Canadian HR Reporter

EFAP FEATURES Fort McMurray blaze highlights importance of EFAP, preparedness By Barb Veder and Noi Quao I n May 2016, more than 80,000 people were evacuated from the Fort Mc- Murray, Alta., area as a raging wild- fi re swept towards the town. While the fi re had been under watch, the speed at which it grew and travelled towards Fort McMurray caught both residents and fi refi ghters off guard, requiring swift ac- tion to ensure all were safe. As an employee and family assistance pro- gram (EFAP) provider to several employers in the region, Morneau Shepell began mo- bilizing its resources as soon as the threat of danger was realized. And last November, the International Employee Assistance Profes- sionals Association recognized the company with its award for Best Delivery of or Innova- tion in Critical Incident Response Services for its eff orts to assist the trauma victims of the Fort McMurray wildfi re. Here's a look at what transpired, and how organizations can be better prepared for such disasters in the future. Hindsight improves foresight Eff ective disaster preparedness is a three- step process: pre-event planning, mobiliza- tion, and post-event support and improve- ment. To refi ne best practices, these three phases have to operate in a continuous loop, reinforcing each other. e challenge in pre-planning for an event such as the Fort McMurray fi re in- volves having predictable activities in place for an unpredictable situation. No matter what the specifi c crisis entails, it is possible to anticipate the unpredictable and have pre-work done ahead of time, so it's easier to respond. For many organizations, this means designing an emergency prepared- ness plan where a high-level response strat- egy has been devised and made ready to set in motion. Too often, however, these plans only deal with a company's "stuff " — property and lo- gistics — and don't address the needs of the most important resource, people, who will be in need of on-the-ground support. When it became clear there was immi- nent danger to employees in Fort McMur- ray, Morneau Shepell's fi rst move was to contact these client organizations directly to discuss plans. Next, verifi cation was re- quired to ensure the EFAP had the capacity to provide support for a large group of trau- ma victims. ese ensuing steps included network mobilization, readying resources to be deployed as needed, reorganizing in- ternally to co-ordinate resources so there were no gaps or duplication of eff ort, and maintaining a good understanding of the on-the-ground reality so plans could be adapted as necessary. Despite a thorough planning process, there was some uncertainty because the scale of the operation and the duration of the support provided were abnormal as a result of the fi re's unpredictable nature. When it comes to disasters like these, companies and EFAP providers can never be too prepared. Some improvisation or adaption is necessary, but it should not all be reactive. It is important to review all data that is available in any given situation and make informed decisions that follow best practices. People fi rst e provision of EFAP services, while a pro- cess-driven function, is most importantly people-focused. Some of Morneau She- pell's own counsellors lived and worked in Fort McMurray and experienced fi rst-hand what residents were going through. Garett Guenot, an EFAP counsellor at Morneau Shepell, evacuated to Calgary and reached out to clients who had been evacu- ated all over the country. "I provided support for them over the phone and also started seeing clients who had been evacuated to Calgary," he says. "What astonished me the most was how grateful they were that so many people, in- cluding our company, were reaching out to help them and support them." Morneau Shepell quickly made the deci- sion to provide trauma support to all Fort McMurray residents and their extended families, not just those employed by cli- ent organizations. On-site counselling was made available for anyone who needed it, and a toll-free hotline was opened to people across Canada looking for support. It was critical throughout the process that counselling teams worked closely with fi rst responders to ensure a collaborative environment of support. Morneau Shepell regularly re-evaluated and revised plans concerning where to set up services, and deployed RV counselling units at evacuation centres to off er support for evacuees. e company also took an "over-service versus under-service" approach, mobiliz- ing more support resources than ended up being needed. At the time, this overabun- dance of resources allowed the counselling teams to be nimble and respond eff ectively as evacuation centres were stabilized — but it was imperative to improve upon this strategy. is lesson was applied this year following the fl ooding in Gatineau, Que. Aftermath and ongoing support Months after the fi re, Morneau Shepell is still providing support to those aff ected — both in Fort McMurray and across Canada. e municipality estimates the post-fi re population is less than 74,000, while two years ago the 2015 municipal census pegged the number of permanent residents at more than 82,000. Once people started returning home, Morneau Shepell saw a spike in demand for trauma support services. e one-year anniversary of the fi re produced a similar surge. e community may be shrinking, but the demand for support services is growing. "Recovery is not a timeline but a process — one that will be refl ected not only in the trees and buildings, but also in the citizens of Fort McMurray for years to come," says Guenot. Advice for employers in preparing for emergencies Create a plan: An eff ective business con- tinuity plan extends beyond infrastructure rebuilding after a disaster strikes. e plan must recognize the "people factor" to be successful. When it comes to disasters like these, companies and EFAP providers can never be too prepared. TEST > pg. 16 Credit: Chris Wattie (Reuters)

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