In my resort, Disney’s Pop Century, we have in place many of the precautions detailed in “The Storms of Summer.” As I asked around at work, one main quote was always repeated, Safe-D begins with me. The safety of the guest and the employees are of first and foremost importance. There is a plan in place to have employees stay on property as an impending weather, or other, emergency becomes a reality. By planning to maintain at least a minimal staff, our resort is making sure that the guests are serviced as best as possible. This plan includes all roles of guest services. From front desk, to housekeeping, to food services, to property maintenance there is a plan in place to maintain safety and guest customer service.
As I have only been in my resort a few weeks, my training has mainly included normal customer service duties. I have had some brief discussion about emergency situations (power failure, computer interruptions, etc.), but not much in the way of natural emergencies. While I have learned some of the protocols to deal with man-made protocols, my training for weather or other natural disasters has still to be started. I was asked to apply for the “hurricane ride-out” team on the hub. This team is put in place when there are any serious natural disasters. We are asked in to come to work, even if we are not scheduled. During emergency situations, Disney needs as many castmembers as possible. This ensures that there is enough staff to help deal with the worried, anxious, and angry guests. My role is front desk, so on this “hurricane ride-out” team I am on the front line. I will be there to assist the long line of guest’s questions and requests during emergency situations. Whilst talking to past castmembers who have worked through hurricanes in the past, it was emotionally draining but SO worth it. Being able to assist your guest and ensure that they are safe and calm is such a rewarding feeling. In past storms, Disney has provided rooms to castmembers who have signed up for the “hurricane ride-out” team to make sure that everyone is well rested and is able to assists their guests to their best ability. Unfortunately, because of bad storms the resort sells out of rooms sometimes. When the resort does not have any rooms to spare, Disney has provided air mattresses for the castmembers to utilize, as well as water and food.
I enjoyed reading the article, “The Storms of Summer,” and was particularly impressed with the “five-phase approach to hurricane preparedness.” The systematic nature of how the actions of management and staff changes as the emergency causes the management to move from one phase to another was very enlightening. These five phases were designed to minimize panic and any adverse effect on the experience of the guests, but still focused on the safety of the staff and guests at every step. By moving from phase 5 to 4, the management moved away from preparing and into acting. Action plans were reviewed and shut-down criteria was set. From phase 4 to 3, actions were taken (clean up, tie down, emergency supplies delivered, etc.) as the properties began to put the plans into action. From phase 3 to 2 and then to 1, the guest and employee areas were closed and guests were confined to their rooms and all “ride-out crews” were moved to shelters for safety. As someone who has lived through Hurricane Sandy in the Northeast in October 2012, I can appreciate the organization and safety-consciousness of the five-phase.
