Tuesday, June 8, 2010
8 a.m. Breakfast and Registration
8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Program

Unity Center
600 Palm Drive
Novato, CA 94949

Session Descriptions

8:45 – 9:15 a.m.
Introduction to Creating an Agency Emergency Plan
Speaker: Stasha Wyskiel, Manager, Global Business Continuity Planning, Gap, Inc.

This highly practical session will begin with a brief introduction to emergency planning. Learn the basic, nitty-gritty steps you need to prepare your facility, your staff and your clients before disaster. Every participant will receive an easy, step-by-step template to create a custom emergency plan and will find out how to become part of a network of nonprofit agencies responding to and recovering from a disaster.

9:15 – 10:15 a.m.
Ready, Set, Go! Whip Your Emergency Plan Into Shape, Today!
Speakers: Madelyn Mackie, External Relations Officer, American Red Cross Bay Area Chapter, and Margaret Melsh, Executive Director, Melsh Consulting

This is not your typical “talking head” lecture about emergency planning. This workshop is a dynamic, interactive, true working session. At the end of the day, segments of your emergency plan will be drafted on paper and ready for review. So bring your organization’s mission statement, favorite pen and notebook (or your laptop), and get ready to roll up your sleeves to get your emergency plan off to a good start. Begin by ensuring that you have the fundamental segments of a disaster mission statement, and then learn the questions to test the functionality of the statement and receive feedback from your peers. Since you probably won’t be carrying out your emergency plan alone, find out who should be on your committee to ensure you have your important bases covered. Before leaving, you will also write the agenda for your first meeting and learn how to keep members motivated for the duration of the planning process.

9:15 – 10:15 a.m.
Practice Makes Perfect: How to Implement Your Emergency Plan using Tabletop Exercises & Drills
Speaker: Stasha Wyskiel, Manager, Global Business Continuity Planning, Gap, Inc.

To truly have an effective emergency plan, organizations should test drive their emergency response plan with employees, volunteers and clients. Learn to create emergency drills and tabletop exercises to test your plan and assess the readiness of your employees, volunteers and your facility. These actions can also serve as a means to involve both personnel and community responders in after-action debriefings and the evaluation process. During this session, you will receive ideas and templates for tabletop exercises and drills to customize and utilize in your organization.

10:30 – 11 a.m.
Marin County Disaster Readiness Tools & Resources
Speakers: Linda Davis, Executive Director, Center for Volunteers and Nonprofit Leadership of Marin, and Madelyn Mackie, External Relations Office, American Red Cross Bay Area Chapter

A disaster can happen at any time, but preparedness and prevention are two elements within our control. Being ready for the inevitable is a shared responsibility that starts with each of us. The Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership of Marin and the American Red Cross Bay Area Chapter are partnering to provide Marin County with a program and tools that guide businesses, nonprofit organizations, and schools in preparing for emergencies. The Red Cross Ready Rating™ Program and the Center’s Prepare Now Program will enable participants to self-assess their agency's readiness, identify resources and receive training that will assist you with creating a disaster-resilient organization. A series of workshops will be offered which are designed to help staff effectively respond in the event of a disaster with a successful facility management process.

11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Marin County Disaster Readiness Best Practices
Panel Moderator: Linda Davis, Executive Director, Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership of Marin
Panelists: Gary Baccus, AutoDesk, Dick McKee, Community Action Marin, and Phil Lastreto, Marin Food Bank

Wonder what other people out there are doing? Find out the “best of the best” disaster readiness practices in Marin County from a range of organizations. Hear from a panel of emergency planning professionals who will share their real experiences through a collection of illustrated stories, ideas, activities and projects on creating disaster-resilient organizations. Take away ideas, resources and encouragement to continue your disaster planning efforts.

12:15 p.m.
Closing Remarks
Speaker: Pat Lewis, American Red Cross Bay Area Chapter

* The mission of the Marin Interagency Disaster Coalition (MIDC) is to foster effective service delivery to those affected by disasters in Marin County through the collaboration of community agencies throughout the disaster cycle – preparedness, response and recovery. Executive Committee members include the American Red Cross Bay Area Chapter, Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership, Marin County Commission on Aging, Marin County Health and Human Services, Marin County Office of Emergency Services, Marin Food Bank, Marin Humane Society, Marin Interfaith Council, Salvation Army, San Rafael Office of Emergency Services, United Way of the Bay Area and West Marin Disaster Council.