The PPBI Best Practices Award
By DEIDRICH E. TOWNE Jr., CBCP
PPBI created an industry award to recognize some of those who in a sports analogy would be “All Stars” or perhaps an MVP. This award is called the “PPBI Best Practices Award.” This article is meant to inform you
about the justification, the mechanics and the process we at PPBI
use in recognizing and awarding this unique perspective of how
we all make a difference.
The first PPBI Best Practices Award was presented in 2002
and that ”Inaugural Award” as we called it was supported by our
friends at Disaster Recovery Journal with enthusiasm. You see,
we as industry have been slow to recognize excellence in how
we do our jobs. To start that process PPBI deeded an award as
follows: “In an effort to … build partnerships and bring all stakeholders together in the planning process, meeting their counterparts in the private and public domains; training together prior
to an event; an award called the PPBI Best Practices Award has
been created. This award may be given to an individual, a corporation, or a public entity, for their exemplary planning, practices,
or response to a critical incident. They must have exhibited the
positive aspects of partnerships that work... .” That is all we ask
for in presenting this award; but now we will share with you who
has been recognized for this award in the past.
That inaugural award was presented in 2002 to Dr. Richard
Klasco for his response in the ER Trauma Unit during the Multiple
Casualty Incident at Columbine High School in Littleton Colo.
In 2005, Brent Woodworth and Dr. Tom Phelan were presented
with the award as stewards for all those responding with the IBM
Worldwide Crisis Response Team to the Southeast Asian Tsunami.
In 2006 at the spring conference PPBI honored Brandon Bond
who was deployed with a Disaster Medical Assistance Team following Hurricane Katrina. At the fall conference Rushdi Ariss
and Ed Gabriel were recognized for the development of Incident
Management procedures used throughout Disney properties. The
latest award in 2009 recognized Brit Weber for his management
of the Michigan State University’s Critical Incident Protocol
Program. For each of these awards we have followed the nomination criteria, recognized each at the DRJ conference venues,
posted pictures, updated the perpetual trophy, and prepared press
briefings and follow up articles in the Disaster Recovery Journal.
At the 2010 Disaster Recovery Journal Spring World, PPBI
presented this award to another worthy candidate, CEO and
president of the Sahana Software Foundation, Mark Prutsalis of
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Under Prutsalis’ leadership, a major collaborative effort was
coordinated by the Sahana Software Foundation in response to
the Haiti Earthquake. These efforts were initiated and a situa-
tion management support portal was activated within 48 hours
of the earthquake. Collaborative functions of the systems being
provided included: organization registry, tracking the location
and operation of all responding relief organizations; translate and
transfer text messages from trapped individuals directly to inter-
national search and rescue teams; provide support to hospitals
and food distribution. All of these efforts have been accomplished
through the aid, development and assistance of multiple collabo-
rators.
