November Chapter Meeting: Mastering Emergency Chess

Mastering Emergency Chess: Survival Smarts for the “When” not “If”

Speaker: Mike Grajeda

Michael Grajeda is the Director of Health and Safety at Southview Design in St. Paul Minnesota. Southview Design is a landscape, construction and snow removal company that employes approximately 250 workers each year and concentrates most of their work in and around the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Michael spent over 10 years in Southeast Texas working as a volunteer, paid per call and full-time firefighter. Michael worked as a Firefighter, Lieutenant, Paramedic and Department Safety Officer. Michael still maintains his National Registry of Emergency Medical Technician Paramedic certification. Michael decided to change careers in 2012 and started working full time as a safety professional in safety education, pipeline, heavy industrial, power plant, food manufacturing and other oil and gas projects. Michael holds an associate’s degree in occupational safety and health from Columbia Southern University.

After attending this event, attendees will be able to see that the threats faced many years ago are not the same type of threats today. From civil unrest due to political and social instability, global outbreaks of disease and cyber threats, the tried and true emergency response plan that was useful several years ago needs to be updated. The way workers work also will be addressed in the presentation taking into account that there are workers who may work from home or are hybrid in the office. The presentation will also focus on how to conduct effective emergency drills partnering with law enforcement and emergency services to give these outside agencies a more understanding of their facilities. The audience will then learn the PACE system of emergency management and how to teach their workers a multilayered approach to emergency incident management that will increase their odds of survival.