Leveraging organizational structure in safety and emergency preparedness programs

George Mason University is exploring a new strategy for preparing academic and administrative units to respond to emergencies through a system of emergency guidance documents and an administrative process that utilizes existing organizational structure to ensure effective implementation of safety programs and execution of emergency response procedures. This scalable program can be applied to organizations of various size and complexity regardless of geographic distribution. The principle advantage of this program is its novel integration into existing organizational structures and the departure from the traditional floor warden program to implement safety programs and coordinate emergency response actions during a crisis. The article focuses on the use of a unique organizational framework to develop a culture of safety and emergency preparedness in a complex multi-function institution. The following article outlines the logic of this program and an analysis of each of its components.