Whether it’s flooding, a fire, or a cyberattack, hazards can strike a business at any moment. 40 percent of businesses never reopen after a disaster. There are actions business owners can take to prepare their organization for a disaster. These actions can help you avoid becoming a statistic!
Develop an Emergency Plan
- Assign a team to lead disaster planning efforts for your business
- Review the identified threats and hazards we face here in the District of Columbia and identify what could potentially interrupt your business
- Identify the critical functions that your business performs
- Rank the functions for restoration
- Develop restoration procedures for each function and a plan to ensure continuity of operations (COOP)
Protect Critical Information
- Assign a team to lead disaster planning efforts for your business
- Back-up important files to prevent damage or loss
- Back-up urgent data to prevent corruption or loss
- Consider alternative, off-site storage such as cloud-based data storage
- Maintain and update contact information for your:
- Employees
- Vendors
- Suppliers
- Insurers
- Other key points of contact
Train and Exercise Emergency Procedures
- Develop emergency response procedures
- Building evacuations
- Building lockdowns
- Shelter-in-place
- Develop emergency response procedures
- Conduct refresher trainings on emergency procedures.
- Administer tests of emergency alert and communication equipment. This includes PA systems, fire alarms, and phone trees
- Execute tests of emergency plans and procedures
- Practice restoring and recovering critical functions
- Take into account the needs of your employees when creating plans and procedures. Review the District’s preparedness tips for individuals with access and functional needs.
Prepare Employees
- Develop emergency response procedures
- Encourage employees to stay informed by downloading the free HSEMA app and signing up for AlertDC to receive emergency updates from District officials.
- Help employees make an emergency kit that can be stored at their desks
- Maintain and update emergency contact information for employees and ensure staff knows who to report their safety to in an emergency
- Take steps to ensure that employees are preparing their family for disasters
Become a BEMOC Member
An effective emergency response requires a whole community approach. A crucial part of the whole community is the private sector. The BEMOC helps businesses before, during and after emergencies.
The BEMOC Helps Businesses:
- Prepare their business through planning assistance
- Prepare their employees
- Build partnerships with the private sector to aid a full community response
- Assist their community during a disaster
- Make informed decisions necessary to reopen after a disaster
As a BEMOC Member You Will Receive:
- Prepare their business through planning assistance
- Information sharing with the public sector during emergencies
- Access to free emergency response training and exercises
- Technical assistance for business continuity planning
- Key information needed to make informed decisions for long-term recovery
Become a BEMOC member today by signing up here.
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