Preparing for the Worst: Are You Ready?

Organizations need to be fully prepared and repeatedly test and update their emergency response plans (ERPs) to ensure they are not in a position where they must either hit the panic or snooze button, a leading expert advises.

Speaking during the 2026 Air Charter Safety Foundation Safety Summit in Daytona Beach, Florida, on “Two Buttons to Never Hit: Panic or Snooze,” Gina Shealy, emergency operations manager at Fireside Partners, provided guidance and lessons learned on ERPs.

Fireside specializes in helping companies manage through emergencies, such as an aircraft accident, and Shealy noted that when she first meets people, often it is “not the best day.”

This underscores the importance of preparation for that day: it never happens until it does.

“Where are you?” she asked. “Are you at the very beginning, where you’ve got no or a limited ERP? Are you a one-person show where you’ve got 12 hats, and somebody gives you one more, and how are you possibly going to get everything done that has to be done in a day? Or are you at that next level? You have got a decent ERP…but you’re still not there. You don’t have processes nailed down, or you may not have the best tools.”

Or, Shealy continued, “You’ve got all that leadership investment. You’ve got robust teams. It doesn’t just cover aircraft emergencies. It may cover employee fatalities on the job, severe weather, or other events.”

Hanging Out on the Jetway

She relayed her own experience working with a major airline where she had signed off on an ERP.  “Unfortunately, one day we had a severe event, and I remember realizing at one point I’m actually running towards the event.” Meanwhile, leadership was “hanging out on the jetway,” or people were nowhere to be found.

“Those are the people who are on this checklist somewhere that are supposed to make things happen. That’s a reality,” she said. “I never wanted to be in that situation again, so I made sure that I was going to not just know my role, but I was going to know my leadership’s role, and I was going to know the other person’s role because you never know when it may be you having to take on any of these responsibilities.”

The airline underwent a major integration with another airline. Emails flew around with what was believed clear direction. But, in reality, that direction was not so clear. “Everybody had their own agenda as to whatever topic it was. It was only centered on what they thought was [the direction], and then I would realize that means completely different things to each person.”

Everybody thought they were going the same way, but none were. “So that hit home.”

The first phase of ERPs, creating one, can be daunting because the person may have no idea where to start. Or, in the early stages, the company may just have a framework for an ERP.

 “You ever go back and look at that last revision date and cringe? [Or is] your ERP on a wish list, or is it in a constant state of, ‘We’re going to get there one day when I have time.’ Is there ever enough time?” she asked.

The ERP must be prioritized, Shealy stressed, warning against excuses. People may be invested and knowledgeable, but focused on other projects. “Make sure that you’re not being your own obstacle by constantly putting up those excuses and blockers.”

To start with, she advised figuring out where an organization wants to be and deconstructing how to get there. “Go back and learn past events and what went wrong.”

She cautioned against getting into “analysis paralysis” and reminded attendees that they will not know everything. “Engage the right people. Do not forget to actually listen. I know you know a lot of things, but you don’t know all the things,” she said, then quoted a passage from the book Predictable Surprises that an organization’s knowledge never equals the sum of its members’ knowledge.

“You are one person,” she said, urging attendees to optimize institutional knowledge both within the company and with stakeholders and/or vendors working with the company.

Shealy also noted that when new people walk through the door of a company, they bring a wealth of knowledge and experience from other locations. But that knowledge frequently gets dismissed because the newcomers don’t have experience with the company. “Also, don’t let the title get in the way. Think about taking away a lot of your bias.”

In creating ERPs, make sure the roles and requirements are clear.  While she said it is important to clearly know the roles, Shealy also cautioned: “Don’t gatekeep. Don’t be the only one [with this knowledge].” Instead, share the knowledge and bring other people along so they have confidence in the process. Make it part of the debrief and involve different teams. Whether an event happens at 2 p.m. or 2 a.m., a company should be prepared. “You’ve got to have the right people plugged in. You shouldn’t have a B team.”

She cautioned against falling into a belief that the team is strong and will automatically take care of everyone. “Is that real? Absolutely not.”

And then, a company may have money for the ERP, and it looks good on paper. But is it real? she asked. “How many times have you actually sat down with all of your checklists and timed how long does it take to do each one of these items? Is that even feasible?”

If the checklist is timed, then she suggested multiplying the time by four, “because there’s always going to be distractions.”

Another caution: don’t give the “most important people” the most responsibility. “It needs to be the opposite.” High-level decision makers don’t need to be the ones who should notify security to lock the doors or cancel appointments. “For this size, less is more.”

When some parts of an ERP may require substantial investment, she advised starting with small changes that are within the budget and also partnering with insurance companies that may have funds for drills or tabletop exercises.

“Lead by listening. How long does it take for you to hear about issues, typically?” If it takes a while, then executives must reevaluate their communications. And, they must understand that just because they know something, it may not be intuitive for others. “You do an insane disservice when you are not helping, not sharing those lessons learned.”

This communication must foster responses and enable others to share, so that warning signs surface rather than being covered up or hidden.

Dangerous Phase

She called the most dangerous phase the one in which a company believes it has checked all the boxes in the ERP. “You got your panic zone, your learning zone, and your comfort zone. But, this is the most dangerous one because you think you know everything,” Shealy said. “Don’t just check the box. Don’t just say we’ve got this.”

The organization may have the programs and people signed up for training to learn a new online tool. “Then you find out during the response, they don’t know their login; they haven’t touched it since that first one. So, what do they do? They just revert back to the old ways,” Shealy said, adding that this invites chaos.

She questioned how often the plan is reviewed and updated; Shealy shared that she has had to break news to a person on an outdated emergency contact list, only to learn that person was an ex. “I’ve heard ‘good!’” she warned. “It’s very jarring.”

Shealy also warned against the belief that the plan doesn’t change, noting that companies diversify and expand to different locations. “Does that change your plan at all?” she asked. “Do not engage autopilot. Be mindful.”

Remaining proactive versus reactive is critical, she said. “Are you paying attention to the industry trends?” she asked. “Are you investing in that future? Are you just waiting for something to happen?”

Shealy advises clients who have developed ERPs to take real-world events and pretend it was their organization. “Where would we have been at this time of day? Were we all offsite? Were half of us on vacation? Have you designed that to be a failure? Have you even thought about alternatives?”

What happens if the one or two people bearing the most responsibility leave the company or are inaccessible? Are there backups? “This is where you need to start doing as many tabletops as possible,” Shealy said. “You’re creating that trust that you know what you’re doing and your other people know, and they know and feel confident about it.”

The ultimate goal, she said, is “you want to be confident but never complacent.” This takes consistent drills, training, and balance of duties, with an eye and plan for changes that may be ahead.