On Wednesday, October 17, pandemic influenza hit the Grand Ballroom of the Cafritz Center at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Although it was only an exercise, the participants, who represented more than 70 nonprofits in the greater Washington region, stood up and took notice.

Keynote speaker Secretary Tommy G. Thompson, independent chairman of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, was adamant in his remarks:

“It’s not if it’s going to happen, but when it’s going to happen. A pandemic flu is a reality,” he warned. Secretary Thompson also noted the seriousness of the threat and the importance for the nonprofit sector to prepare. “I’ve been hoping for this [training] for a long time... If it’s not the bird flu, the preparation you are doing will help you prepare for another potential disaster.”

The pandemic exercise was orchestrated to test the Continuity of Operations (COOP) plans the nonprofits had developed, in conjunction with 50 Deloitte volunteers, as part of their participation in last June’s IMPACT Day (Deloitte’s community service day), and as part of the $250,000 Problem-Solver Fund commitment Deloitte announced to address the lack of readiness in the nation’s capital. This two-year financial commitment, combined with the know-how and volunteer hours donated by more than 65 Deloitte personnel, has already resulted in a more coordinated nonprofit community and a more prepared region.

To execute the event, the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions and Deloitte’s Community Involvement Council teamed to share their talents and professionalism with the community. The exercise was cohosted by The Nonprofit Roundtable, the American Red Cross and the Center for Disability and Special Needs Preparedness.

Addressing a Crisis
The simulated disaster exercise was kicked off by Deloitte’s Greater Washington Area Managing Partner Gary H. Tabach, who said, “Today, we are keeping the promise we made in June to raise the level of preparedness in the nonprofit community – to ensure that the most critical sectors of our society are prepared in times of disaster.”

Community leaders in attendance were presented with a progression of scenarios, beginning with the discovery of a pandemic flu outbreak in South America with anticipated movement into the United States. The nonprofits collaborated with one another to play out their response to such a crisis. Kathy Whelpley of the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region, noted that her organization had made some improvements since IMPACT Day but that there were still some major gaps to address:

“I’ve been surprised today that so many types of services are needed,” she said. “There are bigger issues here than mass shelter and food.”

Prior to Deloitte's launching its collaborative project with The Nonprofit Roundtable, a 150-member organization, no pandemic response plan existed for nonprofits, even though they provide essential services and immediate relief to disaster victims (food, clothing, shelter and other basic necessities). Deloitte decided to initiate and develop a regional Strategic Plan for Emergency Preparedness that would address the needs for the Greater Washington area’s nonprofit sector.

For the pandemic flu training, 15 trained Deloitte volunteers and facilitators talked the nonprofit leaders through a series of steps, each presenting a worsening threat and greater community impact. Complementing the volunteers’ know-how, a “who’s who” of emergency preparedness experts, such as Chris Geldart, director, Office of National Capital Region Coordination, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, served as panelists to help the participants navigate the exercise.

Planning Makes a Difference
Kati Miller-Hamilton of Lutheran Social Services fully understood the purpose of the exercise:

“It’s been helpful coming at the emergency response from a different angle, to take a look at our systems,” she explained. “Taking time to work through … and share facilities and additional concerns with other organizations” was extremely helpful, she added.

“It’s given me a day to stop and focus on this need again,” said Thia Hamilton, executive director of Women Empowered Against Violence (WEAVE), who also participated in the event. “We need a rapid response with a back-up plan and cross-training where everyone knows what is needed.”

The Deloitte U.S. Firms are planning additional events to further develop and implement a regional Strategic Plan for Emergency Preparedness, to assist nonprofits in assessing gaps in their COOP and to help them build stronger relationships with their peers. The possibility of replicating this Problem-Solver Fund project in communities across the country raises the excitement level for similar events in the future.

Related Content:
Newsletter: The Center Connection
Innovation: Center for Health Solutions
Overview: Pandemic Preparedness