Ready Your Business

State of the Emergency

• Georgia is at risk natural disasters:• Severe thunderstorms, lightning,

tornadoes and flooding• Tropical storms and hurricanes• Drought• Wildfires• Winter weather

Ice storms Snow storms

State of the Emergency

• Georgia also is at risk for man-made and biological disasters• Chemical spills• Terrorist attacks

In June 2009, a college student was convicted of conspiring to provide material support for terrorism and was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison

• Pandemics

Why Prepare?

Plan for Success

• Safeguard your business from unforeseen natural or manmade disasters that can occur without warning• According to the SBA, small to mid-size businesses

are most vulnerable• A business continuity plan will

Protect your employees and bottom line Minimize loss and damages Ensure strong economic development in Georgia

Real-life Example

• Eggo waffles comprise 73 percent of the market

• They disappeared from supermarkets for seven months in 2009-2010 due, in part, to flood damage at Atlanta plant

Ready Resources

Ready Georgia offers “Ready Your Business”

• Intended for use by small or large organizations in any

industry

• Implemented plan will help limit impact from major

interruptions that could disrupt normal operations

• 12 Point Program makes planning comprehensive, easy

#1 Create Planning Team

• Determine who will participate in emergency planning and crisis management

• Develop a chain of command/continuity of authority (one primary two alternates)

• Keep team information updated

#2 Communications

• Establish options and solutions for a communications plan

• Maintain reliable communications with employees, customers, vendors and responders

#3 Risks and Hazards

• Work with your local emergency management agency to assess risks and hazards

• The two biggest mistakes that many businesses make are (1) failing to identify a potential hazard, and (2) underestimating the severity of a known potential hazard.

#4 Internal/External Resources

• Evaluate each department or area of organization to identify internal resources and capabilities needed to respond to an emergency

• Identify external resources such as public emergency services, business partners, vendors and contractors

#5 Vulnerability Assessment

• This assessment is the process of identifying, quantifying and documenting the probability and overall severity of various types of threats or hazards

• Select a minimum of three risks/hazards

#6 Essential Business Function

• Determine each function that generates revenue or is essential to normal business operations

• Identify what functions must be operating for recovery

• Recognize the most critical, time sensitive and analyze cost of downtime

#7 Human Resources: Contacts

• Review employee information

• Learn how to best communicate

• Train and prepare for unexpected events

• Develop emergency HR procedures, such as teleworking

• Promote individual and family preparedness in newsletters, on website, etc.

Promoting Preparedness

• Online resources:• Provide a link to Ready Georgia on

your website using the badge• Showcase our YouTube videos• Mention Ready Georgia and

www.ready.ga.gov in newsletters• Distribute Ready checklists at

meetings

Online Toolkit

Use the toolkit to engage your employees• Handouts• Backgrounders• Presentation Tools• Recent Research

Engaging through Social Media

Facebookfacebook.com/ReadyGA

facebook.com/GEMA.OHS

Twittertwitter.com/GeorgiaEMA

YouTubewww.youtube.com/ReadyGAfromGEMA

There’s an App for That

#8 Evacuation and Sheltering

• Determine when to evacuate or shelter in place

• Communicate that life and safety of employees and customers are number one priority

#9 Emergency Supplies

• Prepare facility with necessary supply items in case of an emergency

• Coordinate supplies by what the organization can provide and what employees should maintain in their work areas

#10 Insurance Coverage

• A business may rely on an insurance claim payment to carry them through a disaster

• Review insurance types, limits and options for necessary recovery

#11 Vital Records

• Record all documents that are vital to perform your essential business functions or necessary to file an insurance claim or apply for a business recovery loan • Examples include financial, contractual,

business insurance, customers, vendors

#12 Data Protection

• Develop a backup program and off-site storage procedure with a data recovery program

• Establish procedures to safeguard data against outside attacks and employee error

• Protect your business against compromised personal information

Engaging through Social Media

Facebookfacebook.com/ReadyGA

facebook.com/GEMA.OHS

Twittertwitter.com/GeorgiaEMA

YouTubewww.youtube.com/ReadyGAfromGEMA

Additional Resources

• FEMA’s Continuity Business Suite software can be found at www.ready.gov/business-continuity-planning-suite

• Enroll in the American Red Cross Ready Rating program at readyrating.org