Currently the operators are faced with a shift in paradigm from operational aspects to security and safety incident response management aspects. All persons in the car park facility, regardless if the person is an employee working in the car park or a customer, must be protected from injury and damage. All possible perils must be avoided or mitigated. A secure and standardized methodology, tailored for the organization, must be implemented to ensure communication, guarantee command, response and recovery.
Incident Reaction Management (IRM) is a vehicle to successfully de-escalate critical situations in a carpark but it is not a new methodology in carpark management. However, the focus is shifting so let us have a closer view on the subject.
Generally, the IRM model can be described with the help of three severity levels and the respective impacts to the operation.
1 EXCEPTIONS
- Minor impact to the operation
- Typical everyday exception handling in car park operations (entry-, exit columns, Pay on Foot devices, elevators)
- De-escalation following a defined workflow
- Generally handled via communication between the patron and the operation staff located in a control room
2 EVENTS
- Major level of impact to the carpark operation
- Focus is on informing and protecting the patrons from possible perils with the help of public announcement
- Including general announcements, spot announcements (preconfigured, selectable text files or interactive ad hoc announcements)
- Audio Monitoring
3 EMERGENCY
- Immediate de-escalation actions
- Communication must follow a strict workflow pattern, human lives and assets are in danger (Operator Responsibility)
- Communication between the patrons, emergency organizations and the operators is crucial
- All activities in the workflow must be documented
How can Commend help to expand the Carpark Operators business?
With the Total Operational Security Solution for parking, customers can protect their investments and expand the communication solution, tailored according to their business requirements. Commend can help to make your carpark ready for the next level.
The typical IRM process chain for carpark management operation in a carpark facility
To ensure a safe process chain in the de-escalation procedure, the following five steps have been successfully introduced. The Total Operation Security Solution of Commend, the so-called information backbone, can efficiently support the carpark operator in this critical task. The concept applies to the three IRM severity levels described above.
- Incident Reaction Management
-
Alarm
SOMETHING´S WRONGAlarms can be triggered via various hot spots by voice communication, such as help points, emergency columns or intercom communication on entry/ exit parking columns, Pay on Foot devices or in elevators. The integration of third-party products via interfaces avoids standalone island solutions and efficient communication -
Verification
WHAT´S UP?The operation staff in the control room can easily verify the alarm and avoid actions triggered by false alarms. This helps to reduce cost and increase efficiency. The timespan for verification of an alarm and the decision that an alarm is hot, is very short and crucial in a process. In the worst-case scenario lives can be threatened, persons may lose their lives. -
Réponse
DETECT – INFORM – ASSIST!
La personne affectée doit être informée ou avertie, les organisations d'urgence peuvent être impliquées et doivent être informées de manière efficace, le flux de travail interne est exécuté de manière efficace et professionnelle. Les barrières d'entrée/sortie doivent être ouvertes ou fermées, en fonction de l'alarme, les ascenseurs doivent être garés en position d'urgence, les portes doivent être déverrouillées, les panneaux d'avertissement doivent être activés.
-
Deescalation
DO – ACT QUICKLY PROFESSIONAL AND EFFICIENTIn case emergency organizations are involved they start their onsite activities well-orchestrated, communication between all participating parties must be efficient and professional. All participants must have a clear picture of the situation. -
Aftercare and Prevention
ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF EXISTING ACTION CONCEPTSLessons learned? How efficient was the concept? To have efficient processes in place, they must be constantly challenged, improved and adapted.
The Commend system can create a seamless log documenting each event. If required, it can also record all calls, including the corresponding video streams. This enables a detailed analysis and an impartial review of the course of events. Based on this information, existing incident response plans can be developed further to include preventive measures for the future.
In the event of a worst-case scenario where people are injured, the official investigators will verify if everything humanly possible has been done to avert danger and to minimise damage. With the Commend solution, operators can document that they have taken the correct measures and that an adequate risk management is in place.
