An HSNW conversation with Harold Wolpert, CEO of Avalias

blunt — or even nullify altogether — the effectiveness of the most vigorous and well resourced response.

Accordingly, a critical aspect of a program facilitated by Avalias is the interactivity of one or more commanders responsibilities in an emergency, as built into the Avalanche Command & Control edition. The organization that will get the most from the Avalias model of disaster preparedness is the one that asks itself some searching questions beforehand, the better to custom-craft its defense against the perceived threat or threats. Among these questions:

  • When disaster strikes, who are our commanders? What are their skill sets?
  • What preparations must take place to ensure unbroken communication among the chain of command in an emergency situation?
  • What are the processes they will have to engage, beyond business as usual, to be able to do their assigned tasks in an emergency?
  • What are the conversations they have to have in advance, among themselves and with their counterparts in dealing with the multiple agencies in the disaster equation?
  • What are the instructions that our commanders will have to give?
  • Have they for example first hand practiced their role in the scenario of having to evacuate multiple organizational locations simultaneously
  • What about a data center scenario?
  • Or the loss of other key personnel scenario
  • In drastically altered circumstances, can they be sure of taking the right decisions, at the appropriate time, in the best sequence?
  • How will they know that they’re talking to the right people, following the correct procedure, making the most effective use of the technology at their disposal?

“All this self-examination is meant to disclose what needs to be done to establish and maintain human communication in the disaster situation,” said Wolpert. “We’re not talking about the technology here, it’s about how effective the people will be in handling the details of their responsibilities.”

Avalias technology is itself the result of an extensive R&D process which, has enabled them to provide customers with a toolset that enables an organization to create for themselves the most accurate possible simulation of a real-life calamity.

“Our technology is taken for granted,” Wolpert said. “That’s because it can be.”

Indeed, large claims are made for the company’s technology. Users of its Avalanche ST software are told they may expect to be able to:

  • Run multi-user and multi-agency scenarios
  • Design and build their own scenarios
  • Frequently test and exercise mission-critical emergency processes
  • Track all participant behaviors and actions in detail
  • Undertake skills/capability assessment, debriefing, and reporting
  • Keep tab