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.

Phone lines surviving natural disater

This is not a Photoshop. It's not an optical trick. And it's not an illustration. It's just a simply great photo taken near the Linevo village, in the Volgograd region of Russia.

A wild firestorm went through the village and its surroundings, destroying 80 houses. Nobody knows what was the origin, but at least the phone lines are still working. [Igor Podgorny via English Russia]

Disaster Recovery Tip #30

Final destination(s).

Building a robust recovery plan is all about establishing redundancies (for your staff, technology, communications, etc). These redundancies need to extend to recovery sites as well. When considering a temporary office recovery site you must think of the worst case scenario. Fact is, your obvious first choice may not be available during a large-scale event (think New Orleans post-Katrina, and Manhattan following 9/11).

Take some time to brainstorm multiple location options. Think creatively about how isolated vs. local vs. regional disasters may impact where and how you recover. For example, do you have a good relationship with a vendor in your supply chain? Maybe they can help you out in a pinch. Do you have access to flexible office space like the offerings that Agility provides? Can your employees work remotely? If so, how long before inefficiency creeps in?

The bottom-line is - don't hinge your entire plan on a single recovery site. Flexibility is key.