T-Mobile outages post earthquake

In case you are just catching the news a 5.9 magnitude earthquake outside of Washington D.C. and up along the east coast is affecting T-Mobile service. The above tweet shows that T-Mobile is aware of the difficulty as are all major operators experiencing trouble and customers are advised to use SMS or e-mail in the meantime. Hope everyone is safe!

@tmobile

Disaster Recovery Tip #50

Be a Mentor

Here's the dream...One day every business will have a disaster recovery plan. It may sound ambitious, but we believe it. If you're reading this, chances are you believe it too. So let's do something about it.

Recently, Ready.gov launched a new mentoring initiative designed to help business leaders spread the word and give other businesses the tools needed to develop a plan; talk to employees; and protect assets. Click here for details. It's a great resource.

Additionally, on December 15, Agility is hosting a webinar to help educate business leaders on the 10 basics of business preparedness. Including:

• Risk Assessment
• Critical Business Function Identification
• Supply Chain Preparedness
• Crisis Management
• Data Back-up
• Crisis Communications
• Emergency Kit
• Insurance Coverage Assessment
• Alternate Location Planning
• Testing

Disaster Recovery Tip #42

It's not about a plan. It's about a culture.

Is your company really prepared? Be honest. If you're reading this, my guess is that you take recovery planning and disaster recovery very seriously. But what about the rest of your company? What about your community? What about your family? To be truly prepared you need to create a culture of preparedness that extends beyond the basic continuity plan, phone tree and emergency kit.

Preparedness must permeate the culture of your organization.

In a recent article, Dave Miller, President-elect of the National Emergency Management Association discussed the individual's role in emergency management and provided some insight into the need for creating a "culture of self-reliance linked to a sense of community." Check out the full article here. It's a good read.

Disaster Recovery Tip #39

You're Not Alone.

There’s an amazing number of organizations that provide assistance before, during and after a disaster.

Unfortunately, most of us are unaware of who they are and what they can do to help. For example, did you know that the Small Business Administration has provided $47 billion in disaster loans? Did you know that 80% of SBA disaster loans are made to individual homeowners and renters…notbusiness owners? Amazing, right?

Like most things, education is half the battle. The links below will take you to several organizations that can assist you and your company in the event of a disaster. Remember, when faced with a disaster, you’re not alone.

• SBA: Disaster Assistance
• Catholic Charities: 100 Years of Service, Advocacy and Convening
• FEMA: Apply For Assistance
• FEMA: About Disaster Recovery Centers
• DisasterAssistance.gov: Access To Disaster Help And Resources
• About Citizen Corps
• Ready Business: Prepare. Plan. Stay Informed.
• The Institute For Business & Home Safety's DisasterSafety.org
• PrepareMyBusiness.org

Disaster Recovery Tip #34

The First 72 Hours.

What were you doing five years ago today? If you lived in southern Florida, you may have been recovering from a Category 1 Hurricane that crossed over the state earlier in the week. But on August 27, 2005, this storm - better known as Katrina - was gathering strength in the Gulf of Mexico and would devastate New Orleans on Monday, August 29th (click to see and hear the stories of a few Agility members).

Five years later, as the rebuilding continues, there’s no better time than the present to think about how best to prepare ourselves for another event of this scale. As FEMA recommends, we all need to be prepared with adequate supplies for the critical first 72 hours after a disaster. This includes operating under the assumption that utilities (phone, electricity, gas, etc.) as well as public safety (police and fire departments) may be unavailable. FEMA recommends keeping on hand: food, drinking water, a first aid kit, a working fire extinguisher, flashlights with batteries, and a weather radio. And that's just to get started.

Agility is incredibly privileged to have an expert speak on this very subject next week - Former FEMA Administrator R. David Paulison will kick off Agility’s National Preparedness Month program with a free webinar, “Can you go alone for 72 hours?” on this Wednesday, September 1st. To register, please click here.

Disaster Recovery Tip #33

Spread the word.

Last week we discussed how social media can help companies communicate with the public and customers during disasters. This week we're focusing on the internal communication benefits that social media offers through the often overlooked resource of SMS messaging.

