1

Integrated
All Hazards
Training

The New Model For Emergency

Preparedness & Response Teams
A Findlay All Hazards White Paper
The All Hazards Training Center at
The University of Findlay

March 9, 2015

1000 N. Main Street

Findlay, OH 45840
800-521-1292
findlayallhazards.com

INTRODUCTION

The All Hazards Training Center at The University of Findlay (Findlay All Hazards) has been developing and
delivering emergency response and security training for corporations, coast-to-coast, since 1989. From this
experience, Findlay All Hazards has developed many different approaches to corporate-wide training.

Integrated all hazards training

incorporates planning for all
potential hazards

One of the more robust and effective methods is Integrated All Hazards Training for Emergency
Preparedness and Response (EP&R). An integrated all hazards training approach is a
management strategy that incorporates planning for and consideration of all potential natural,
technological, and manmade hazards. This training can be used for a variety of purposes. It has
been proven as extremely effective in the development of corporate-wide training programs.
It can also be used to help corporations that need to overhaul a less effective or outdated
program.
And, perhaps most importantly, it is ideal for those organizations that need to tie multiple
programs together, gaining a more cohesive response protocol and uniform outcomes at all of
their facilities.

Findlay All Hazards: Integrated All Hazards Training

CORPORATE-WIDE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE PLAN DEVELOPMENT

For one major consumer products company, the initial phase of a new training program from Findlay All
Hazards began by collaborating with the Health, Safety, and Environmental team on the development of
a nationwide EP&R plan to meet company policies and procedures, along with other regulatory-required
emergency planning initiatives at plants in the U.S. and Canada. The EP&R plan was designed to be a working
document, which included response flowcharts for various types of potential emergencies and related
incidents. During the design phase, pre-existing documents and procedures were incorporated if applicable
and or required, including a reworking of the Canadian EP&R plan addressing their specific set of regulatory
requirements. The key goal in plan development was to design a document and process that would be used
successfully on a routine basis.
One interesting feature of the plan was the amount of flexibility added to allow for site-specific sections,
where local and divisional EHS managers could add their own specific information. This helped make the
plan unique to each facility, while still meeting the company desire for division-wide consistency. To support
managers in completing site-specific sections, a plan-development day was included at each site on the last
day of on-site training. As part of the plan review process, this planning day included local First Responders
(police, fire, EMS, EMA), who were also given an in-depth site tour. Findlay All Hazards has always supported
building relationships with local responders because these relationships are vital to ensuring business
continuity while handling critical incidents.

TRAINING MATERIALS AND THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE SUPPLY CABINET

The next step in the training development process was the creation of custom training materials. Findlay All
Hazards drew from its existing archive of EP&R training materials and created new materials specific to the
client-oriented plan and response flowcharts. This resulted in multiple benefits. The new training materials
met legally-required competency objectives, while also maintaining focus on a core plan that built consistency
throughout the division, yet still managed to meet the specific needs of each facility.
In this example, the regulatory required training was initially driven by the safety demands of ammonia, a
particularly hazardous material safely and routinely used by the company. However, responding to a potential
ammonia release is not a regular event nor is it a part of every employees job. Therefore ammonia safety
was incorporated into the training, making it a more robust and comprehensive all hazards approach to EP&R
to best prepare employees and responders for any type of critical incident that might occur.
This particular consumer products company decided to train facility maintenance staff and operators at the
First Responder Operations Level/Defensive Level (Ops). Supervisors and others in leadership positions would
be trained under the Incident Command System as on-scene Incident Commanders (IC), including Ops training.
These two courses were designed to address emergencies within the first few minutes of an occurrence at
any facility.
To open on-site training activities, Findlay All Hazards trainers planned a one-day visit to each facility before
formal training began. This helped instructors customize tabletop exercises and address critical processes
Findlay All Hazards: Integrated All Hazards Training

specific to each site. In order to maintain continuity, EHS and security personnel worked together to establish
key preparedness and response objectives. For Ops-Level training, Findlay All Hazards blended classroom
lectures and participation with hands-on exercises. And, in IC training, Findlay All Hazards trainers presented
tabletop exercises flexible enough to meet the needs of specific locations. These examined the type of
incidents most likely to occur at each particular training site. Fire, haz-mat, security, and medical scenarios
along with other exercises more germane to the plant were presented.
An additional component of development was the
selection and assembly of a uniform package of
response supplies and equipment for all facilities,
including both trainer kits and response equipment
and supplies. From this list, dedicated EP&R cabinets
were fully stocked with necessities for defensive-level
responders.
To assure business continuity in the wake of any
incident, Findlay All Hazards incorporated the
companys Crisis Management plan into the training
program.
As a final step, the new EP&R plan was shared with
division and facility EHS Managers, soliciting both
general feedback as well as site-specific customization.

A uniform package of
response supplies and
equipment for all facilities

PILOT TESTING, IMPLEMENTATION AND THE EHS PLANNING DAY

Program implementation followed. Five pilot sites received EP&R training under the newly revised plan.
Training proved successful at each site. The program was very well received by both division and facility
personnel, and with a few minor adjustments, the program was ready to be implemented company-wide.
The initial training was a five-day program. On the first two days, identical First Responder Operations Level
courses were conducted for maintenance staff and operators each day. This approach allowed trainees to
attend either day, depending on their production schedules. Supervisors and other leaders also attended
one of the first two days, plus two additional days (days three and four) of Incident Command training. On
day four a corporate security representative co-presented along with a Findlay All Hazards instructor on
crisis management and business continuity. This allowed trainees to gain an understanding of operation level
activities and learn specific protocols for crisis situations. Day five was a planning day, where a Findlay All
Hazards consultant worked with the facilitys EHS Manager to complete the site-specific sections of the EP&R
Plan.

