We meet Gary Cullen, resilience manager, whose team were instrumental in leading the council through the pandemic and other crisis response events.
About me
I started at the council in January 2007 when I joined the procurement department. I had been a buyer for Fiat for the seven years before, working at the Basildon tractor plant. It was soon apparent that the private sector and public sector procurement were as far apart as you could imagine (at the time anyway) - it was too much of a change for me, so I took up the opportunity to manage the Facilities team, and then I was also given the Transport department. In 2016 I was approached by management asking if I could cover Keith (the Emergency Planning Manager at the time). I did this for some time when Keith decided to take retirement and I was then offered the post full time. I found it very diverse and interesting, so I took up the challenge. Little did I know what the world had in store for me.
What are the biggest challenges in your field?
It is around managing expectations. I am the Emergency Planning Manager but that does not mean I wear my pants on top of tights and fly around the sky with a red cape flapping! My role is to be prepared to coordinate a timely response that is both coordinated and appropriate, and I do this by working within a team of very experienced managers and officers in their fields, asking them to do their day job under extraordinary circumstances. But we do have our limitations, and it is about managing those limitations and expectations effectively.
The best piece of advice I was given by my predecessor was to know what is going on in your area/city, with people, the infrastructure, and the elements. By keeping links in all these areas, you obtain knowledge (real time and historic), and this puts you on the front foot if something unforeseen occurs. That was really good advice when you don’t know what is around the corner. It encourages you to be as prepared, flexible and to be as determined as possible at all times.
What tools do you use to manage your time effectively?
To work in emergency planning you have to be good at time management. When we aren’t in crisis response mode, we are prepping, planning and building business continuity plans to make sure the council is ready for the next time a response is needed. Spreadsheets and calendars are our best friends – they help us keep on top of renewal dates for plans and policies. It also helps us make sure we are meeting all our legal requirements and obligations relating to keeping the people of Southend-on-Sea safe, and of course, all those important meetings are attended.
What traits do you believe have contributed most to your role?
The role is not for the faint hearted, as there are times that the role is very stressful and needs a calm nature. You need to have good time-management skills and you have to be able to work with other people. We have many plans that are created in collaboration with all blue light services, utility companies, Ministry of Defence, charities, other local authorities and many other responding agencies with specialist knowledge. This allows us to be as prepared as possible, but like any emergency, they very rarely follow the rule book or the scenarios that plans are based around. Therefore, they need to be flexible and adaptable, whilst holding enough guidance to direct a response.
Finally, it is essential to have a good sense of humour! Things go wrong and sometimes all you can do is laugh, brush yourself down and get back in the fight, and learn from it.
What is the most impactful lesson you have learnt in your career?
To go with the flow and accept the challenges and opportunities as they arise. The best bit of this job are the responsive bits. You never know what is around the corner, or what you are going to walk into. I get to deal with and speak to people from all walks of life - all services across the council, and all blue light emergency services, and anyone else you can think of, from religious groups to protest groups, from schools to charities and beyond. It’s a brilliant job and I wouldn’t have even come across it if it wasn’t for my opportunity to work for the council and my predecessor Keith!
Where do you most like to visit in Southend-on-Sea?
There’s a little spot near Two Tree Island that I’m fond of, but pretty much anywhere along the coast. I’ve so many happy memories of spending time with family and friends on the Southend seafront. We’re very lucky to live where we do.
After a day at work, how do you like to unwind?
Aside from spending time with my family, the best way for me to unwind is to get on board my boat, Amaris. There is nothing better than setting sail with a new or familiar destination in mind, or just go where the wind takes you and see where you end up, and coming home a few days later, refreshed and ready again for what the world has in store for you. There have been times when sailing in a straight line and not turning around has sounded tempting, but if you don’t come home, how can you go away again? There's something about being on the water, it’s like a balm to my soul!