Telgian Engineering & Consulting, LLC (TEC) security expert Lauris Freidenfelds recently shared how education and knowledge are critical to survival during an emergency in the just-published article “How Evacuation Training, Exercises and Drills Can Save Lives” for the April issue of Occupational Health and Safety magazine.
A nationally recognized safety, security, and emergency expert, Telgian Engineering & Consulting’s Lauris Freidenfelds specializing in security for healthcare facilities of all types. His 40+ years of experience include operational security, technology and emergency management programs. His extensive knowledge of emergency management personnel and operations encompasses planning, organizing, and directing security programs and activities, as well as development and coordination of disaster preparedness plans, the mitigation of, preparation for, and recovery from hazards and disasters.
“In my role of leading emergency management for my organization, we took an “All Hazards Approach” to planning for emergencies,” says Freidenfelds. “The essence of this is to create a common response plan as much as possible, regardless of the hazard. There should be no sense of competition concerning which hazard is more impactful. Fires and active shooters both kill. The biggest lesson I learned from my staff is that they want to feel and be “safe,” not only from fires, but from violence and other risks. Knowing what to do helps achieve that. Training, exercises, and drills make it happen.”
Freidenfelds goes on to outline the difference between procedures and plans and the specifics of how to conduct effective exercises and drills.
“Drills and exercised are opportunities to use what you have learned in a class setting and further that with actual hands-on practice. Don’t be afraid to fail. It happens to everyone,” Freidenfelds says. “It is best to fail and learn in practice than in the real scenario.”
Click here to read How Evacuation Training, Exercises and Drills Can Save Lives.
Additional safety and security articles of interest by Freidenfelds include:
- How Do Security Controls Help Implement a Corporate Security Policy
- Evacuation Essentials: Proper Planning Prevents Panic
- Preparing For Events That Could Require Evacuations
- Incorporating the Four Elements of Emergency Management
- How COVID-19 has Changed Visitor Management
- Best Practices: Healthcare Security
- Prioritizing Workplace Violence Prevention
About Telgian Engineering & Consulting, LLC (TEC)
Telgian Engineering & Consulting, LLC (TEC) is a full-service global design, engineering and risk mitigation consulting firm providing professional services related to the protection of people, property, information and organizational mission against preventable losses. These include security risk consulting, strategic / enterprise risk management, fire protection engineering and environmental health and safety.
For media interviews with Lauris Freidenfelds or additional information, please contact Susan McNeill, smcneill@telgian.com.