergency Manager's Reading List

Speaker's Corner 
Speaking Engagements  

 

December 4: Crisis in Leadership or Leadership in Crisis?, Emergency Management Magazine All-Hazards Summit, Miami
 
December 6: Crisis in Leadership or Leadership in Crisis?, Emergency Management Magazine All-Hazards Summit, Houston
  

Looking for a Speaker?

 

Need a speaker for your next conference? I offer keynotes, seminars and workshops. You can find more details on my website or on my SpeakerMix page.  
Lucien Canton Seminar Excerpts
Lucien Canton Seminar Excerpts
 If you've heard me speak...

 

...I'd greatly appreciate it if you would take a minute to give me feedback on SpeakerMix. Just go to the site and click on the "Write A Review" button. 

 

Many thanks!

�Lucien G. Canton October 2012