Anytime...Anywhere

by Judy K. Bell, CEM
Disaster Survival Planning Network
In today’s business environment, communications and information technology equipment transcend all organizational boundaries. Plans to restore both need to be an integral part of every organization’s business recovery plans. Some businesses believe they cannot afford the time to create recovery plans, then find out later that they cannot continue to operate when disaster does strike. Take the time now to build an effective communications plan.
Step 1: Inventory Existing Communications
Begin by taking an inventory of all existing communications at each location, as well as …

by Judy K. Bell, CEM
Disaster Survival Planning Network
PROCEEDINGS: 1993 NATIONAL EARTHQUAKE CONFERENCE; Earthquake Hazard Reduction in the Central and Eastern United States: A Time for Examination and Action. May 2-5, 1993, Volume 1, pp. 339-348
ABSTRACT
Experience has taught us after every major earthquake that the public telephone network will be congested. Both the increased volumes caused by people attempting to reach their loved ones and controls which the local telephone companies and interexchange carriers must activate to protect the network will decrease everyone’s chances of getting their calls through.
Every organization, whether …

Communications Assessment Questionnaire
by Judy K. Bell, CEM
Disaster Survival Planning Network
1. Who is responsible for ensuring that back-up communications are established?
2. What are your existing communications capabilities?
A. Voice________________________________________________
B. Data_________________________________________________
C. Image Transmission____________________________________
3. Take an inventory of your existing back-up communications:
A. Radio_______________________________________________
B. Cellular______________________________________________
C. Amateur Radio________________________________________
D. Datafax______________________________________________
E. Public Telephones_____________________________________
F. Essential Service______________________________________
G. Other________________________________________________
4. Who plans to use these back-up communications during a disaster? (Identify specific work groups or people – chances are several people think they are going to use the same back-ups!!)
5. What are your critical circuits? What alternate communications capability do you have …

Disaster Survival Planning Network
Before the Disaster:
Designate a contact point at work for messages if employees will need to let you know their status.
Have each employee provide you and their family an out-of-area contact name and number. This may be the only way to reunite employees with their families or let relatives know someone is injured.
Have employees inform their relatives not to try to reach them. They will get word to them via their designated out-of-area contact.
Pre-designate where employees are to report to work if normal communications are overloaded. This prevents …

Disaster Survival Planning Network (DSPN)
Defining the Project
Every organization is unique in its structure, culture, processes, products and services, and physical facilities. To build an effective disaster recovery plan, each organization needs to create documents that will fit their own unique requirements and train key personnel for the kinds of disasters that they anticipate.
Copying other organizations’ plans, or producing plans from “cookie-cutter” formulas does not work. Unique vulnerabilities of the organization cannot be identified or addressed using either of the above techniques. Consequently, every disaster recovery project (commonly referred to …

by Judy K. Bell, CEM
Disaster Survival Planning Network
In past disasters businesses, schools, and public agencies set up temporary operations immediately after a disaster any way and anywhere they could. In the first weeks following the Northridge earthquake, makeshift cardboard signs were used extensively to convey critical information about hours of business and temporary locations. Signs were painted on storefronts to indicate who was open. Boarded windows carried advertisements for glass repair companies as well as lumber and other critical suppliers. There was an overwhelming sense of urgency to provide at …

by Judy K. Bell, CEM
Disaster Survival Planning Network
The earth begins to shake. You are at work. Your children are in school. Your retired parents are home alone. The shaking becomes more violent, and you duck under your desk to protect yourself. The first thought that flashes into your mind is, “this is it, the BIG ONE is hitting!” It has struck during work hours, and you are frantic to find out about your loved ones. What will you do?
If you are like most, you will panic and immediately grab the …

“Business as usual” no longer applies to companies worldwide struggling with the effects of the latest bioterrorism threat. Providing a safe environment for employees has become top priority, with information being channeled to us through media outlets around the clock. Understanding the real threat, preparing for evidence of exposure, and providing a straight forward remedy that will ensure a healthy environment and peace of mind is a challenge professionals in the environmental, health, and safety profession are faced with today. Looking for support internally, management will rely on their own …

McDaniel Lambert, Inc.
Guided refinery step-by-step through crisis response after 16-day chemical release at time when facility did not have a crisis response plan. Led the crisis media efforts by regularly serving as spokesperson to local and national media and providing training to others. Coordinated human health risk assessment and animal toxicity studies. Established community health clinic that provided free medical care to more than 1200 people.

McDaniel Lambert, Inc.
Developed comprehensive crisis communication and community outreach programs for one of the world’s largest producers and retailers of agricultural fertilizer. Decentralized crisis communications program and customized crisis response to meet the needs of fifteen production facilities, and an extensive storage and transportation infrastructure.