Funworld October 2011

Recent world events have shown that anything can happen— anywhere at any time. “If you’re not prepared, you’re increasing the chance of not being able to respond correctly and not being able to stay in business,” stresses Rich Powers, senior vice president of risk services for American Specialty Insurance and Risk Services Inc. in Roanoke, Indiana.

Family entertainment centers (FECs) need a three-prong plan to be ready for myriad scenarios, he says. Here’s what should be on your checklist.

Emergency Response Plan
While owners and managers may struggle to address every single scenario that might occur, Powers says, they should have separate, detailed, and readily accessible plans for the following (at a minimum):
Park evacuation, including assisting guests with disabilities

• Ride/attraction evacuation
  
• Severe weather
  
• Bomb threat
  
• Medical emergency—injury and illness
  
• Missing children
  
• Fire
  
• Earthquake (if applicable)

Powers suggests FECs reach out to their local EMS, police, or fire departments to review the plans, tour the facility, and work with staff. In addition, venues should speak with manufacturers about ride evacuation procedures.

Crisis Plan
Having a plan to deal with the media in the event of a crisis is critical, Powers says. “How a company handles the media may make the difference between having a public relations disaster on your hands or protecting or even enhancing your company’s image or reputation.”

An FEC should have one or two people trained in dealing with the media in crisis situations. However, all employees need to know what to do if a microphone gets shoved in their face.

Powers offered some other crisis communication dos and don’ts:

• Do express sorrow or sympathy for the victims, but do not speculate about or accept responsibility or blame for the incident.
• Do be patient. The media aren’t experts in your business.
  
• Do be completely factual and truthful.
• Do coordinate statements and information with spokespeople for other organizations involved, such as police, fire departments, emergency response organizations, or government officials.
• Do repeat your key message every chance you get.
• Don’t release the names anyone involved in an incident. Leave that to the appropriate authorities, such as police, hospitals, and medical examiner.
  
• Don’t guess, speculate, or give opinions on the cause of the event, responsibility, and cost estimate.
• Don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know the answer to that, but I will see what I can find out for you.” Make sure you follow up.
• Don’t be rude to a reporter. Be firm, but polite. Remember news reports always get the last word.
• Don’t lie, mislead, or cover up public information. It will get out anyway, and during a crisis the company’s credibility is under intense scrutiny.
  

Business Continuity Plan
This third component of the master plan kicks in “after the dust settles,” Powers says. What methodologies are in place to get the organization back to business as usual in the aftermath of a disaster or crisis situation.

He admits this part probably requires the most work and planning of the three. Business continuity planning starts with conducting a business impact analysis (BIA). The BIA looks at the organization’s critical business functions and identifies and quantifies the impact of a loss of those functions.

“Once the BIA is complete, then and only then should you look to develop your strategies for recovery,” Powers says. “It’s important not to put the cart before the horse and develop plans for recovery without first identifying the mission critical functions of your business.”

For example, owners and operators should ask themselves: Do you I an alternate office location? Do you have adequate back-up plans for your computer system? How long can I go without one or two main rides or attractions?

Final Thoughts
All employees, from the 16-year-old go-kart operator to the veteran manager, should be part of the disaster training and preparation, Powers says. Plans don’t have to be as detailed for non-management, but all frontline staff must know key information and have it handy, whether it be on a flip chart, pocket field guide, or something of the like.

“Your employees are either going to do something to help, or they will get in the way,” Powers notes. “You don’t want any of your employees to be in the way.”

One final key point: Make sure a plan doesn’t just sit on the shelf collecting dust.

“It takes time and commitment,” he concludes. “Plans are worthless if they’re not practiced. That’s proven over and over again.”

Contact Contributing Editor Mike Bederka at mbederka@IAAPA.org.

Staff Key to Earthquake Response

On Jan. 9, 2010, Ava Arechavala was enjoying a Saturday afternoon at her facility with her son and 1-year-old granddaughter when the bench they were sitting on started to move, the lights went dark, and guests began to scream.

“It was like someone took the whole building and shook it,” says Arechavala, head of operations at Bounce- A-Palooza in Eureka, describing the powerful 6.5 earthquake that hit Northern California.

Fortunately, what could have easily been a disaster for the FEC and its 150 guests (including a birthday party) turned into not much more than an interesting story. Safety training proved to be the difference maker, she says.

During each staff meeting—at least one every three months—Arechavala covers what to do during an emergency. Bounce-A-Palooza sits in earthquake country as well as in the potential path of a tsunami.

“We need to be prepared,” she says of the double threat.

With the recent quake, staff opened the back door to let in light and to guide guests out of harm’s way. In addition, signage with battery backup pointed people to the exit. Employees also knew to search all the inflatables to make sure everyone got out safely. The building cleared in minutes, and all customers escaped without injury. Arechavala credits her clear-thinking crew for these facts.

“All the staff working that day, other than management, were high school kids,” she says. “They were awesome. Not one of them panicked.”

Getting employee buy-in will help create a safer environment during a disaster, Arechavala believes. She stresses to them that they play a multifaceted role in the FEC operations, from the obvious life-saving aspects to the bottom-line figures. For example, she tells her team that she received $10,000 off her insurance premiums because of their safety ratings.

To keep morale high, she also holds an employee appreciation day every quarter as well as awards an employee of the month. “If you motivate and treat them well, then they’ll pay attention when it comes to safety,” she says.