Bombings, blood and business emergency plans (Photos)
- Crisis planning
- April 16, 2013
- By: April Kelcy
The suddenness of many types of disasters, including earthquakes, often cause at least momentary shock, and may require instant decision making in order to survive. Blockages or confusion concerning evacuation routes and lack of communication in the impact area are common to almost every type of disaster.
Thankfully in the years since the September 11, 2001 terrorism attacks, public safety agencies, hospitals and medical personnel have become more prepared and able to respond efficiently to such events. But a disaster of any kind affects ordinary people and the economic and social fabric of a community, often long past the time the badges and sirens leave.
Here's a problem not often talked about enough: Public safety personnel and medical experts cannot do it all. Citizens, and particularly business owners must have crisis plans.
Without meaning at all to minimize the human costs, it is important to understand that local businesses can be a stabilizing backbone in and after a disaster, or they can leave large vacant holes in buildings and community relationships. The reality is that roughly 75% of businesses that lack a functional emergency plan and have to close for more than the briefest amount of time will generally go completely under within three years of a disaster event. How would your local community fare if 75% of it's businesses went under?
If you are an employer or manager you also have a duty to create a safe workplace and that includes having an emergency action plan. What would happen if something like the Marathon event happened in front of your own business, or six or seven blocks away and you could not get in or out for days, perhaps weeks? Would your business survive?
Do your employees know first aid? What would happen if one of your key people were among those injured or killed, or perhaps just missing for hours or days? How would you communicate with your personnel if an event affecting your business occurred off-hours? Are the customers and vendors that visit your business made aware of your evacuation routes? These are just a few of the questions business owners and managers should be considering. But employees are not off the hook either. They should be personally prepared for emergencies, of course, but can also play a significant role in encouraging leaders to plan to stay in business. That way both leaders and staff will have a better chance of still having a job after a crisis.
On April 30, 2013 a business continuity seminar will be offered by the San Gabriel Valley CAER group (Community Awareness and Emergency Response). The program will include a keynote seminar, as well as a panel discussion with local public safety officials and utility representatives. Guests will also have the opportunity to participate in an interactive "table top" scenario, where they can discuss problem-solving ideas in a simulated crisis. Registration is open to businesses and organizations of all sizes.
If unable to attend the event, and given one of the most likely scenarios for Southern California is a major earthquake, you might want to check out the "Seven Steps to an Earthquake Resilient Business".
It should be comforting to note that many of the best standards of managing a disaster response and recovery were developed right here in California. The question is, are you really ready to do your part to keep your business open and able to be a resource to your community when disaster strikes?
Source: http://www.examiner.com/article/bombings-blood-and-business-emergency-plans?CID=examiner_alerts_articleCheck out http://groups.yahoo.com/group/californiadisasters/
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