Our team, in partnership with the client, design, implement and maintain plans that enable our clients to prepare, respond and recover from a significant event that impacts their ability to maintain normal business services.
Welcome to ARK
Critical Incident Management
If it be now, ’tis not to come. | If it be not to come, it will be now. | If it be not now, yet it will come—the readiness is all. - Hamlet
Who we are
For more than three decades, ARK has operated under the belief that private entities deserve the same level of quality resources, services and emergency planning development as the government agencies we also serve. It is our inherent knowledge that having a plan is better than "winging it."
We are experts on the planning, training and implementation of plans to mitigate catastrophes that can negatively impact entertainment venues, real estate management, healthcare systems, manufacturers, warehouse and distribution, food retailers, nonprofits, events and sporting facilities/operations. Protecting clients, vendors, patrons, infrastructure, products, services and personnel is absolutely essential to keep an organization running successfully and profitably.
What We Provide
- Strategic and practical insight to emergency planning
- Collective experience in both public and private sectors
- Diversity in planning from theatres to marathons and beyond
- A history of building long term relationships that ensure sustainability
- Unmatched flexibility to adapt to any client's needs
- And an unshakable commitment for planning, training and responding to critical incidents
Our Core Values
- Relationship: a foundation built on value and trust that foster long-term relationships
- Integrity: dedication to quality service on time and on budget
- Respect: understanding the benefit of varied opinions, individuality and backgrounds
- Compassion: proactive instead of reactive led by practical experience
- Achievement: success measured by results
- Teamwork: committed to the success of everyone involved
- Communication: seeking out feedback, actively listening, and a commitment to honesty
Tammy Willis
Vice President, Nat’l Multiple Sclerosis Society, MI Chapter
It has been our good fortune to work with ARK for more than 27 years and have them as a critical partner in developing our emergency response plans. The expertise and knowledge they provided when developing event contingency plans and minimizing risk factors has been vital to our organization.
George Aren
Director, Southeast Michigan Emergency Services (Ret.), Salvation Army
It has been my profound pleasure, both professionally and personally, to work alongside ARK. Their expertise in critical incident and response is unparalleled.
Mark J. Upfal, MD
Occupational Health Services, Detroit Medical Center
Your mastery of your subject matter was clearly evident in your authoritative delivery and your high rating from the audience.
Critical Incident Planning
Catastrophic Event Response Plan
CERP is our most comprehensive and complete service for sports teams and group or corporate travel that want every aspect during and following any possible catastrophic event (such as injuries or fatalities).
Business Continuity Management
Business Continuity involves actions that are taken to restore normal business operations following an emergency or disaster.
Consulting
Our consultations include: assisting clients in how to anticipate and prepare for ancillary needs that might arise during a critical incident; training personnel to effectively manage a critical incident; and assisting in the design and conduct of exercises to test and ensure readiness.
Grant Writing
ARK Grant Services specializes in identifying grant opportunities, developing and drafting grant proposals and guiding the ideal implementation of the grants once they are awarded.
Schools Integrated Emergency Planning Program (SIEPP)
ARK's Layered Emergency Response Planning Process is based on an innovative, all inclusive best practices approach that takes schools thorough Hazard, Risk, Threat Assessment-Planning-Training-Implementation and Maintenance Steps. The Schools Integrated Emergency Preparedness Program provides the most comprehensive format including all aspects of all-hazard emergency planning and involves Administrators, Teachers, Support Staff, Parents, First Responders adjacent Districts and interested private sector organizations.
Get in touch
Free Consultation
Write or call ARK today to schedule a free consultation.
Phone
- (734) 612-7204
Frequently Asked Questions
ARK is a full-service consulting organization dedicated to Protecting Our Clients Assets; your people, infra-structure, community, reputation and products.
Preparing for unforeseen yet inevitable potentially catastrophic events is one of the most relevant and practical aspects of your organizations return to normalcy. ARK also provides one-on-one assistance following the crisis to help guide the client through the difficult processes of initial response and steps toward resuming business as usual.
ARK stands out in the industry as having the clear understanding that emergency plans need to be complete, but they also must be relevant to the needs of the organization, understandable for those with responsibilities to implement and useable when needed. We've created, with input from our clients, plan components that ensure everyone in the organization knows what to do and when to do it when the crisis occurs.
