The Building Owners and Managers Association of San Francisco (BOMA SF) is committed to providing its members – who represent about 68 million square feet of commercial space in about 260 downtown buildings – with educational programs that deliver relevant and engaging content. The organization invited Gainesville, VA-based Attainium Corp. to present its shelter-in-place Disaster Experience™.
“We brought Attainium in two years ago to present the Disaster Experience,” said Victoria Brubaker, BOMA SF Member Services Director. “It was an excellent program, so we decided to bring them back to do the shelter-in-place program, which is something we’ve been working on with local emergency services. No matter what happens in the world, this is an area in which our members always need a refresher. We now do an emergency preparedness program of some type every year.
“Attainium’s program, because of its interactive format and the emphasis on teamwork, is much more realistic than just sitting and listening,” Brubaker said. “You’re forced to be active; you can’t be passive. People were engaged throughout the program, and one property manager told me afterward that it was ‘absolutely fabulous.’”
“I really liked the interactive nature of the training and the fact that you were able to get the perspective of other participants,” said Sheri Pearl, director of real property operations for the State Bar of California. “The process was very interesting and 3.5 hours went very quickly.
“One of the most important things I took from the session was that you need to have a policy about what you are going to do and who is going to do what,” Pearl said. “The other was the fact that you have to do a practice exercise to make sure everything works as planned and that significant elements will be in place when you need them.”
“Another good aspect of Attainium’s program is that it was easy to get sponsorships,” Brubaker said, “which helped make the program a financial success. Even though we had to move the venue on 24-hour notice, we still had 115 people who attended. It was a terrific program.”
“The Disaster Experience shelter-in-place session is designed to put participants in the throes of a real-life disaster situation, as it unfolds,” said Bob Mellinger, Attainium president and CEO. “Teams of participants are tasked with making the critical decisions they might have to make in a shelter-in-place situation - and also dealing with the consequences of those decisions! It’s an eye-opening experience.”
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