Business Disaster Preparation

We all know that “Hind Sight” is indeed “20/20”. We know it now more than ever here in the North Jefferson Business Community. As many in our area of digging out and moving on after this weeks devastating weather, it is never really too late to look at your emergency business disaster plan. In fact, now may be a great time to look at not only your business disaster preparation, but also the readiness of your church, your civic organization and of course your local municipality. Your employees and co-workers are your business's most important and valuable asset. Here are some procedures you can put in place before a disaster, but you should also learn about what people need to recover after a disaster.


It is possible that your staff will need time to ensure the well-being of their family members, but getting back to work is important to the personal recovery of people who have experienced disasters. It is important to re-establish routines, when possible.

Here are some tips to get you started or to improve your plan that may already be in place.

Two-way communication is critical before, during and after a disaster. You should include emergency preparedness information in newsletters, on company intranet, periodic employee emails and other internal communications tools. Consider setting up a telephone calling tree, a password-protected page on the company website, an email alert or a call-in voice recording to communicate with employees in an emergency. Designate an out-of-town phone number where employees can leave an "I'm Okay" message in a catastrophic disaster. It is good to provide all co-workers with wallet cards detailing instructions on how to get company information in an emergency situation. Include telephone numbers or Internet passwords for easy reference. Maintain open communications where co-workers are free to bring questions and concerns to company leadership. Also, talk to co-workers with disabilities. If you have employees with disabilities ask about what assistance is needed. People with disabilities typically know what assistance they will need in an emergency. Understand how to alert people who cannot hear an alarm or instructions.

It is recommended that you have both a battery-powered commercial radio and a weather radio with an alert function. The weather radio can alert you to weather emergencies or announcements from the Department of Homeland Security. The commercial radio is a good source for news and information from local authorities.

Keep copies of important records such as site maps, building plans, insurance policies, employee contact and identification information, bank account records, supplier and shipping contact lists, computer backups, emergency or law enforcement contact information and other priority documents in a waterproof, fireproof portable container. Store a second set of records at an off-site location.

Talk to your co-workers about what emergency supplies the company can feasibly provide, if any, and which ones individuals should consider keeping on hand. Some suggested emergency supplies include but are not limited to water, a three day supply of non-perishable food, battery powered radios and extra batteries, flashlights and of course, extra batteries for them. A First Aid kit, with a signal whistles along with some dust or filter masks are good to have on hand. Moist towelettes for sanitation, a wrench or pliers to turn off utilities, a can opener for food, and some good plastic sheeting and duct tape to seal off a room if required. Lastly, some garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation.

There are several sites with clear instruction on creating your emergency plan. You can begin at Ready.gov and expand your search from there.