T IDALBAS INGROUP.COM 11 budget and or capabilities, resulting in training being put on the back burner until it is too late. While I believe training is the piece that brings the whole puzzle together and makes it strong enough to withstand a shaky hand, I’m not sure it’s on the forefront of everyone’s minds. Murphy: What do you see as some of the tougher barriers or obstacles that you face, when trying to implement a process ahead of time, that you know will set your agency up for a more risk-averse or better prepared future? Gibbs: I think organizations are becoming aware that they are not immune to disasters that they may have thought they once were. With that, I would say a challenge could be getting your Chief Executive Officer or another decision maker to agree on allocating additional funding for preparedness and planning measures, or equipment such as generators or pumps. Allowing staff the time to attend training is always a challenge as well. Not only does the training need to be relevant to their job, but in some manager’s minds the “cost” and “return on investment” have to be justifiable to even offer it. Murphy: How have you combated these challenges? Gibbs: Fortunately, I have had great support frommy decision makers. While I am currently working on a few large projects involving our port asset management, I have been able to do so with the support of my leaders, which is key. I would attribute that to strong communication, painting a clear picture and showcasing the added benefits, including why it is necessary. For example, while the property insurance market hardens, premiums are increasing dramatically. To really understand what the most up-to-date values assets should be insured to, property assessments are a method to finding this. So, by sharing with my decision makers that premiums change based on the values insured to, as this dictates capacity required, I was able to paint a picture that made sense. The benefit could be a reduced premium if, in fact, the assets should be insured differently, but ultimately and most importantly it is an updated insured program. There are many factors that go into this, but this is the gist. The project moves forward and the assets will be reassessed. “Without training, much of the effort put into preparedness and planning can be hindered. Much of this has to do with available resources and executive mindset.”
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