A Guidebook for Integrating NIMS for Personnel and Resources at Airports (2014)

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36 Throughout this guidebook are frequent references to stakeholders, coordination, mutual aid and community resources. Considered in the broad sense, these are indicative of multiple resources combining skills and working together to plan and respond to an incident or event that affects the airport. Whether the people involved are fulfilling the responsibilities of their jobs or are volunteering their time and expertise, creating and maintaining a sense of team is important to the success of the mission. Once each person knows his or her role and responsi- bilities and has access to appropriate training, the challenge becomes how to maintain interest, especially if few incidents ever occur. This aspect often is overlooked. If the cooperation and goodwill that is established by integrating NIMS/ICS and integrating first and second responders into plans, training, and incident response is to be sustained, attention must be paid to keeping the level of readiness alive and nurturing the working relationships. Retaining the quality of integration can be challenging, but is essential so that the investments all parties have made will pay off and need not be reconstructed in the future. To accomplish a positive, on-going relationship among the stakeholders, airport managers can increase the chances of success in a number of ways. First and foremost is holding periodic tabletop exercises or other training. At Part 139 airports, stakeholders already meet once a year (per the FAR Part 139 annual AEP tabletop review requirement) to practice and update procedures. It is encouraged that airports go above and beyond the minimum and meet a few times a year so that off-airport responders will gain a better understanding of their role during various incidents or events. After an incident in Minneapolis when a major bridge collapsed over a multi-lane highway into the Mississippi River, one of the ICs was asked what made the most difference in their success- ful response to this disaster. “Relationships” was the answer. The years of training and working together on smaller incidents and events enabled responders and community resources to know each other and build trust. So when the bridge collapsed, coordination proceeded with few problems. Some of the individuals who will be part of the airport’s team may be volunteers. Keeping them engaged is important as well. Organizations like AmeriCorps work diligently to main- tain volunteer enthusiasm as do volunteer fire departments, civic organizations, amateur radio operators, and the like. Every airport will have its own best solutions for keeping stakeholder involvement alive, but the following guidelines can help lay the groundwork. In part, success depends on understanding and applying the lessons of basic group dynamics. These guidelines work for all groups and are not limited to volunteers. Recognize the Reasons for Involvement What motivates individuals to want to work cooperatively and to be part of the team? What do stakeholders hope to achieve or gain? What needs to be in place to promote high levels of performance and to satisfy the reasons for their involvement? C H A P T E R 6 Sustaining Involvement and Interest

Sustaining Involvement and Interest 37 Some people just want to do their job and be done with it, but others want to be challenged, want to feel needed, want to improve the status quo, want to test their skills, or want to feel valued. Many find enjoyment in facing a challenge and helping to solve it. Whether leader or follower, peoples’ motivations vary and should be understood by leadership to optimize results. For example, a semi-retired, public relations professional volunteers to be part of an airport CERT. Assigning that individual to help direct traffic or stock supplies of water to meet the needs of detained travelers during an irregular operations situation might discourage them from any future involvement. If instead they are assigned to help support the airport’s PIO, that volunteer will feel needed and useful; they will know that their expertise is respected and their potential for contributing is understood. As another example, a sheriffs’ deputy discovers some procedures in the airport’s evacuation plans and assumptions that conflict with the county’s plan. When this information is acknowledged and acted upon, the deputy has helped avoid a potential problem and made an important difference. Clarify the Goals and What is Expected There will be many activities that are necessary to integrate NIMS/ICS at the airport. Engaging in those activities and setting priorities bring together a wide array of expertise, viewpoints, mandates, and regulations—some of which probably will conflict at points along the way. For each work group (e.g., ICS organizational component) that is established, whether large or small, the purpose should be made clear. When groups are convened to review procedures or solve problems, group leaders should clarify the goals, the timetable for achieving the goals, and what each member is expected to contribute. The assignments should be meaningful. Respect Everyone’s Time Since everyone is busy, avoid unnecessary meetings and red tape. Utilize action plans and work out the best path forward to avoid wasting time or heading down the wrong path. Set and keep the advertised meeting times (e.g., if a meeting is scheduled to last an hour, do not let it go for two). One of the most common reasons for losing interest is too many meetings or meetings that last too long or do not have clear goals. By recognizing that everyone’s time is valuable, participants in a process or members of a group will be more willing to stay engaged in the work and do their best, even when the tasks seem burdensome. All Should Be Heard Rare is the group where all assembled are equally comfortable speaking up and voicing their opinions. But if one or two extroverts with strong views are permitted to dominate a discussion, or there is a wide range of rank in the group, many members will sit quietly, and the value of their input will be lost. Meetings, teleconferences, and video conferences should be conducted in a way that guarantees everyone has an opportunity to contribute. When people feel their input is valued and useful they feel more motivated to remain in the group. Add Some Fun and Reward Involvement It is a fact: planning and rehearsing for incidents and events that may or may not happen ranks pretty low on the scale of exciting. This work can be tedious and trying. For these reasons, and more, generating and maintaining involvement is no small task. Adding some fun—some rewards—is practically a necessity.

38 A Guidebook for Integrating NIMS for Personnel and Resources at Airports Food is always a welcome addition to any meeting. An annual dinner where all stakeholders are thanked for their cooperation testifies to how much individuals and organizations are appreciated. This is the chance to distribute awards for contributions that are above and beyond the norm as well. Make sure the media is invited, too. Consider building in some competition to drills and exercises (that is sure to spark interest among airline tenants or between law enforce- ment and fire and rescue, for example); it will make the activity far more interesting. Ask stakeholders for their ideas. Get creative. Use your public relations group (where applicable) to generate ideas and to capture media coverage. Allow for Some Failures Finally, it is helpful to have a plan in mind for handling those initiatives that cannot seem to get off the ground. Some plans and groups work well and some fail to produce the desired results. Be aware of situations that get bogged down, whether for political reasons, funding reasons, or others. Sometimes the timing is wrong. Sometimes the activity is right but the people who have been assigned to make it happen are wrong. It is far better to disengage from a goal and move on to others, or to make necessary changes to the goal and the plan for reaching it than to allow frustration to build unchecked. When that happens, negativity can grow and begin extending into other efforts. And if this is a problem within a homogeneous group over which a manager has control, consider how much more problematic it can be when one is dealing with disparate organizations under different commands. Recognize that building and improving working relationships and training among airport personnel, tenants, mutual aid providers, federal agencies, and community resources—and doing that in the context of NIMS/ICS—are bound to encounter a few roadblocks. Those do not need to define the overall outcome. Conduct an honest assessment of the situation, decide if it can be fixed, and if not, move ahead on other goals. The effort will be worth it.