Telgian’s Vice President, Tom Parrish, recently shared his fire safety and emergency response experience with GiftBeat magazine for the Expert Q & A article How to be Prepared When Emergency Strikes. Since 1992, GiftBeat magazine, a subscription-only resource, has been considered the leading outlet for the news, market developments, and important issues that affect the retail gift store industry.
Parrish’s expertise, which includes more than 25 years in fire protection and emergency response, provided a unique perspective for the piece, which addresses important questions such as “What emergencies should retailers be ready to handle?” and “How can retailers prepare their employees for an emergency?” In addition, How to be Prepared When Emergency Strikes detailed important steps that employers should take to prepare for scenarios as diverse as active shooter incidents, injuries within the retail space, and natural disasters.
“A lot of business owners think that an emergency won’t happen to their store because they’ve operated for a long time without issues,” explains Parrish. “This is usually the point when something unexpected happens. If you have a good plan in place, and a Plan B, then you have options to handle the situation.
Parrish also outlined when retailers should seek professional help in order to best prepare. A full risk assessment, he says, as well as recommendations for fire safety, life safety and security plans are essential.
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About Telgian Vice President Tom Parrish, SET, CFPS, PSP
Tom Parrish has 25+ years of experience in fire protection and emergency response. He has held positions with municipal fire, law enforcement and emergency medical services and in private industry system design and installation programs.
Parrish serves on several National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) technical committees including NFPA 72 Signaling Systems for the Protection of Life and Property and Emergency Communications Systems. In addition, he is a Board Member of the Automatic Fire Alarm Association (AFAA) and is a senior instructor for NFPA.
His professional credentials include Level IV NICET Certified Fire Alarm Technician, Level III NICET Inspections and Testing, Certified Fire Protection Specialist and Master Electrician. Parrish is board-certified as a Physical Security Professional by ASIS International, the premier professional organization for security professionals.
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