Findlay All Hazards: Integrated All Hazards Training

TRAINING DISSEMINATION OVER THREE YEARS

The goal is to have initial training completed for all sites within three years. To meet this goal, training will be
conducted at approximately 20 to 30 sites per year. This pace will serve approximately 1,200 initial trainees
at 60 - 70 sites in over 40 states, plus five sites across Canada over the three-year rollout period.
With the first years cycle of training now completed, annual re-certifications have begun. All of the previous
years trainees, about 400, will receive refresher training in the second year. Both initial and refresher training
will be delivered through the remainder of year two, and refresher training will continue in the third year and
beyond. This will complete the programs initial training goal and satisfy all regulatory requirements.
ONLINE DELIVERY FOR REFRESHERS

To provide additional flexibility in refresher training, Findlay All Hazards is also developing six classroom
modules into an online, asynchronous-delivery training package. These interactive modules include knowledge
checks, links to regulatory and company-specific information, and hypothetical scenarios. Photography and
video production has been completed at on-site locations. When combined with two days of on-site, hands-on
and tabletop training sessions, these modules will be an integral part of the future annual refresher training
sessions. This combination of delivery methods will fully meet the required competencies.

RESULTS

The Integrated All Hazards Training Approach to Emergency Preparedness and Response covered multiple
discipline areas, such as EHS, Emergency Management and Response, and Security. It also established a
complete and versatile program with development of plans and procedures, training materials, and response
equipment packaging. The program includes administration, management and delivery of training, along with
related recordkeeping and database management for both the corporation and enrolled participants.
Major benefits include:
The development of consistent internal communication channels, available during both pre- and post-
response phases, for personnel responding to any type of incident
Trained individuals at both the operations and leadership levels at each facility, ready to respond defensively
during the initial stages of any incident
More effective and better coordinated support from local First Responders and
third-party vendors
Also, the division EHS management team is now assured that there is a consistent,
well-conceived, and fully-implemented response plan established at facilities, coastto-coast. Findlay All Hazards next step is to provide similar training programs to other
facilities with different functions and to continue to provide online content.
Findlay All Hazards: Integrated All Hazards Training

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WHAT FINDLAY CLIENTS ARE SAYING

More from
Clifton Landwehr, EHS Manager
WinField, a Land OLakes brand:
Our EHS staff has been training our employees
in emergency response procedures for years.
Over the last several years, demands on our time
have increased, and made holding our emergency
response classes across the U.S. tougher and
tougher. We considered partnering with a company
to assist with training, but hadnt found a company
out there that was the right fit.
In 2011, we found Findlay All Hazards - The partner
we were looking for that complemented our team
and shared our goal for great training. Findlay has
the staff and resources to provide quality training
anywhere in the United States.
We asked Findlay to provide trainers to lead
our 24-hour Hazwoper emergency response
training, and our annual refresher training classes.
Findlay provided knowledgeable instructors
who customized training to capture specifics of
our industry. Its important to make the training
relevant to keep our employees engaged and to
make the experience meaningful. Its been a win-win
for WinField. We have first class training with firstrate trainers who are willing to travel across the US
to accommodate our wide network of employees.

Findlay All Hazards The partner we were

looking for...

With Findlay All Hazards on board, we are confident that WinField continues to offer the best training
possible for our employees without having to add internal staff to prepare and oversee this critical piece
of our overall training curriculum.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK

Findlay All Hazards is eager to hear your opinion.
Weve created a short survey for readers of this
document. Just follow this link to offer your thoughts.
Youll have a chance to register with our database if you
would like more information about how Findlay might
help you work safer.
And you can contact us through findlayallhazards.com.
Findlay All Hazards: Integrated All Hazards Training

ABOUT FINDLAY ALL HAZARDS

The All Hazards Training Center at The University of

Findlay is the industry leader in development and
delivery of enterprise-wide custom safety and security
training.
Since 1986, Findlay All Hazards has taught nearly
200,000 professionals in a wide range of safety,
security, and environmental management workshops,
and our list of course offerings grows each year.
Findlay All Hazards regularly trains more than 11,000
people per year. Findlay instructors can be found at
about 300 different locations in the US and abroad
annually, as we present nearly 500 different class
sessions. That means an average of about 50 people
learn from Findlay All Hazards each and every weekday.
Its not off the shelf training, either. Findlay All
Hazards programs are custom-made for the clients
individual needs, and can be held at almost any location.
Customized training courses, conducted at the clients
location, make up 90% of Findlays courses deliveries.
No other training provider in North America can make
this claim.

Whether youre in the private or public sectors,

Findlay is ready to create a training plan for your
organization in these arenas and many more:

OSHA Safety

Emergency Management

Emergency Response and HAZWOPER

Environmental and HAZMAT

School Safety and Security

Maritime Security

Workplace Violence Prevention

1000 N. Main Street

Findlay, OH 45840
800-521-1292
findlayallhazards.com

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Findlay All Hazards: Integrated All Hazards Training