Faculty & Research
Cornell Publishes Emergency Preparedness Tool For Hoteliers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Joe Strodel, Jr., 607-255-4646, js343@cornell.edu
ITHACA, NY, September 24, 2004 -- A new management tool created by The Center for Hospitality Research at Cornell provides hospitality executives and managers a roadmap to prepare for the loss of electrical power in an emergency or natural disaster.
Robert Kwortnik, assistant professor at the Cornell Hotel School, developed the tool from his research on the experience of hoteliers during the blackout that struck the northeastern U.S. in August 2003. "The lesson of recent natural and manmade disasters is that almost any hotel needs to plan for the reality that it will have to operate without its utilities, including electricity and running water," Kwortnik said. "While it may not be possible to prevent power from failing, a hotel operator can mitigate the effects of the loss of power and other utilities by planning ahead."
Kwortnik encourages hotel operators to focus their efforts on these areas:
- Emergency planning and management,
- Facilities and process management,
- People management, and
- Customer management.
A key feature of the tool is an emergency preparedness checklist that includes these elements: performing crisis simulations and planning appropriate responses; knowing where your hotel is vulnerable if power goes down; and knowing which systems are on emergency or standby power and which are not.
Other key management tools included in the check list include:
- Keeping a known location of the tools needed to ensure the functionality of manual facilities and processes,
- Empowering employees to solve problems and make decisions during times of crisis,
- Locating and marking phone lines that are not susceptible to the loss of electrical power, and
- Rewarding professionalism and "service above self".
The tool is available free of charge from the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research via the CHR website. To access the tool, please click on: http://www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/research/chr/pubs/tools/.
About the Center for Hospitality Research
A unit of the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, The Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) sponsors research designed to improve practices in the hospitality industry. Under the lead of the Center's 40 corporate affiliates, experienced scholars work closely with business executives to discover new insights into strategic, managerial and operating practices. The Center also publishes the award-winning hospitality journal, the Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly. To learn more about CHR and its projects, visit http://www.thecenterforhospitalityresearch.org/.
CHR Partners and sponsors: AIG Global Real Estate Investment Corp., Cendant Corporation, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, HVS International, JohnsonDiversey, Inc., Kohinoor Group, Marsh's Hospitality Practice, Nestlé, Smith Travel Research, Southern Wine and Spirits of America, Inc., Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, and Thayer Group of Companies.
CHR friends: ARAMARK • DK Shifflet & Associates • ehotelier.com • Gerencia de Hoteles & Restaurantes • Global Hospitality Resources • Hospitality World • hospitalitynet.org • Hotel Asia Pacific • Hotel China • Hospitality Initiatives India • Hotel Interactive • Hotel Resource • International CHRIE • International Hotel and Restaurant Association • KPMG Japan/Global Management Directions • Lodging Hospitality • Lodging Magazine • Mobile MoneySaver • National Hotel Executive Magazine • PKF Hospitality Research • Resort+Recreation • The Resort Trades • RestaurantEdge.com • Shibata Publishing Co. • The Lodging Conference • TravelCLICK • UniFocus • WageWatch • Inc. • WiredHotelier.com