CAST Safety Systems provides a complete program of crisis and consequence management services for the transportation industry, governments and other organizations.
A full range of planning services
CAST's comprehensive plans and procedures can be document-based, fully computerized or any useful combination of the two. For each key player, CAST develops a protocol of detailed duties and responsibilities tailored to the client's unique command and control structures.
A full range of auditing services
CAST's service extends from providing preliminary assessments of documents, policies and procedures, through to conducting exhaustive forensic audits of actual capabilities. Cast's audits are designed not only to strengthen all aspects of safety, security and emergency measures, but also to positively identify all critical areas in need of immediate improvement.
A full range of exercises
CAST designs, manages, monitors and evaluates all types of exercises. These include comprehensive communications, paper, laptop, tabletop and field exercises devised to assess the effectiveness of response. An emergency measures system is a living system, which must achieve growth in order to keep pace with change.
Contingency Planning
The ability to respond to a crisis depends on the crisp implementation of a thorough, detailed contingency plan. All such plans are living documents and must be exercised and monitored on a frequent basis to ensure that they remain functionally current and that all involved personnel are kept prepared to efficiently execute duties and responsibilities within the critical time frame.
CAST prepares contingency plans for all eventualities.
These services include:
- training and development of Critical Incident Stress teams.
- providing a clear, established Incident Command System.
- providing a program of checklists, duties and responsibilities for all HQ and field personnel.
- ensuring that all personnel are trained to immediately undertake their roles in an unexpected crisis.
- providing training in media liaison.
- developing exercises that ensure readiness.
Lack of such thoroughly and expertly conceived and exercised plans not only renders an organization vulnerable to unforeseen or chance calamity, it also leaves the organization inadequately prepared for statistically predictable events, however infrequent.
Recovery Planning
Not only is an organization's readiness severely stressed when it is forced to manage the consequences of a crisis, the ongoing survival of the organization is immediately threatened by every unforeseen and newly-exposed shortcoming in its plan. Organizations must aim for seamless continuity of business operations in order to remain healthy. Business recovery plans and procedures, which have been effectively devised and executed, promptly restore business normalcy in the aftermath of a crisis.
CAST will assist in the preparation of recovery plans which include:
- family assistance plans
- call / inquiry centre operations
- claims procedures
- recovery action plans
Risk Assessments
A crucial key to successful crisis management is CAST's ability to ensure that an organization is armed with a plan containing all necessary steps to reduce or eliminate the impact of a natural or man-made crisis before such an incident occurs.
CAST conducts risk assessments and operational needs assessments and training in order to:
- determine where risks cross paths with vulnerabilities.
- determine the threat of crises and ways to reduce their impacts.
- determine communication / operation centre needs.
- identify strengths and weaknesses of an organization's existing plan.
- guide an organization through the risk management process