Hope for the Best, Prepare for the Worst

Harvey's floodwaters continue to devastate eastern Texas, with many zoos and aquariums caught in the middle.  The staff of those facilities are continuing to do their best to protect their animals, all while having to worry about what is going on with their homes and loved ones.  It's a severely unpleasant task - but one that is aided, at least a little, by one thing - they've been preparing for it for years.

By their very nature - large quantities of potentially dangerous animals being brought in close proximity to large quantities of (fairly often) dangerous (or at least careless) people make zoos and aquariums especially vulnerable to risk.  It's not surprising, then, that animal escape drills are often conducted, as are drills for visitors entering animal areas (which seem to be occurring more and more often).  Some facilities may hold other animal emergency drills pertaining to their specific collections - a reptile house staff may conduct venomous snakebite drills, for instance.  The Association of Zoos and Aquariums requires its member institutions to conduct a certain number of animal escape drills per year, with appropriate documentation provided.

Besides the animal-specific drills, however, there are also the drills that must be held for any institution, whether it be an aquarium, an office, or an elementary school.  The most familiar among these are the fire drills and medical emergency drills.  In recent years, active shooter and bomb threat drills have, unfortunately, proven to become increasingly necessary.

Weather related drills vary from location to location.  In the Midwest, there will be a greater emphasis on tornado drills.  In the North, blizzard drills would take top priority.  In California, earthquake drills.  And of course, in the Southeast, and especially along the Gulf of Mexico, there are hurricane drills.

Drills are no one's favorite part of the job.  They are often boring, inconvenient, and take up time that could be used for other duties, which may seem more enjoyable and/or important at the time.  There's also the question of how much resemblance they really bear to reality.  It's very easy to remember the appropriate call-signs and protocols for a fire when we're walking through an office which is totally NOT on fire.  It's another thing entirely when smoke is filling the falls and you're not positive which doorknobs are going to be hot.

Preparation and discussion, despite the nuisance, is still the best way to make sure that actual disasters don't catch your organization off-guard.  They can help you realize what equipment you need (I'm sure there weren't many generators left for sale in Houston last week), what priorities to implement, and what staff are essential.  There is a time and a place for winging it.  A Category 1 Hurricane is not that time.