The arrival of high temperatures in the country brings with it wildfire season, a threat that directly affects people but also many industries, putting their operational continuity at risk. Here are four key questions to test your emergency plan against this type of disaster.
According to data from Chile’s National Forestry Corporation (Conaf), 71,923 hectares were affected by wildfires in Chile during the 2023-2024 season, with a total of 6,797 fires up to April 21. High temperatures and extreme weather events increase the risk of both natural and intentional fires.
This poses a serious threat to cities, communities and national parks, and also affects industries and organizations, with serious consequences first and foremost for staff, facilities and their ability to operate.
It is essential that every company’s Emergency Plan covers this type of disaster and is robust enough to protect employees and manage the risk in time. To test your management guidelines for this type of emergency, we invite you to answer these 4 essential questions:
- How did last season go?
This is the ideal time to evaluate what worked and what needs to improve in your emergency plan. Gather input from employees and key stakeholders to identify opportunities for improvement. If you use an emergency mass notification system such as VIPER MASS, use the data it provides for a comprehensive evaluation. - What is your communication strategy?
Develop a clear communication plan for before, during and after a fire. Your alert system must include precise messages and the right contacts, ready to be activated at any time. Two-way messaging is also crucial to confirm employees are safe or to identify anyone who needs help. - Is your team ready?
It is the organization’s responsibility to prepare employees, training them on the protocols, resources and actions to follow in this type of emergency. - How will you ensure operational continuity after a fire?
The contingency plan must anticipate the impacts after a fire, such as road closures or service disruptions. Organizations should review logistics and adjust their operations to protect people’s safety and maintain operational continuity.
Proactive preparation will help your organization stay calm and protected when facing this type of incident. A mass notification system such as VIPER MASS will strengthen your emergency plan.
Technology at the service of emergency management
Along these lines, VIPER developed the SIDEM Metropolitan Dispatch System, software that connects the dispatch centers of different fire departments and makes all equipment and resources available in real time to support emergencies, so they can respond more quickly to large-scale emergencies such as wildfires.
The system has been operating in the Santiago Metropolitan Region since 2023, connecting dispatch centers across the region when an incident requires several units to cooperate, and it has already delivered outstanding results.
SIDEM can be used in regions of different sizes and is available to be implemented anywhere in the country. If you need more information, don’t hesitate to contact us.
We are constantly innovating, looking for the best way to fulfill our main purpose, which is to save lives by delivering accurate, timely information in the middle of an emergency, wherever it happens, and making it easier to manage all resources.