Our cadre of professionals will consult with your key employees to ensure your organization is fully prepared for the critical incident that include fatalities, multiple injuries, catastrophic damage to your organization’s key assets, infrastructure, or business operations, often render a severe negative emotional impact on employees, and require a quick, effective response. Using established training methods and our proprietary Layered Emergency Response Planning System (LERPS), we coach your staff in how to prepare to take immediate and appropriate action in emergency situations.
To help solidify that response even more, we provide customized contingency planning for your organization, and guide your key employees through the challenging steps required to ensure preparation for critical incidents.
The time to begin planning an organization’s emergency response is not after the event happens. Every company should have a basic emergency plan in place that includes evacuation protocols, crisis management procedures, leadership responsibilities, crisis communications and daily prevention methods. Unfortunately, there is usually little or no advance warning before a major critical incident occurs. With the proper preparations however, instead of chaos and uncertainty, you are in a position to manage an event using clear guidelines, pre-established responsibilities for management, and easily understood directives for employees. This ensures those responsible for managing for a crisis can concentrate on their mission, while other management is tasked with overseeing continued daily operations.
We are the experts, we've written the books on multiple aspects of disaster response and recovery. ARK’ technical specialists are emergency preparedness and response professionals with well over 140 years of collective hands-on experience in both the private and public sectors. Our experience serving municipal, corporate, sports venues, entertainment, non-profit, healthcare, real estate management and educational clients has left us uniquely qualified for the task of preparing clients for critical incidents of all types. ARK has established our reputation on three key factors: knowledge related to the job (education), specific skills required by the job (experience), and the ability to apply those knowledge and skills to the job.
We know how critical incidents affect an organization, its employees, its customers, its community and its reputation throughout all phases of the event. We have the know-how and capacity to ensure your organization will be prepared to respond to a crisis on an operational basis, as well as help meet the emotional needs of employees and family members and the public in case of disaster.
Each client is unique with varied needs, typically, beginning with the first element of the planning process and moving through the second and third elements can be accomplished in 30-60 days. Creating a fully-developed emergency preparedness and response plan using our proprietary Layered Emergency Response Preparedness System often requires additional collaboration with appropriate department leaders and other stakeholders. Timeframes for our customized response and training services are organization-specific, and will vary based on the complexity of the service, size of the organization, and the needs of the specific plans requested by the organization.
ARK specializes in grant writing for organizations seeking funding from governmental agencies, foundations or any other sources. Whatever the specifics of your application, we can help you navigate the complicated and convoluted processes required to help ensure your best chance at obtaining the resources you desire.
ARK provides expert consultation to organizations seeking adherence to the requirements set forth by the Americans with Disabilities Act. We provide a complete assessment of your facility’s safety and accessibility features, and ensure your organization has fully implemented the disability standards required to fully support your employees, customers and other visitors.
Tell us your challenges, we'll create an affordable, workable, practical solution, always.
Emergency preparedness plans typically cover an organization’s entirety – so to best create your customized plan, the ideal planning team should include representatives from the administration, operations, marketing, human resources, production and other relevant departments. It’s important that executive level input enter the planning process as well (and promote the management-level “buy-in”, so that all departments and their leaders embrace their responsibilities and the overall process in order to facilitate the swiftest, most effective response and recovery possible should plan be activated.
Additionally, local Public Safety Agencies should at a minimum should be consulted, as the First Responders, they bring the resources to manage the incident and familiarity of your response procedures is crucial.
ARK uses our proprietary Layered Emergency Response Planning Process to determine the important factors in any emergency as they apply to your organization. Once our collaborative team has determined the “who, what, where, when and how” for your organization, we conduct a Hazard, Risk and Threat Assessment (HRTA), providing a report on our findings. Based on the we find in the HRTA, a customized plan for your specific needs is developed. Next, we train your leadership, staff and tenants in how to use the plan including exercises to allow a 'hands-on' how the plan works.
Our team of technical specialists will always be on-call to support your organization’s interests in the event of a critical incident.
ARK doesn't just walk away when the Plan's completed, our relationship has just begun, we will continuously keep in contact with you sharing:
- Lessons Gained from incidents that occur at similar organizations
- New relevant training information
- New industry and/or government guidance material
- New ARK developed preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation tools
- ARK has available plan Maintenance Agreements that provides, on an annual or as-needed basis, a means to ensure the plan always remains accurate, relevant and useful
Additionally, Our Crisis Action Response Team (CART) can be retained or contracted as needed to support your interests whenever and wherever you may need them.