PREPARING FOR THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO: THE IMPORTANCE OF AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN

摘要

Safety and security professionals who listened to the VTA chairman's statement to the media likely asked themselves "why did you NOT think something like this could occur?" Perhaps security managers at the transit authority were well prepared for such an event, and the chairman misspoke. Regardless, the VTA's light rail service is still suspended. The beleaguered agency succumbed to a one-two-three punch of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a ransomware attack that paralyzed its computer systems for several days in April and now the aftermath of a workplace shooting. The effectiveness of the VTA's emergency response plan (ERP) for handling security threats is not yet known. However, it is not too early to remind any transportation entity that planning for a crisis is a critical business necessity. Developing and implementing an effective ERP is not easy. It can cost a lot of money, time, and resources. And it requires expertise and focus. Money is required to pay the salaries of safety/security professionals, incentivize security for executives and staff, develop solid training programs, procure emergency supplies, and implement recommendations from others to improve security. However, in the public domain, the cost of a security failure can become enterprise threatening. Restitution for injury or death, penalties, litigation, and the indirect costs of committing resources to address the aftermath will always end up costing the company far more than would have ever been required had leadership committed greater resources and focus on security initially and continuously.