Staff training

As part of the emergency management planning, it is central to clarify which competencies you want to make available in a crisis. As a starting point, it may be a good idea to draw up a training programme, which is an overview of the training opportunities available for employees (e.g., basic fire-fighting and first aid for ordinary employees), as well as who needs to be trained and how frequently the training needs to be updated.

Once the employees who have a role in the event of an incident have been appointed, it will be necessary to train them in their responsibilities. To ensure the optimal functioning of the emergency management planning in an organisation, part of this training is simple information on roles and responsibilities. The best way to do this is to present the organisation's emergency management policy and plan, specifying who is responsible for what. This will also ensure a solid knowledge of the organisation's emergency management framework.

In general, objectives, protective security measures, competencies and tools must be compatible. E.g. if you have installed firearm safety measures, you should train your staff in firearm wound management and ensure that the first aid kit is equipped for this.

Training is not a one-off event and needs to be maintained and refreshed regularly to ensure that staff are up to date with their responsibilities and the current emergency plan. This could usefully be written into an annual calendar.

Certain employees will have special responsibilities, should an incident occur, and these employees must be equipped accordingly. This could be, e.g. communication or IT staff, who have a specific responsibility based on their existing knowledge in their field.

It is always a good idea to build on the existing knowledge and skills of your employees. This ensures that the most competent people are in charge and that no more than the necessary number undergo training.

In addition to known technical solutions, such as radio and telephony, there are now also several different digital solutions, such as platforms and applications, which can support the organisation's work with emergency planning. What is appropriate for a given organisation will depend on the culture of the organisation and how the company generally operates on a day-to-day basis. If you are unsure about what is right for your organisation, you can seek advice from an independent security advisor who deals with emergency planning.