Vendors or Vultures?

By Michael Barrick

The sober warnings coming from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding the H1N1 influenza pandemic and its potential impact upon the people of the United States this autumn should have all of us in emergency preparedness planning for the worst even as we hope for the best. That is, after all, the nature of what we do, whether we serve in hospitals, public health or emergency services.

What these warnings should not do, however, is tempt us to succumb to the opportunistic vendors who are really nothing more than vultures.

Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and the hurricanes of 2005 – Katrina, Rita and Wilma – an industry has arisen full of vendors promising all kinds of supplies, services and “expert consultants.” Some of these vendors are legitimate and offer valuable products and services ranging from emergency response supplies to disaster websites. Others, though, are simply frauds. Since the outbreak of the H1N1 flu in April, they have reached epidemic proportions. As such, they are vultures taking advantage of the potential victims of the pandemic, other health care emergencies, and man-made or natural disasters.

They exist not to assist those charged with protecting the public; rather, they’re in business for one purpose – to capitalize upon human suffering. I know. I get calls from them almost daily. Motivated by the release of federal grants and stimulus funds, and emboldened by the knowledge that those preparing for the pandemic may be very well overworked at the moment, they shamelessly peddle products and services that are of very limited value, overpriced and, at the best, mediocre.

However, for the discerning emergency manager, they are easy to spot. Their methods of operation are pretty much consistent across the board. It usually begins with an unprofessional phone call. When you answer the call, they fail to adhere to the most fundamental courtesies – they won’t even ask if they’ve reached you at a convenient time. They simply launch into a canned presentation that instantly reveals that they are anything but experts.

As emergency managers, we have to call them out – individually and as a community. By individually, I mean that we should ask tough questions such as: 1) How long have you been in business? 2) Can you please provide some references? 3) What is unique about your product or service that makes it of value? These and similar questions may end the conversation.

Still, I immediately challenge such persons, pointing out that I’m busy and I’d appreciate the courtesy of them asking if I have time to talk. Undeterred, they continue with their prepared speech. I will respond that I don’t have time to talk, but if they will leave their name and number, I’ll call when it’s convenient. Legitimate vendors will oblige; the vultures, as part of their canned presentation, will say something like, “I’m away from my phone most of the day, so I can’t do that.” The truth, of course, is that they don’t want to lose the sale; or, perhaps they don’t want the scrutiny that would come with the research any responsible emergency manager should engage in before returning such a call.

Still, even if asking tough questions are successful in deflecting the frauds, we shouldn’t stop there. As the community of emergency managers, we should work in concert to put these frauds out of business. Take down the names of these organizations and report them to the appropriate regulatory agencies, such as the state Attorney General. As busy as we all are preparing for the impact of the pandemic upon our communities, it might seem like a waste of valuable time to challenge such vendors and to report them to the authorities. However, the people we are called to serve are already at risk of being victims of a legitimate threat. They should not also be victims of vultures wasting our time and money – and compromising the very health and lives of those they purport to care about.

© The Barrick Report and Emergency Preparedness Today,  2009. Contact the author at mbarrick@charter.net.