It's Hurricane Season, Folks - Are You Ready?

So - Are You Ready?

What should you be doing...RIGHT NOW...to prepare? Here are a few guidelines:



What Steps Should be Taken?

For the Enterprise

Organizations should have a “ready response” initiative in place that will enable them to communicate and respond immediately following a disaster. Ready response could entail pre-staging essential communications equipment, durable mobile communications vehicles, call centers and disaster recovery sites outside the impacted geographic area, mobile command centers and physical security to protect physical assets. The next critical step is to choose the key people, and their alternates, to implement the plan. Take appropriate steps to ensure that they understand their roles and responsibilities in advance.

Organizations should also have a well–written and well-exercised DRP and BCP. Standards such as CobIT, ISO 17799, NFPA 1600 and others are excellent, proven guidelines for such plans. This author suggests that those plans should be aligned with frameworks such as the National Response Framework, the National Incident Management System and the National Critical Infrastructure Protection Plan, as well. I suggest that because, in an incident of national significance, your facilities, employees, distribution systems and infrastructure may become an integral part of a broad-based response effort.

For the Individual

Develop an emergency plan, make sure that everyone in your family knows about it an practices it. No matter what the disaster, the most basic element of planning is to agree on at least two places for families to meet in the event that one’s home becomes unsafe. Develop a solid communications plan – in many cases, it will actually be easier to call long distance than locally. Have a coordination point outside of your local area that family members can contact.

Think of how many displaced families could have been reconnected if this type of preparedness had taken place prior to Katrina.

Part of your planning effort should include the assembly of a “go kit”, containing important papers, prescription pharmaceuticals, non-perishable food, water, batteries, a battery-operated or hand crank-powered weather radio, etc.

Don’t count on help for at least three days after a major disaster event. It may not be there.

Remember that any emergency is local first. FEMA IS NOT A First Responder!!

You should be prepared to be on your own for at least 72 hours. I repeat: FEMA is NOT a First Responder! Go to the FEMA website http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/ ; That may be the only help anyone gets from FEMA until well after any emergency. It’s full of good advice, including a list of items to be included in a “go kit”.

Remember that a Hurricane is one of the very few disaster you can see coming. That said, the advice her will help you be better prepared for ANY disaster.

Stay safe.