We’ve lead the development of standards on emergency management and business continuity. We’ve written the books. We teach at the graduate level and instruct for state government and professional certification.
The foundation of our expertise is a sound understanding of hazards and impacts. Loss prevention, hazard mitigation, risk financing, emergency management, business continuity, and crisis management programs are all built on that foundation. Our experience comes from working within corporate risk management, the insurance industry, the public sector, and working with numerous clients in most major industries.
Preparedness, LLC has worked with dozens of public, private, and parochial schools from Massachusetts to Minnesota. Our services have included all aspects of emergency management including:
We bring together public safety and health partners to build a program for sustainability over time. Assessments and training are conducted in “train-the-trainer” mode, so staff can learn how to continue efforts after the project is complete. We're proud of our continuing relationship with many districts.
Colleges & Universities
Preparedness, LLC has worked with many colleges and universities in the development, implementation, and evaluation of their emergency management programs. Our services have included:
Local and County Government
City, town, and county government has responsibility for protecting the citizens of its jurisdiction. At the same time they have many employees that must be safeguarded; and buildings and essential functions that must be protected. In times of disaster, continuity of government must be maintained and essential services must continue—even though government buildings, systems, and equipment have been damaged. Preparedness, LLC has worked with city, town, and county governments to assess threats and hazards to employees, facilities, and the systems that support essential functions. We have facilitated the identification of essential functions and developed emergency response and continuity of operations plans. Our services have included:
Real Estate & Property Management
Real estate investment trusts, developers, and property managers strive to manage safe, secure, and regulatory-compliant buildings. Numerous threats and hazards— some that vary by geography; building size, height, or occupancy—require specific risk strategies. An understanding of risk; and the applicable codes, standards, and regulations determines the required safety, security, fire protection, and life safety capabilities. Preparedness, LLC has been fortunate to work with some of the larger REITs in the USA and other large, regional developers and property managers. Our close working relationship with risk managers and property managers has enabled us to provide the following services:
Manufacturing
Preparedness, LLC has more than 35 years of experience in loss prevention, hazard mitigation, emergency response, and business continuity planning in major industries and facilities around the world. We assess process hazards and offer recommendations for protection based on codes, standards, regulations, and risk management objectives. Our services include:
Distribution Centers
Distribution centers present fire protection challenges related to the storage of large volumes of combustible materials and and the warehousing of hazardous materials.
Preparedness, LLC has extensive experience with distribution centers for diverse manufacturers including chemical manufacturers and wholesale distributors. Preparedness, LLC’s understanding of fire codes and standards and insurer protection requirements has enabled us to assist many companies. Our services include:
Nonprofit Organizations
Preparedness, LLC has worked with some non-profits that employ of hundreds of people in offices and other facilities. We have also worked with smaller social and community service organizations that provide critical services to individuals and families. All of these organizations care deeply about those that they serve and they strive to provide safe and secure facilities and comply with regulations and the standards tied to their funding. Preparedness, LLC is sensitive to the needs, culture, and challenges faced by non-profits. We have provided a variety of services to meet their needs:
Health Care
Health care institutions face numerous regulations from the Federal government including the CMS Emergency Preparedness Requirements for Medicare and Medicaid Participating Providers. Standards including NFPA 99 Health Care Facilities Code and NFPA 101 Life Safety Code© are incorporated into regulations. State fire codes and occupational safety and health regulations also dictate requirements. Preparedness, LLC has worked with health care institutions on their emergency management programs. Our knowledge of Federal regulations and NFPA codes and standards provides the foundation to identify needs, assess current programs, and identify any gaps. Our services include:
Chemical, Pharmaceutical & Life Sciences
Chemical, pharmaceutical, and life sciences companies are critical to the quality of life. Operations involving highly hazardous materials are an inherent risk. High levels of life safety, fire protection, security, and emergency preparedness are required to safeguard employees and protect operations and the environment. Business continuity plans are also essential to minimize downtime. Preparedness, LLC has years of experience with chemical, pharmaceutical, and life science manufacturers and distributors. Our services have included:
Oil & Gas Industry
Preparedness, LLC has worked with some of the largest oil and gas companies in the world. Our role in international standards development, and our knowledge of emergency management, business continuity, and crisis management programs has enabled us to develop client-specific training for executives, business managers, and department staff. We have also been engaged to develop business continuity plans for plant operations. Our services have included:
“Preparedness, LLC provided expert assistance with the development of business continuity plans for our USA and Mexico manufacturing facilities. Their facilitated planning process and project management abilities were instrumental in the timely completion of multiple projects. Without their professionalism and patience, we would not have stayed on track toward timely project completion.”
Tim Sullivan, Vice President, Administration,
Hitchiner Manufacturing Co., Inc.
“I especially wanted to thank you for your work designing, facilitating, and evaluating the “active shooter” exercise in August. It provided an excellent opportunity for our officers and command staff to train, test, and evaluate our ability to respond to a school-based shooting. The after-action report that you prepared is very professional and will help with our continuous improvement.”
Kevin Coppinger, Chief,
City of Lynn Police Department
“Preparedness, LLC conducted safety and security audits of nearly two dozen public school buildings. The assessments were very comprehensive and reports provided specific guidance. Their interactive process for development of emergency planning documents enabled my office, police, fire, and the school district to provide input. The final documents were highly professional and easy to use.”
Richard E. Ferreira, Director,
Taunton Emergency Management Agency
“Preparedness, LLC has been an integral member of our risk management team. They helped us assess property risk exposures and developed a custom database with a risk-based premium allocation model. These tools have enabled us to prioritize and provide incentives for risk improvements and present a clear picture of the quality of our portfolio to insurers.”
Drew Talley, Vice President, Risk Management
Fisher Scientific International, Inc.
“Preparedness, LLC helped us develop a business continuity plan for our printing and thermoforming operations. They provided customized tools and guided the analysis of our critical business processes and the identification of recovery strategies and requirements. I’m confident that we are now well prepared.”
Nick Carafa, President,
Packaging Graphics, LLC
“The tabletop exercise that Preparedness, LLC conducted for the Newton Department of Health and Human Services staff certainly exceeded our expectations. The printed materials were of high quality and easy to use during the exercise. We especially appreciated the timely evaluation and summary of participant surveys.”
City of Newton
Health & Human Services
Donald L. Schmidt has over 35 years of experience in the public and private sectors. He has extensive experience in risk assessment, loss prevention, hazard mitigation, emergency management, business continuity, and crisis management planning within a diverse range of global industries.
He is a published author of multiple books and numerous articles on the subjects of risk management, emergency management, business continuity, and terrorism. For more than two decades he has helped to write important standards on disaster/emergency management and business continuity and has chaired the technical committee that writes the USA's national preparedness standard. He is an experienced educator and professional development instructor. He has attained numerous certifications in risk management, emergency management, business continuity, and auditing.
Don's past work experience includes nearly 25 years of service within the HPR insurance industry, corporate risk management, and progressive roles within the consulting arm of a global insurance intermediary. He is proud to be an alum of the College Park Fire Department on the campus of the University of Maryland and his life membership in the Niantic, CT Fire Department.
Copyright © 2008-2021 Preparedness, LLC. All rights reserved