Essention's InfoCentre offers a Web-based workflow management, preventive maintenance and digital archiving solution in conjunctionwith a 24x7 customer service desk, providing a means for tenants,managers, vendors and technicians to easily communicate.

WPS supplies its customers with planning and execution of a detailed five-step crisis program for commercial facilities. Theprogram provides step-by-step instructions and training ranging from adetailed plan for each facility to corporate emergency preparation to adisaster recovery plan.

By combining InfoCentre with WPS' emergency response program,commercial facility and property management professionals can easilyimplement and manage emergency plans and procedures online, while beingable to quickly communicate in case of a disaster. WPS' enhancedemergency and disaster recovery plans can be readily accessible forjoint customers from the primary InfoCentre user interface.

Dean Allen, president and CEO of essention says thenecessity of providing emergency planning and training for all buildingtenants makes essention's InfoCentre and WPS a natural fit.

"With InfoCentre, facility and property managers can digitallyarchive their emergency plans and procedures, along with buildingdrawings that can be particularly useful to emergency personnel," Allensays. "WPS sets the standard for enhanced crisis management and trainingprograms, so a partnership between our two companies makes great sensefor us and our customers. By combining our efforts, essention and WPScan provide the best in online emergency planning and communication."

"It is crucial that tenants know how to react during anemergency," says David Strang, presidentof WPS. "By partnering with essention, we make it easy fortenants to know what to do when a crisis occurs and for management to beable to get their businesses up and running as soon as possiblefollowing an emergency situation"

CarrAmerica, one of the largest owners, managers and developersof office space in the U.S., acknowledged the importance of properplanning following the recent attacks in New York and Virginia.

"On September 11th, InfoCentre helped us successfully evacuatethousands of people from our buildings," says Richard Greninger,managing director, Property Operations, of CarrAmerica, which usesInfoCentre throughout its portfolio. "And afterwards, InfoCentre provedinvaluable in communicating with our tenants about what was happeningwithin the buildings and how daily operations and security were beinghandled."

Now, more than ever before, companies are working to ensure thatthey are prepared for a crisis situation. Phase Management Inc., afull-service management company that plans operational strategies andoffers implementation assistance for a number of office buildings in thePacific Northwest area, is currently deploying essention's InfoCentreWeb-based property/facility management solution in conjunction with WPS'enhanced emergency program.

"The unfortunate events we have recently witnessed at the WorldTrade Center remind all of us of the importance of disasterpreparedness," says Elizabeth Gessel, president of Phase Management Inc."In the event of a crisis situation, we hope our conscious effort toeducate and remind our tenants of the proper procedures will not onlyhelp our tenants handle situations better, but potentially save lives aswell. We felt the best way to accomplish this was to utilize theenhanced communication tools of InfoCentre and the expertise of WPS."

Instant Insights /

Firms Help Industry Plan Emergency Responses

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