KANSAS CITY, Missouri — 1898 & Co., part of Burns & McDonnell, is well-positioned to create, sustain and extend emergency planning measures to help utilities navigate the ongoing pandemic crisis.

“While utilities have prepared for many different emergency scenarios, few of them have considered a pandemic of this magnitude and duration,” says Mark Knight, principal consultant for 1898 & Co. “To weather the storm of this uncertain time, utilities must be forward-thinking in their emergency planning approaches and procedures. All businesses have been thrust into atypical situations, so it is critical to identify strategies for recovering smoothly while not creating additional vulnerabilities.”

As part of the proactive planning capabilities of 1898 & Co., Knight’s recommendations include:

• Contingency planning is essential. Disruptive events cannot always be predicted with certainty, so effective contingency planning must provide a flexible, pre-prepared range of responses that are applicable to any event.
• Resilience is key. Organizations comprise people, so organizational resilience is also a factor of the ability of people to recover from major setbacks.
• Recover faster. Successful recovery depends on all recovery stakeholders having a clear understanding of pre- and post-disaster roles and responsibilities.

For deeper insights, read a full blog from Mark Knight.

To set up an interview with Knight and receive more information, please contact Mary Young.

About Burns & McDonnell

Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies bringing together an unmatched team of 7,600 engineers, construction professionals, architects, planners, technologists and scientists. With an integrated construction and design mindset, we offer full-service capabilities with more than 55 offices, globally. Founded in 1898, Burns & McDonnell is a 100% employee-owned company and proud to be on Fortune’s 2020 list of 100 Best Companies to Work For. Learn how we are designed to build.

About 1898 & Co.

1898 & Co., part of Burns & McDonnell, is where experience and foresight come together to unlock lasting business, technology and security advancements. We aim to future-proof your portfolio and turn data into action across the entire asset life cycle. We innovate today to fuel your future growth, catalyzing meaningful insights to drive smarter decisions, improve performance and maximize value. For more information, visit 1898andCo.com.