The test of any leader is demonstrated in how effectively he or she navigates crises. A good example of ineffective crises management was seen with Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy.
Successful navigation of crises is directly related to contingency planning. So what is contingency planning? I took the liberty to research this issue and here is what I found:
Contingency planning
Preparing contingency plans in advance, as part of a crisis management plan, is the first step to ensuring an organization is appropriately prepared for a crisis. Crisis management teams can rehearse a crisis plan by developing a simulated scenario to use as a drill.
The first hours after a crisis breaks are the most crucial, so working with speed and efficiency is important, and the plan should indicate how quickly each function should be performed. The contingency plan should contain information and guidance that will help decision makers to consider not only the short-term consequences, but the long-term effects of every decision.
Ok, now that we have a common basis of understating of crisis management and how effective crisis management is tied to contingency planning, we can now look at the Hamden’s snow situation more objectively.
As I sit here writing this piece, I have had to undergo a power outage, historic snow fall and unplowed streets for three days and counting. Now with the rain, I can look forward to flooding. I know I am not alone. People are angry and bewildered by the lack of preparation by this administration.
Meanwhile, Mayor Jackson is scrambling around to find plows, pay loaders and crews to what his administration has said was “unexpected” despite the dire warnings and forecast. Roadways are still congested and hazardous. All medical emergencies can be considered life threatening, since it is a hope and a prayer that someone will get there in time. Meanwhile, folks are running low on food and fuel and things will quickly turn from bad to worse.
Here is my point. There hasn’t been any effective contingency planning on the part of this administration. From our own financial crisis to the mismanagement of this emergency crisis, leadership has been non-existent. Mr. Jackson appears to be reacting rather than planning. Remember in November, or soon ye shall forget.
Ron Gambardella
Chairman of the Hamden Republican Party
This is not the first time the mayor and his gang has put Hamden residents at risk, they do it every time it snows or when Hamden is hit by high winds. I make that statement not based on hearsay, I made that statement because I monitor the town of Hamden’s radio transmissions as many other radio hobbyist do. One only has to hear these radio transmissions for a short time to understand there is no workable emergency management plan regarding weather events. What one hears is confusion caused by politicos, which leads to frustration by town employees. Hamden residents should not get upset with town employees. They just follow the instruction of their department heads who get their instructions from the mayor and his staff.
It's always been make it out of the subdivision and onto a road with a center line and it's like night and day. They probably put 100% of their effort towards the main roads and zero at the side roads and let them get totally buried while they made pass after pass on the 80 miles of main roads and zero passes on the other 160 miles of roads. 240 miles of roads and 15 trucks is 16 miles of road per truck. 60 employee's so they have the man power to keep them on the road 24 hours a day as long as they can see something, can't plow in whiteout conditions, but did they get to any of the side roads at least once before it got real bad ?