Located in seven states across the country, the Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) manages an average of $11 billion in annual revenues associated with Federal offshore and onshore mineral leases. ONRR offices and employees face a variety of hazards like building fires, and natural disasters that have the potential to impact operations significantly.
Enhancing Employee Engagement with Preparedness Contests
for each major component of
preparation. Each component had to be
authenticated by ONRR’s zone monitors or
safety committee members.
Multifaceted Contest Increases Employees’ Impact on their Communities
The competition urged employees to take specific preparedness actions like downloading alerts and warnings, and participating in trainings and discussions. Guest speakers focused on topics like “Disaster Preparedness for Disproportionately Vulnerable Populations” and “Family and Care Givers.” ONRR staff practiced their
"ONRR takes preparedness seriously
and understands its importance.
National Preparedness Month served
as a reminder to prepare at work and
at home throughout the year for all
emergencies.
--Sheila D. Perry, Program Analyst,
ONRR Denver
Tommi DuBose, secretary for the Oklahoma City office, noted, “We all learned the importance of keeping important information secure in case of a disaster, ensuring that there is enough food, water, flashlights, and batteries in case of prolonged stay in a shelter, and reviewing escape routes. There are many things that people never think about, and this exercise brought those to light.”
Employees widened the impact of their workplace initiative by reaching out to their neighbors to ensure that they, too, have emergency plans, and by organizing neighborhood meetings. “Many of the employees’ efforts reached outside the ONRR organization,” said Sheila D. Perry, Program Analyst at ONRR in Denver. “This fostered people looking past their ‘safe’ environment to consider their losses if a disaster or incident strikes while they are at work or at home.”
Nearly 200 employees participated in the ONRR PrepareAthon! activities throughout the month, and 40 people completed all 10 challenge components. ONRR’s actions provide a strong example of how to engage employees in America’s PrepareAthon!