1. What
is the link to Crisis Management?
A TTC fare collector was shot by
a man that matches the suspect’s description this past June and in October at
Dupont station. Union members have stated that no extra measures have been
taken at after the previous robberies.
2. What
stage of Crisis Management does the system appear to be at?
The system is at a crisis stage
for TTC workers as their well-being is at stake. For the TTC victim, William
Anderson, this is a crisis. He was shot twice- once in the neck and once in the
shoulder. For William’s wife this is a major crisis since she already feared
for her husband’s safety following the first two armed attacks.
For Andy Byford interim leader of
TTC, Bob Kinnear, union president and Mayor Rob Ford, this is a risk. There
have been other robberies and action steps have been taken to improve safety,
however clearly these steps are not effective and another solution is required.
For the public this is an issue
progressing towards a risk. The time of the previous robberies was reported at
9:26 pm and the second at 7:20 pm – which is not that late and many travellers
are riding the TTC at that time.
3. How
well does the system appear to be handling the situation?
The system is handling the
situation poorly. Andy (interim leader
of TTC) did not apologize or empathize with the situation. Rather he stated in the article that there
was no obvious reason why Dupont station should be any more dangerous then any
other location. This is not comforting
statement for any reader as it further raises concerns that this is not
isolated to just Dupont station, rather all stations pose the same risk. In addition the statement contrasts to Bob
Kinnear (union president) that says this station is not the only safety concern
for his members since other stations are more deserted and darker. Finally, the Inspector on the case also finds
it strange the suspect continues to go back to the same booth and subway
station- that there must be a reason but does not offer anything else which further
opens the reader to further interpret what possible reasons there are
potentially coming up with something far worse.
4. What
level of crisis preparedness does the system appear to have?
The system has a level 2.5 for
preparedness. While TTC has taken action steps such as limiting cash,
installing emergency alarms and cameras and examining other ways to increase
security across the system- these solutions have not resolved the issue, and
further they have not caught the gentleman who continues to rob and harm TTC
employees.
The communication plan post
crisis is extremely poor from the interim leader at TTC who doesn’t offer any
reassurance of safety to the public or to the family of William Anderson.
5. What
personal reactions/feelings does the description trigger in you?
Major Rob Ford suggested that he
would be open to the option of replacing collectors with an automated fare
system to keep workers safe. Union Leader Kinnear responds that if stations are
not safe for staff, how can they be safe for the public? The article ends with
this note and I was surprised the Mayor did not respond (or insist a response
was written in this article) to that. This leaves me, a TTC rider a very
unsettling thought that even the Mayor is not looking for long-term safety
solutions for both riders and workers. Further, the times in which these
robberies occurred was not late in the evening, in fact, I am on the subway at
those times which is even more unsettling that such crimes are not isolated to
late in the evening.
6. What
advice would you offer to those involved?
I would recommend future
solutions would look at the various risks involved from multiple perspectives-
safety of workers and travellers. I would recommend that TTC leader have a
crisis communication plan to better address the public and concerns that this
might raise for both the family and every day TTC travelers.
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