Workplace resources for crisis management: implications for public-private sector planning, policy and response to disasters

The interface and cooperation of the public and private sector is essential in disaster planning and response at the federal, state and local level. The resources of private industry and the integration of resources from multiple corporations have been proven necessary for effective community and regional responses to large-scale disasters (natural disasters, terrorism, bioterrorism and the threat of a pandemic). Large corporations often possess sophisticated crisis management capabilities that may exceed the disaster response capacities of the communities in which they are located. Important crisis management resources of large employers that have implications for community planning and response to disasters include the corporation's security and threat assessment, communications, human resources and Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP). Workplace preparedness influences family and community preparedness and impacts population health, safety and resilience. Workplace crisis resources, often forgotten and untapped by public sector planners, need to be considered in the continued development and implementation of disaster planning and response policies.