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to do. About 20 teammembers rushed up themountain and started going
door to door. We got everybody out — some through the flames — to
emergency shelters. If you don’t have that culture where team members
feel empowered that they can do that, bad things can happen.”
Rescuing the Rescuers
When the worst has passed, the arduous job of rebuilding begins —both
the property and the lives of valued employees who may be suffering
financially and emotionally.
“We set up a temporary HR service center on the island of
St. Thomas, where we distributed payroll checks to people who weren’t
on direct deposit,” Thomas says. “And because it had power, that little
service center became a temporary safe haven, where people could
get out of the heat, get supplies, and have some social interaction.”
Additionally, associates affected by the storms received support
through the ILG Relief Fund. To date, hundreds of associates on St.
John, Puerto Rico, and other locations have received grants, the total
amount exceeding $450,000. Those suffering from post-event stress
were offered counseling.
Oyster Bay Beach Resort on the island of St. Maarten kept employ-
ees on for two months after Irma struck to help with cleanup. In addition
to raising US$185,000 for employee assistance from a GoFundMe
campaign, “We have created a temporary leave of absence with mod-
ified pay,” says Ricardo Perez, general manager of the resort. He adds
that employees will continue to receive 20 percent of their pay until
the resort reopens, even if they find another job in the interim.
The morning after the Gatlinburg fire, Waltrip arrived to find a shell-
shocked staff and 652 of the resort’s 1,071 units burned to the ground.
“It was like walking through a bunch of soldiers after they had
come out of a bad battle,” he says. “I decided to put them to work to
get their minds off the tragedy and give them some hope. I turned to
the team and said, ‘Guys, it’s Nov. 29. We’re going to be open before
Christmas.’ We basically put every team
member to work, and within 10 days we
opened the resort with 350 units.”
Staging a Comeback
During the months of recovery from disas-
ters, resorts continue to stay in touch with
owners and guests. “We’ll do our part in mak-
ing sure that people see St. John as a great
vacation destination again,” Thomas says. “A
lot of owners can’t wait to get back. That’s all
they talk about.”
A year after the Gatlinburg fire, Waltrip
surveyed the nearly complete construction
of the Westgate property. “The great thing
was the look on people’s faces, knowing that
a year ago, all they could think of was their
families, their future, their jobs. Not only did
we come out of the fire, but we came out of it
stronger than we were before.”
Joyce Hadley Copeland is based in Tucson, Arizona,
and contributes regularly to travel and hospitality
publications and websites.
7
Key Steps in Disaster Planning
This list — while nowhere near comprehensive — can
help a resort start the planning process or update a current
disaster preparedness plan.
1
Consult with experts.
This might include risk-
management and insurance professionals, security
companies, local first responders, and restoration teams.
2
Ensure that systems security is in place.
Important
databases and records should be backed up and stored
off-site.
3
Expand communications.
Beyond employees and
guests, include their families, local police, and government
agencies — and Interval International for help with
canceling and re-routing exchanges.
4
Develop evacuation procedures.
Establish exits,
routes, and assembly areas for evacuees, and have a
method to account for everyone on-site.
5
Identify shelters.
Designate a safe place on-site, as
well as off-site shelters nearby. Have a system for allocating
enough cots, blankets, battery-operated radios, and food
and water for the event and at least 72 hours afterward.
6
Train employees.
Provide checklists, evacuation maps,
safety procedures, and skills training in evacuating guests
and shutting down equipment.
7
Provide a post-disaster safety net for employees.
Offer counseling, financial support, employment, health
care, and other services to help employees and their
families get back on their feet.
To provide much-needed supplies for resort employees in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and
Key West, ILG associates participated in a drive to collect food and other necessities.
Because of your generosity, the American Red Cross has been able
to bring relief and care to tens of thousands of people affected by
Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. Your support provides shelter, warm
meals, drinking water, cleanup items, financial assistance and more.
Learn more about the ongoing recovery efforts at
redcross.org149520-50 10/17