In early 2008, everyone had high expectations for newly elected Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and his cabinet as we prepared for the first hurricane season in his tenure. At that time, I was the newly appointed director of the Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP). The governor’s directive for GOHSEP and the private sector’s role during a disaster were clear: Support the resiliency of Louisiana’s businesses and utilize their capabilities in disaster response whenever possible.
Although the government’s hurricane response plans had matured leading up to the 2008 season, the private sector’s role was still largely undefined, including how businesses could help support disaster response. Much had been documented about Wal-Mart’s success during Hurricane Katrina, especially use of its supply chain capabilities. But the question remained: What role should and could the private sector play in disaster response?
As the 2008 hurricane season began, Louisiana built upon the Wal-Mart example in several key areas. First, GOHSEP partnered with Wal-Mart to help launch the state’s first preparedness campaign, called “Get a Game Plan,” with the premise that government was only part of the solution. Citizen preparedness is essential to any successful response and recovery. The collaboration included a successful plan with the store’s pharmacies and distribution of preparedness information with every prescription, including items for preparedness kits that could be purchased in stores. Wal-Mart also helped support a preparedness program for children through Louisiana’s schools and ran public service announcements on TV monitors at cash registers in its stores.
Wal-Mart’s successful response to Hurricane Katrina also contributed to Jindal and Louisiana launching the country’s first fully operational Business Emergency Operations Center (BEOC). Named a “best practice” by the DHS, the state’s BEOC provides a platform for private-sector industries and businesses (including retail) to communicate, collaborate and coordinate with government during a disaster.
These examples demonstrate the private sector’s potential in emergency management.
But not all states have a public-private strategy. Challenges remain in many areas, including credentialing businesses and allowing personnel essential to the initial stages of recovery to return. During Hurricane Irene, states had different procedures — or in some cases no procedures — for credentialing, and other regulations presented challenges to businesses attempting to reopen. This made it extremely difficult for the private sector to plan and execute its recovery plans, resume business operations, and thus help communities return.
Small businesses can be very vulnerable during disaster recovery and their obstacles to access can be even greater. While much has been done to prepare large companies, many “mom and pop” businesses remain underprepared. Their resiliency is also vital to bringing the community back.
Mark Cooper is senior director of global emergency management for Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
