Ten Long Term Lessons from Strong Angel 3

Here it is - ten long-term lessons learned during one of the most memorable experiences of my professional career. Strong Angel 3 is the second demonstration for us, but the first participating onsite.

1. Lead by example. As stated by the high ranking official from the Afghanistan government participating in the exercise, moral leadership is irreplaceable. Dr. Eric Rasmussen, with his amazing human qualities, accomplishments and real world experience in disasters worldwide was our leader this past week. He has earned the utmost admiration and respect not only from all the participants but from many people around the globe.
   
2. Listen to those who know. Once the Incident Command Post was established, Carla Boyce, (Information and Plans Chief at Florida Dept of Emergency Management), acted as Deputy Incident Commander and conducted daily operations and briefings. Carla received an outstanding ovation from the executive committee and all the participants for her accomplishments in this role at SA3. Her domain expertise was indispensable toward getting the job done and her requirements were translated into deliverables. In summary, subject-matter expertise continues to drive requirements.
   
3. Collaborate. The challenge of quickly assembling useful artifacts (otherwise known as STWs) to support any operation can only be accomplished by working together with others who complement one’s knowledge. Collaboration between teams who usually compete fiercely in the marketplace produced amazing results in very short timeframes.
   
4. Stop, Drop and Roll. We were guests to San Diego’s Fire Rescue Department, yet none of us seemed to remember that simple lesson we learned from fire fighters as children. Instinctively, everyone turned on their computer immediately and acted as we usually do under normal situations. Disasters are anything but normal and we quickly learned that it would take some time and plenty of effort from the communications experts to restore connectivity. We all had to stop (trying to connect to the internet), drop (our laptops) and roll out of our designated areas until communications were restored. This forced us to spend time discussing concepts that were later put to good use.
   
5. Leave something behind. Dr. Eric reiterated this to all at the daily briefings – “leave something behind” for the San Diego Fire Dept. This surely applies to everyday life and many circumstances.
   
6. Debrief, debrief, debrief. A cardinal rule for field teams during disasters, this means, let your superior know what you’ve done, call home to let others know you’re OK and in general, share what you’ve learned with others.
   
7. Think outside the box. Some boxes include our profession, our country, our language and our beliefs. Much was discussed about how our behavior can have a negative effect on populations we are trying to help. Much effort is required in order to understand the true needs of others.
   
8. Value and maintain relationships. The SA community has created significant bonds between many of its participants. I was very fortunate to spend some time with my friends Sanjana and Rob, to get reacquainted with many others with whom we’ve worked with and develop new ones - very rewarding.
   
9. Get involved. Many of the participants are amazing people who continue to actively engage in activities that make a difference in other people’s lives, in addition to their daily professional and personal responsibilities. Much to learn from many of the folks there.
   
10. Take a moment to thank others. A big thank you Dr. Rasmussen and all the participants and observers of Strong Angel 3.