One of the best ways to learn how to handle a crisis is to simulate it. This way, you can identify gaps in crisis preparedness and work to close them before a real event occurs. To this end, the Kansas Emergency Management Agency has built “Crisis City,” a serious staging ground for some hands-on crisis management training. A Chicago Tribune article describes the facility:
Crisis City covers 40 acres and was built by the Kansas Emergency Management Agency near the Smoky Hill Air National Guard Weapons Range, with $9 million in state funds and $30 million in federal…In the coming years, there will be venues at Crisis City for responding to agriculture accidents, a permanent rubble pile, vertical tower, urban village and tanker truck.
Although it certainly helps, you don’t need a facility worth $40 million to walk through crisis management simulations. One your organization has crisis communications and business continuity plans, putting your plans to the test should be a no-brainer.
JB
Jonathan Bernstein
www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com