Emergency Response & Family Assistance - SM4 Safety Articles & Resources

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Plane crash scene with police line do not cross tape in foreground

Fatal Accidents and Personal Effects: Why Expert Handling Is Essential

The devastating consequences of fatal aviation accidents cannot be overstated. An organization relies on its Emergency Response Plan (ERP) to navigate such a tragedy.

Posted on April 3, 2024
Female leading interview with journalists outside.

Aviation Emergency Response and the Media

With recent advancements in technology, the media has become more accessible to everyone, and social media platforms have greatly increased the speed with which information can be shared. As a communication method, the media can be an excellent tool to reach a large audience in a timely manner. However, this ease of access and the nature of modern techniques to drive viewership leads to important considerations in emergency situations.

Posted on December 7, 2023
Building Organizational Culture blocks stacked

Aviation Emergency Response Training Explained

Emergency Response Plans (ERPs), however, are much more infrequently used in most organizations. When an abnormal situation disrupts your operation, is your team versed in their roles? Are they prepared to handle the emergency? Do they know what their responsibilities are?

Posted on September 5, 2023
Female manager leading a business lecture.

Emergency Response as Applied Leadership

The task of responding to an emergency is a daunting one. The organization has already experienced harm or a severe threat to its personnel, equipment and reputation because of the emergency, and a poorly run response can bring further damage to one or all those areas. Confronted with this pressure, the sense of urgency inherent with emergencies and an onslaught of new and rapidly changing information, nerves tend to run high, and acuity drops significantly.

Posted on June 6, 2023
Close-up of hand using writing pen.

SMS and ERP: Moving Toward Full Integration

Regulatory approaches to aviation safety are after-the-fact reactions to major incidents and accidents or historical data studies. Where working safety professionals value proactivity and prevention, governmental agencies often take an…

Posted on January 31, 2023
Air rescue service team running to the helicopter on the heliport

To Declare or Not To Declare

Due to a greater prevalence of “critical events” compared to higher-status “emergency response plan-activating events,” we propose that critical events pose a powerful opportunity for practicing and refining emergency response procedures. We also feel organizations should “over-respond” to critical events out of an abundance of caution.

Posted on October 4, 2022
Front view of business jet on runway

Developing Escalation Thresholds for Emergencies

Your view on what constitutes an emergency is significantly shaped by your education, training, life and career experience and by the scope of your responsibilities and job functions.

Posted on May 2, 2022
emergancy response

High-Consequence Decision-Making: The Data is Telling an Important Story

As an industry, we are very good at examining aviation accidents after they result in injury or tragedy. Regrettably, we fail to take advantage of the proactive learning opportunities—those found…

Posted on September 8, 2021
Dozens of masked travelers walking

Aviation Travel Risk Management

Recent high-profile events have raised a lot of questions regarding travel safety. The downing of Ukrainian International Airlines Flight PS752 and the outbreak of the novel coronavirus have raised concerns for those who travel and operate in those regions. In today’s volatile environment, an integrated travel risk management solution is both a business imperative and a best practice.

Posted on February 3, 2020