Imagine...

"Imagination is more important than knowledge" - Albert Einstein

The world has definitely changed.  For several years now I have spoken at countless conferences regarding the need for us, as a collaborative American community, to start awareness campaigns, planning efforts and yes, even to start adjusting lifestyles despite the un-comfortability.

For the last three years I have attempted to get on stage at various conferences where the list of those who speak is governed by tight-knit associations and committees; a much harder task.  While I managed some success, there are many more of these venues that I am trying to target as now they are boasting themes such as navigating the new extremes…titles I used 4 years ago.

It is frustrating to say the least when I watch the news and reports of events unfolding around the country that were predictable.  What is worse is watching the appalling results of reactionary response on the part of not just government agencies but corporate entities as well.

While each and every day we are being presented with ever-growing and new challenges, the need for pre-action seems to be escaping those that could really make a difference.  The need for free-thinking agency directors is at an all-time high; we are inundated with those in positions of power that have allowed their actions to be fettered by old protocols and history with no allowance for imagination.

What do I mean?

How on earth are we supposed to prepare for what lies ahead when recent history shows us that what lies ahead is new, un-researched and unknown?  When every authority has agreed with me that the new extremes are the new normal, how then do we plan ahead without imagination?

Imagination and guts. Those are the two elements needed in today’s (and tomorrow’s) emergency managers whether at a corporate level or in the local government agency.  Those that will facilitate the survival of others will be those with the guts to wake up each day and try to imagine what may come.

Are we planning for Ebola outbreaks as a part of our business continuity planning? Of course not! Decisions are being made right now based on a few nurses and doctors and one Liberian National having Ebola.  The opinions being shared with me are that the threat has ended, so why invest?

I’ll tell you why. Because Ebola is still running rampant and the history of pandemics show evolutions that cycle every 3 to 9 months. Because if someone was introduced to the virus on Tuesday, they will not have a fever at the airport tomorrow.  Because findings show that the virus can live upwards of 50 days on a colder surface such as glass and it is winter.

Are we planning for ISIS-related attacks here in the United States? Of course not, Why? Because there have only been a few isolated incidents and those attacks were carried out by lone-wolf radicals with no real connections to ISIS; or so we are told.  The reality is that this country has been spattered with these radicals for years and we underestimate the intelligence of an organization that has been hailed as “Junior Varsity”.

Now, don’t get me wrong. We are good at what we do here in the United States. As soon as there is a major outbreak of influenza or Ebola, we will begin to act. As soon as a few dozen are simultaneously killed across the country or we experience an attack on a government building, we will place new protocols… well, as soon as we agree on what they are and make sure that nobody is too uncomfortable with them.

Don’t like what you are reading? Too bad. It’s the truth.

While we watched the drama of a nurse in Maine unfold before our very eyes, many agreed that the poor girl’s rights were being violated with a quarantine; so much so that she was finally allowed her freedom.  Freedom… an interesting word to use here.  You see, if she had been forced to quarantine and had broken out only to infect a group of people, Americans would have screamed for her prosecution.  OUR freedom falls into jeopardy when someone steps out on the street with a grenade and we rise up demanding that law enforcement stop that person before OUR freedom is taken away seconds after the pin is pulled… but for now, quarantines remain voluntary… the words “self-monitoring” sit better in our ears.

So I am rambling… a little…but I have a point to make here.

We have got to stop being a reactionary American community!  If an outbreak really occurred in your area, you would have very little time to make plans for banking, grocery shopping, medical supplies, etc.  This is supposed to already be a part of your plans!  How good is your home disaster kit?

If there is suddenly a widespread organized attack on American soil, how ready are the responders in your agency?

Is your church ready for the world around the corner?

Is your school?

While there have been a few encouraging reports and surveys lately, the reality is that the “it will never REALLY happen” or “it won’t ever happen here” attitude is about to start really killing people.

Rural fire departments with ambulances have been a concern of mine for years and in the wake of the first Ebola victim on U.S. soil I have found very few that have researched, created or adopted any new protocols for disinfection of vehicles or buildings.  Over 75% of the U.S. relies on these particular departments!
     
One of the biggest issues facing us today is a plethora of unpredictable disruptions that have the potential to seriously destabilize our lives; very real situations and events that could cut us off from our homes, our schools, medical care, food…

It does not have to be Ebola, it does not have to be ISIS.  I am speaking of the increased number of natural disasters and the ever-growing cyber-security threats as well.  Threats that have been growing like weeds under our feet…

We need to become strategic.  Strategic resilience is the ability to adapt and respond to broader threats and opportunities.  In order to be strategically resilient we need to cowboy up, buck the system a little, prepare to be unpopular and we need to start using our imagination.
From home to school, from church to the office, from the local rural fire department to the municipality, it is time to start imagining the possibilities.  For years the simplest of concepts like home disaster kits and weather radios have been ignored by the majority and now we face the most challenging times in our nations (and worlds) history. 
 
Imagine what tomorrow could bring.  Picture the event or incident that could bring your world crashing down and start to make a plan for that event.

I have longed believed in the systems used by the National Weather Service to protect the American public.  The structure of Advisory, Watch and Warning is a simple and effective one if one is aware and follows that awareness with action.  In saying that, I want to stress that for years we sat in an advisory. The last several years of change indicated the need for a watch.

Today we are in a WARNING. Act now.