An association for young business professionals called Leadership Greater Bridgeport was told today (Jan. 10) a
plan for disaster preparedness should establish connections in advance with resources like police, fire, public works, utilities, EMTs, FEMA and contractors who specialize in
tree removal and cleanup.
The speaker was Paul Plouffe of Trumbull, president and principal of Stratford-based ServiceMaster of Greater Bridgeport, who said a pre-emptive approach “can make ahuge difference when you need help during and following an emergency.”
His presentation was part of a series of 10 workshops at the Emergency Operations Center (581 North Washington Ave.) arranged by the Greater Bridgeport Regional Business Council.
Other speakers were Scott Appleby, Bridgeport’s director of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, and Joe Laveneziana, director of safety and security at St.Vincent's Medical Center.
Plouffe’s message—directed at both business leaders and homeowners—called for a contingency plan a priority for dealing with fires or natural disasters because: “Things will go wrong in life. It’s the one thing we can count on.”
He said running through a rehearsal in anticipation of a forced shutdown is also vital so that all stakeholders are comfortable with their responsibilities when a real crisisdevelops, minimizing downtime and restoring your operation as quickly as possible.
