Introduction
How quickly could your business bounce back from the impacts of a flood, severe weather, or a long power outage? Planning for emergencies today will help support your employees, customers, and even your community. It will also protect your investment and give your company a better chance for survival.
Prepare and Build Business Resiliency
- Form a planning team to identify the hazards faced by your organization.
- Plan what you will do if your building is not accessible. Determine the staff, building equipment, and supplies needed to keep your business operational and create a list of required resources.
- Plan ahead for extended disruptions to electricity, gas, telecommunications, internet, phone, water, and sewer services. Contact your service providers to find out about possible alternatives and backup options such as generators.
- Review insurance policies with your agent. Policies vary, so check your coverage for physical losses, flooding, and business interruption. Take photographs or video footage of property, inside and outside. Store your records off-site or online for quick access if you need to start the disaster recovery planning process.
- Make a list of your customers and plan on ways to serve them during and after a disaster. Identify key suppliers, shippers, contractors, and other resources that you use on a daily basis. Assess the impact that a disaster could have on your suppliers and identify alternatives just in case.
Build Communication Plan
- Outline procedures to update employees on the status of the business, like establishing a hotline or a check-in system so they can get emergency response information or report their status.
- Establish multiple communication channels in case some methods are impacted by the emergency and no longer work.
Keep Your Employees Safe
- Create an evacuation plan for your organization that accounts for any necessary accommodations for your employees. It should include two exits and a designated meeting area.
- Save plans in an accessible location.
- Train employees on evacuation procedures.
- Review emergency preparedness policies annually.
Consult Public Safety Experts
- Coordinate plans with MEMA and the local emergency management director for your city. Specify the conditions under which the plan will be implemented.
- Consider joining the NorthEast Disaster Recovery Information X-Change (NEDRIX) to access real-time government agency information during a crisis. NEDRIX also provides best practices and organizes conferences.
Corporate Emergency Access Program (CEAS)
The Corporate Emergency Access System (CEAS) will allow local and state public safety leaders to facilitate entry of credentialed members of the private sector into areas that are otherwise off limits to the public because of disaster or emergency conditions. To learn more and enroll, visit www.ceas.com/ma.