Executive Housekeeping Today - June 2008 - (Page 9)

The evening of March 14, 2008, was panning out to be an eventful night for Kimberly Murdock and her staff at the Omni Hotel in downtown Atlanta. Due to the Southeastern Conference basketball tournament being played at the nearby Georgia Dome, and the Hinman Dental Conference taking place at the Georgia World Congress Center, the four-diamond hotel was at full capacity, meaning all of their 1070 guest rooms were occupied. Then disaster struck. Shortly after 9:00 p.m., tornado watches began to appear in the area, followed by storm warnings that alerted the staff of a potential tornado threat. As the watches turned to warnings, and warnings into sightings, the Omni Hotel began to brace for the worst. Murdock, who is the Omni Hotel’s marketing manager, explains that in the weeks prior to the tornado, there were two separate meetings which reviewed the hotel’s emergency response preparation: “One to review the emergency response plan with managers from each department, and another meeting and walkthrough days before the storm with the executive committee to review exit safety standards.” When the storm finally did hit, moving from behind the Georgia Dome and in between the Omni Hotel’s two towers, the team’s emergency response training became a reality. According to Murdock, “designated associates are trained to immediately report to a specified command center to assess the situation and react appropriately when an alarm sounds. In the case of the tornado, our associates were directed to physically and verbally guide guests to the safest part of the building—the exhibit hall, which is located beneath ground level.” t Planning for Disaster by Michael Wise As the destruction came to a conclusion, it became clear that the tornado had severely ravaged the downtown area, damaging the Georgia Dome, The scene in front of the Omni Hotel and the CNN Building, CNN Center on the evening of the storm. both the Omni and Westin hotels, as well as several response plan is designed to have other buildings in the downtown an arching effect over all natural area. In total, the storm left two disasters. “A general emergency response people dead and cost the city close plan helps our associates prepare to $150 million in damages. But as onlookers stared bleakly for any type of emergency—whethat the wide path of destruction er it be a fire, tornado, or simply, crafted by the tornado, the Omni a power failure. The response staff went to work, surveying the plan does not cater to a specific situation, but more importantly, damage and relocating guests. “We gave guests the option to it reviews all of the components be relocated, which the majority necessary to keep our guests and of them did,” explains Murdock, associates safe in a variety of situ“or we gave them the option to ations,” explains Murdock. While popular belief may lead stay after we had been declared many to think that inner cities and structurally sound.” Now after more than two downtown areas are protected from months, the Omni has reached tornadoes, Karen Clark, meteofull restoration. The south tower, rologist for the National Weather which bore the brunt of the torna- service, explains that major cities do’s devastation, was closed for one are in no way immune to a tornamonth in order to replace glass and do’s destruction. Clark explains that while we make repairs to roughly 170 rooms may not hear about tornadoes damaged by the storm. “Our biggest obstacle by far was striking bustling downtown areas waiting for supplies. Storm repairs often, “there certainly isn’t anycan only move as fast as the avail- thing that prevents them.” Clark ability of the materials,” explains also adds that “avoiding a tornado is more luck than anything else.” Murdock. Sandra Ryder, Area Director of In the aftermath of the storm, guests gave positive feedback and Public Relations for the Ritz-Carlwere extremely impressed at how ton hotel in downtown Atlanta, quickly the hotel was able to reach agrees with Clark’s explanation out. “Obviously we were more than wholeheartedly. The Ritz, which is happy to relocate guests, but if located less than one mile from the they wanted to stay at the Omni, Omni, received only minor damwe did everything in our power to ages. “We had only one cracked make their stay as comfortable as window and one broken window; we just weren’t affected. Tornadoes possible,” says Murdock. Guests have the Omni Hotel and are very funny things.” a solid emergency response plan to thank for both their safety and Michael Wise is the editorial assistant comfort during the ordeal. Mur- intern for Executive Housekeeping dock explains that their emergency Today. He may be reached at mwise@ W ieha.org. June 2008/Executive Housekeeping Today 9

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Executive Housekeeping Today - June 2008

Executive Housekeeping Today - June 2008 Contents Executive Corner The Fundamentals of Safety Man vs. Machine: Equipment Safety in Professional Cleaning Operations Frugal Housekeeper Planning for Disaster Eliminating Bed Bugs 2008 Candidate Information Executive Profile IHW Product Information The Green Scene Spring Board Briefing 2008 Call to Convention 2008 Convention Information USGBC Green Tip Product Highlights New Members Joint IEHA/ISSA Members CEH/REH Members Advertisers' Index Calendar of Events Inside I.E.H.A. What I.E.H.A. Has Done for Me

Executive Housekeeping Today - June 2008

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