Begin by identifying your agency's areas of risk. This list will be uniquely yours and based on the likelihood of risk in your geographic area. List the areas of risk in order of likelihood. If you prefer, identify the level of risk by indicating "high-medium-low," or on a scale from 1 to 5. The level of risk is a key indicator of the resources you will invest in managing that risk. 2 Authorized individuals
Next, list the individuals who are authorized to lead your agency if a disaster occurs. Include their full names, titles and actions they are authorized to take. 3 Communication instructions
This is a complete list by category of anyone involved in executing the disaster preparedness plan. Categories include:
o Management
o Staff
o Utilities
o Carriers
o Third-party service providers
o FEMA and other government agencies
o Contacts for local government.
Along with address, office phone, cell phones, e-mails and fax, include responsibilities and additional information relating to your plan, including emergency contact information. Divide responsibilities according to the level of risk for different types of disasters. For example, the office manager might play a different role if the risk is a hurricane than if the agency lost power or phone service. 4 Disaster proceduresThese are the specific instructions for staff, customers and service providers to follow once a disaster is declared. Include instructions for each stakeholder in the disaster process so everyone understands his or her role. Include an appendix at the end of the plan that includes resources such as a floor plan of the agency, documentation of network configuration or switching information from your phone provider. 5 Recovery procedures
These take effect once the disaster has been declared over. These are step-by-step instructions for recovering data, restoring utilities and actions need for establishing business continuity. Refer to responsibilities in the communication portion of the plan. 6 Basic emergency procedures
Every staffer should understand basic emergency procedures:
o How to properly use emergency equipment such as fire extinguishers
o Basic first aid and what to do if others are injured
o Where to access agency guidelines and procedures during a disaster
o Evacuation procedures.
These should be part of your staff's annual performance evaluation. 7 Disaster preparedness toolkitThe toolkit should contain:
o A full and recent copy of the disaster preparedness plan, which itemizes what needs to done when a disaster is declared
o Technology--such as a laptop, extra batteries and a wireless Internet card--that staffers need to fulfill their responsibilities
o Basic first aid instructions and supplies
o Fire extinguisher
o Printed brochure.
This will be a quick reference that should be kept in the agency and at home. It should be stored on portable devices such as iPod and cell phones so that wherever your staff might be, or whatever the condition they are in, they have access to the plan.
If your agency has an intranet, this information also should be available online. You also can place information on your company Web site so that customers have access to your procedures for various types of disasters. You might want to include Web site links that can provide valuable information during a disaster. For example:o The Disaster Center home page (www.disastercenter.com)
o FEMA (www.fema.org)
o SCORE (www.score.org)
For many agencies, a disaster is more than a possibility. Depending on where you live in the country, it is very possible that it is just a matter of time before some type of a disaster strikes. It may be large and destructive or relatively low impact and short lived. Either way, having a plan can literally make the difference between continuing in business and going out of business. Your plan does not have to be complicated and expensive. Simply invest the time to identify risks and manage them accordingly. You will discover a wealth of information on the internet to help you in your planning.