We know that cellular networks are often crippled during a disaster by increased traffic and sometimes even physical damage to the network infrastructure. Many times the only information able to sneak through overloaded systems are small packets of data like those in text messages.

Setting up a protected Twitter account for employees and instructing them on how receive mobile updates is one way to build a free text messaging resource. Whether it's about a delayed opening due to icy roads, or that your building has burned down (GULP), a Tweet can spread the word simply and efficiently.

Another alternative is Agility's own Alert Notification System (available to Member's free with every ReadySuite package). Agility's Alert Notification system can send both SMS and email alerts at the touch of the button.

Disaster Recovery Tip #32

Speak out.

Besides revolutionizing interpersonal communication, the social media movement has found its way into businesses in a short amount of time. But how can organizations use social media when developing their disaster recovery plan?

Over the next two weeks we'll discuss some ways that you can use free online resources to improve your response during an interruption. This week we're focusing on the public relations benefits that social media can bring.

One thing your business can do immediately is to setup Facebook and/or Twitter accounts, and recommend that all employees, suppliers and even customers follow them. Why? During an interruption, a representative can send out status updates using just a mobile device, and instantaneously bring people up to speed on the operating status of the company. Last year AT&T used Twitter as their primary means of communication with the outside world during a disaster and benefited by being seen as forthcoming and more transparent to their customers. On the flipside, ignoring social media and not using it effectively has the potential to be horribly damaging to a business.

Disaster Recovery Tip #29

Right off the bat.

Every business has a main objective in mind when writing their disaster recovery plan. Whether it’s to reduce insurance premiums, eliminate liability, minimize loss or to satisfy compliance requirements from regulators – you’re better off doing it right the first time – before an interruption when the stakes are the highest.

Developing a plan with the sole intent of skating by examiners during an exercise may save you time and money in the short term, but in the long run it is a huge missed opportunity to protect your business, your employees and your promise. Cutting corners now could have dire consequence on the long term viability of your organization and those who depend on it.

Disaster Recovery Tip #28

Reap the benefits.

We talk every week about the importance of creating a comprehensive and actionable recovery plan. It will come as no surprise, that most plans are built with the worst-case-scenario in mind. But the reality is that most business interruptions are not major “smoking hole” events. Employee illness, transit strikes, religious holidays or even scheduled events like the recent G20 in Toronto are just a few examples of the many things that can keep people out of work throughout the year.

A comprehensive recovery plan takes these “minor” interruptions into account. For example, if you have a large group of employees out of town for a tradeshow, who will function as their backup? What’s the impact on your customers? How will external audiences be notified? What’s the procedure for handling increased workload? Is your current process efficient? You back up your data every night, but have you made the same accommodations for your people?

A robust recovery plan will help you address these concerns throughout the year.

Disaster Recovery Tip #26

From the word "Go."

As South Texas prepares for the first June Hurricane in the Atlantic since 1995, now is the perfect time to think about your business’s evacuation plan.

The first step is to monitor local news for official instructions to evacuate (in some cases you may be asked to disconnect water, gas or electricity prior to leaving). Often there will be separate voluntary and mandatory evacuations – map out in advance who should leave while the evacuation is voluntary, and who needs to stay until it becomes mandatory.

Once evacuation happens, designate a meeting place for all employees. After you’ve reached the planned location, take a headcount - if anyone is missing, gather their details from your emergency contact information to pass on to officials.

Disaster Recovery Tip #25

Calm after the storm.

A resilient leader is one who is able to respond effectively and efficiently during disruptive events. You know who they are – you’ve seen them in action. But more importantly, you’ve seen the other kind of leaders too – indecisive and lacking confidence. So how does one become a resilient leader? How do you ensure that you can lead your employees, clients and community through a difficult time?

Disaster Recovery Tip #24

Everyone on the same page.

Often the most overlooked part of a disaster response is the restoration of your most important and least predictable asset: your people. Getting in touch with your employees is absolutely crucial, and during a disaster you need to account for the likelihood of all types communications interruptions: cell service, email, exchange servers, etc.

The first step is gathering the information. This includes home phone, cell phones for both voice and text messaging (SMS will often work when calls will not), home email address, and at least one emergency contact person.

