Earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, bombings, shootings, explosions, fires. All of these disaster situations have been in the news in the last few months and I don't know if it is my imagination or whether many of them really are worse than we have experienced in recent years.
We were recently staying in a hotel in Ontario, Canada, when the whole area was placed under a tornado warning. It appears to be a very rare occurrence in that region and nobody on the staff had the slightest clue what they should be doing. In fact there was argument and misunderstanding regarding the difference between a tornado "watch" and a "warning" but absolutely no plan in effect for what to do in the event of either. Consequently, while the local TV stations were advising residents to take shelter in basements, the hotel pool, with glass on three sides was full of kids completely oblivious to what was going on or the potential danger they were in. Hotel staff and guests were standing outside, watching the rain, the lightning and the winds as if a new show had come to town. All the while, the front desk clerk (who was also the designated Manager on Duty) was completely unprepared and had no clue what she should be doing, but seemed fine with that, assuming that it was just a thunder storm.
As an hotelier who has spent the last ten years in the US Midwest, I take tornadoes seriously. We had a plan and we practiced to make sure everyone knew what to do in the event of a tornado or other disaster. The residents of Joplin, MO certainly understand the devastating power that nature can bring to bear on a community, and it is to late after a disaster to put a plan in place. Hindsight can cost lives. A plan that we hopefully never have to put into action is a wise investment in training time and can literally make the difference between life and death.
We were recently staying in a hotel in Ontario, Canada, when the whole area was placed under a tornado warning. It appears to be a very rare occurrence in that region and nobody on the staff had the slightest clue what they should be doing. In fact there was argument and misunderstanding regarding the difference between a tornado "watch" and a "warning" but absolutely no plan in effect for what to do in the event of either. Consequently, while the local TV stations were advising residents to take shelter in basements, the hotel pool, with glass on three sides was full of kids completely oblivious to what was going on or the potential danger they were in. Hotel staff and guests were standing outside, watching the rain, the lightning and the winds as if a new show had come to town. All the while, the front desk clerk (who was also the designated Manager on Duty) was completely unprepared and had no clue what she should be doing, but seemed fine with that, assuming that it was just a thunder storm.
As an hotelier who has spent the last ten years in the US Midwest, I take tornadoes seriously. We had a plan and we practiced to make sure everyone knew what to do in the event of a tornado or other disaster. The residents of Joplin, MO certainly understand the devastating power that nature can bring to bear on a community, and it is to late after a disaster to put a plan in place. Hindsight can cost lives. A plan that we hopefully never have to put into action is a wise investment in training time and can literally make the difference between life and death.
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