On October 27, 2015, the IFMA Atlanta ADP Liaison Committee sponsored a meeting of students from the IFMA Accredited Degree Programs at Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State University and IFMA Members who have an interest in these programs.
Approximately 35 of us gathered in the newly renovated Caddell Building at Georgia Tech where the Facility Management Program is based. Students and professionals had a chance to share experiences in an informal and relaxed setting. The students were very engaging and interested about learning more about the “real world” of Facility Management.
Patrick Miles (IFMA member with SERVPRO) gave a presentation on Emergency Preparedness. He emphasized the importance of assessing facility risks based on business impact and preparing and implementing a plan for recovery. He talked about having plans to recover from facility disasters brought on by fire, flood, weather, human or technological hazards.
Key points to support the importance of having an Emergency Preparedness plan included:
- Half of all businesses affected by a facility disaster never recover
- Companies want to do business with companies who have a disaster recovery plan in place
- Having a plan for reallocation of resources who know what to do quickly in an emergency mitigates loss
- Insurance does not cover many risks
The presentation was followed by a Q&A session which allowed the audience to engage in more learning about specific aspects of Emergency Preparedness.
The event was a great opportunity for meaningful interaction between the students and professionals who participated. We look forward to having another program like this.