The second step is storing this vital information in a manner that is secure, yet accessible. Online planning sites like MyAgility allow you to store employee contact information and other vital data from anywhere that has an internet connection.

Disaster Recovery Tip #23

Think different.

When it comes to disaster recovery, small and medium-sized businesses must think differently than their larger counterparts. Although they may not have as many resources, smaller organizations are more flexible - this is a huge advantage. Smaller businesses can make decisions quicker and adapt better on-the-fly during recovery. But even the most nimble companies must have a plan. Fortunately, there is a great new resource which can help.

Disaster Recovery Tip #21

Build a team.

It's a tall order to expect one person to efficiently develop a comprehensive recovery plan by themselves. After all, they have to account for every reasonable interruption across the entire business. There are just too many moving pieces. There is power in numbers and at worst, two heads are better than one. Assembling a team will give you the ability to share information, brainstorm, and create a natural sounding board to bounce off ideas.

During an actual recovery, having a team provides additional advantages. If the team leader is not available, others will be familiar with the plan and can execute it. This built-in redundancy to your recovery response helps ensure a quick and efficient return to business as usual.

Disaster Recovery Tip #20

Keep a local emergency list.

Be sure to include contact information for local resources in your recovery plan. This includes the obvious: police, fire department, poison control; and the not so obvious: local government agencies, as well as state & county emergency management offices. Employees should have access to local emergency agency information (phone numbers, email, etc), particularly in the event of unexpected disasters and terrorist attacks.

Disaster Recovery Tip #19

Diversify your supply chain.

During a large-scale regional event, your business may experience delays in the receipt of goods and services. To avoid diminished efficiency, develop a list of redundant vendors for key supplies. For example, if your internet provider experiences an extended outage, you will want to have other options ready to go immediately (Cable, DSL, Air Cards, etc). Make arrangements with “backup” suppliers and vendors to obtain resources needed to facilitate critical operations and key functions.

Disaster Recovery Tip #18

Be decisive.

Too often during interruptions, we see businesses take a wait-and-see approach to executing their established disaster recovery plan. If your plan calls for you to "pull the trigger" within the first 12 hours, but instead you second guess yourself and wait, you put your business at risk. Delays in executing your recovery plan can set in motion a cascading series of failures that are difficult to stop once they’ve begun. During a disaster, the domino effect is magnified.

We understand that putting your recovery plan in action is not an easy decision; the manpower, resources and expense can be intimidating. But that’s where the benefit of planning and testing shines. A detailed plan will help you make a solid rational decision in a very emotional time.

Trust your plan. It’ll save your business.

Disaster Recovery Tip #16

Competitive advantage.

In today's volatile financial environment, interruptions increasingly threaten the survival of businesses who are unable to recover quickly. By implementing a practiced, comprehensive disaster recovery plan, you give your organization the ability to get back up and running faster than your competitors - if they are able to recover at all. This ensures that you can service your current customers, potentially grow your client base, and increase customer retention in the future - all improving your bottom line.

Disaster Recovery Tip #15

Welcome innovation.

Interruptions happen all the time. And complacency can be a killer. Analyze your organization's response to everyday events like computer crashes, prolonged power outages and loss of phone and internet. How long did it take before you were back up and running? What job functions were most severely impaired? What can you do going forward to resume operations faster?

Always look for ways to streamline your response. Most importantly, solicit opinions from your staff, stakeholders and customers. Innovation can be found in surprising places. Embrace it.

In that spirit, Agility would like your help in making innovative improvements to our solution. We have asked an independent research firm to develop a survey that examines our services and the needs of the marketplace. You will not need to enter any personal information and your responses will be submitted anonymously. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey by clicking here. Thank you.

Disaster Recovery Tip #14

High and dry.

Over the past two weeks Agility has responded to fifteen different Members whose businesses were significantly interrupted due to flooding. Spring is the perfect time to evaluate your preparedness in the event of a flood, and with hurricane season around the corner, think about how your business could be affected.

Take a look at Agility's Flood Preparedness Guide for useful info and steps you can take right now.