Are You Prepared?

10/6/2017 (Permalink)

How quickly your company can get back to business after a tornado, fire, or flood often depends on the emergency planning done today. The regular occurrence of natural disasters
demonstrates the importance of being prepared for any emergency. While each situation is unique, your organization can be better prepared
if you plan carefully, put emergency procedures in place, and practice for all kinds of emergencies.

The following are common sense measures business owners and managers can take to start getting ready. A commitment to begin planning today will help support your employees, customers, the community, the local economy, and even the country. It also protects your business investment and gives your company a better chance for survival. Review the following questions to learn if your company is prepared.

Be Informed
Do you know what kind of emergencies might affect your company? Do you know what you
will do in an emergency situation?

Develop a Business
Continuity Plan Do you know which staff, procedures, and equipment are absolutely necessary to keep operating? Do you have
backup plans for those operations? Do you know what you will do if your building or plant is not accessible? Do you know what you will do if your
suppliers are impacted by a disaster? Are you ready for utility disruptions?

Prepare Your Emergency Plan
Do you have an evacuation and shelter-in-place plan? Do you have a plan to communicate with employees before, during, and after an incident? Do you have copies of building and site maps with utilities and emergency routes marked? Are your employees trained for medical emergencies?

Practice the Emergency Plan
Have you practiced your plan recently? Do you practice and coordinate with other businesses in your building or industrial complex? Have you reviewed your plans in the last 12 months?

Review Insurance Coverage
Have you reviewed your insurance coverage recently to see if you’re covered in a disaster?

Secure Your Facility and Equipment
Have you secured all the ways people, products, and supplies get into your building? Have you conducted a room-by-room walk-through to
determine what can be strapped down?

Improve Cybersecurity
Do you regularly install patches to your software? Have you installed a firewall on your computer? Do you regularly update your antivirus software?

Promote Family and Individual Preparedness
Do you encourage employees to have a personal emergency supply kit and a family communication plan?

If you answered “No” to any of these questions, visit ready.gov and learn how to better prepare your business.