Emergency Planning and Preparedness
AH&LA is the lodging industry's central conduit for information and preparedness resources, offering a nationwide network of experts in loss prevention, disaster preparedness, research, and communications to help members think and act ahead. In addition, AH&LA cooperates closely with government and private entities to:
- coordinate disaster response
- disseminate classified advisories from the Department of Homeland Security
- channel information between hoteliers and relief agencies
- link members to consultation and recovery funds
- serve as the industry's voice to the media on every topic from hurricanes to labor issues.
A commitment to planning today will help support employees, guests, the community, and the local economy. And of course, thorough planning is the key to protecting your property and giving your business a strong chance for survival.
This section offers resources and advice for preparing an actionable strategy, both before and after a crisis.
This September, organizations and citizens will participate in the seventh annual National Preparedness Month event, designed to encourage Americans to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses, and communities. FEMA’s Ready Campaign is asking your organization to consider joining the National Preparedness Month (NPM) Coalition and to send a message to your customers, employees, members and all your stakeholders about the importance of being prepared for emergencies.
Register today
The Preparedness Task Force was established by Congress in 2010 to take stock of the numerous efforts that have shaped preparedness policy, guidance and investments since 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina and find ways to ensure that future efforts are efficient, streamlined and measurable.
The Task Force was specifically charged with "making recommendations for all levels of government regarding: disaster and emergency guidance and policy; federal grants; and federal requirements, including measuring efforts" and to "especially evaluate: which policies and guidance need updating, and the most appropriate process by which to update them; which grant programs work the most effectively and where programs can be improved, and the most appropriate way to collectively assess our capabilities and capability gaps."
To learn more and help shape this effort through your substantive written recommendations, click here.
AH&LA is working closely with members in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi to monitor the situation and alert them to resources available to them.
Resourceful links:
BP Claims Process
U.S. Travel Association
The White House
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Alabama
Florida
Louisiana
Mississippi
During the National Flood Awareness Week, March 15–19, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provided news and information regarding the 2010 spring flood predictions, flood awareness information, and tips for you to protect your business.
Also check out an interactive mapping tool that shows flood history across the nation, down to the county level, with data regarding past floods and their causes. Based on information from NOAA/National Weather Service, floods can and do affect nearly every place in the United States. For more details click here, and click here to view a risk map update schedule that shows, by zip, when your flood map was last updates and or when it will become effective.
FEMA is onsite coordinating resources and asks that families impacted by the floods and need assistance, call (800) 621-FEMA or visit www.DisasterAssistance.gov or www.fema.gov from their smart phones. They have also provided a DisasterAssistance.gov widget for customer and employee Websites and a disaster assistance resources widget.
The state of Tennessee and FEMA has also set up a Facebook page where you can find the latest information.
FEMA is asking members if they are able to use the information so that they know where to focus efforts. Contact Lori Rivera at (202) 631-3494, (703) 919-1242, or Lori.rivera@dhs.gov.
Several remediation companies that are members of AH&LA and specialized in the hospitality sector service your area are ready to assist hotels affected by the horrific flooding, including:
Hyphen Construction Group
Hotel Services
Continental
Marcor Environmental
While the spring 2009 H1N1 influenza outbreak was not as severe as first feared, AH&LA quickly provided information links for industry members to use to prepare for any eventuality. Hoteliers were alerted to national news about the outbreak, given information about how to prepare their properties for any guests and staff afflicted by the flu, and provided a wealth of online industry and governmental information sources to use in maintaining their business operations and guest safety.
Bookmark www.ahla.com/flu on your computer as the industry's first source of information about this outbreak.
In light of 2008's terrorist attacks on foreign hotels in Pakistan and India, AH&LA offers hoteliers the following resources for dealing with an emergency situation and crafting communications messaging:
Review and share with your staff the Department of Homeland Security's reference materials on dealing with an active shooter on our premises: DHS Active Shooter Response Booklet, DHS Active Shooter Pocket Guide, and DHS Active Shooter Poster.
The lodging industry views guest and employee safety as a top priority, as does any industry in which the public is served. Constant communication with our members is one way in which the association takes steps to assist the industry with respect to this priority. AH&LA has also collected press statements on the Mumbai hotel attacks from representatives of major brands including Starwood, Hilton, Marriott, and others. Click here to read them.
Take a look at the FEMA hurricane preparedness widget, which you can post to internal and external Websites. This is particularly useful for properties in hurricane prone states and states likely to be hosting evacuees.
And be sure to access FEMA’s Hurricane Preparedness page.
Every property is different and the location of every property is unique. As a result, security measures must be tailored to the individual property and its location. Some things you might wish to consider when addressing security at your hotel are:.
- Depending on the size and business volume of the hotel, securing the perimeter doors during certain hours.
- Not allowing unauthorized vehicles to park near the building, (i.e., taxi cabs, limousines, buses).
- If you have front-door valet parking, consideration of suspending this practice during the "code orange" and "code red" statuses.
- If possible and depending upon factors such as the presence of celebrities or politicians,what functions are taking place and how full the hotel is, hiring extra security or off-duty law enforcement to provide additional security as well as reassurance to guests.
- Download our Guest Safety Tips and Child Safety Tips and post them in guest rooms, distribute upon check in, or keep them on hand when needed.
- Download the DHS Private Sector Resources Catalog to access resources to help keep our country secure. Targeted specifically towards the private sector, this document collects the training, publications, guidance, alerts, newsletters, programs, and services available to the private sector across the department.
Though not empowered to set standards, AH&LA encourages the industry to regularly review and re-evaluate their policies and procedures , including those related to safety. For more assessment strategies and checklists, search the AH&LA Loss Prevention Management Database.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Red Cross
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Center of Disease Control and Prevention