1. Meet (or email) to make plans
With an eye on forecasts, the FEMA-trained Michigan State University team meets the afternoon before bad weather hits to talk specifics, setting up a conference room command center. “We’re very seasoned to inclement weather,” says Guy Procopio, the East Lansing, Mich., university’s director of dining services. “We will sit down as the weather is turning bad and have an emergency meeting just to make sure we’re on the same page.”
At Boston College, Associate Director of Restaurant Operations Megan O’Neill and Associate Director of Food and Beverage Michael Kann quickly decide by email who will be point person for that particular weather event and let the unit’s managers know. Managers are expected to check in to that person with staffing updates by text four times per day.