August 15, 2008 - Asking businesses to help with preparedness
Commentary by Bill & Janet Liebsch

September marks the start of National Preparedness Month 2008 sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security’s Ready Campaign.

Fedhealth is once again an NPM Coalition Member and we are asking business owners, management, Chambers and Associations to please join us in helping prepare our nation for the unexpected.

In the past few months we’ve seen earthquakes and wildfires out west, massive flooding in the midwest, hurricanes threaten all 3 coastlines, and tornadoes dance through the central plains and northeast. Plus there are daily occurrences of fires, chemical spills, data loss, and injuries nationwide.

America has over 23 million small businesses (500 employees or less) employing about half of the private labor force according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the Small Business Administration. And some interesting statistics from HP and SCORE’s paper entitled "Impact on U.S. Small Business of Natural & Man-Made Disasters", the USGS, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce show:

-  25% of businesses do not reopen following a major disaster such as a flood, tornado, or building fire … and over 40% who experience a catastrophic data loss never reopen;

-  2,000 laptops are stolen or lost every day;

-  85% of the commercial buildings in the San Francisco area do not have earthquake insurance;

- health experts warn a pandemic flu could kill over a half of a million Americans, hospitalize 2 million more, and cost the U.S. economy an estimated $160 - $675 billion.
 
Planning for something that may never happen is hard, especially when money is tight or you run a small operation. And it can be overwhelming once you start looking at the plans, forms and checklists, however it’s critical if you want your business to survive.

Start off with some simple things: get your employees involved and discuss plans and meeting places; learn how to evacuate and shelter-in-place; make disaster kits; secure and protect equipment (for both physical and cyber damage); store archived data off-site; and encourage preparedness at home. And don’t shove plans into a binder and forget about them. Integrate business continuity into your normal routines by sending tips in emails or newsletters, get feedback and suggestions from staff, and tweak plans continuously.

Some helpful links for business owners (and citizens) include:

-  Visit Ready America and Ready Business www.ready.gov  (En Español www.listo.gov )

-  Learn about pandemic flu planning www.pandemicflu.gov

-  Join your local Citizen Corps www.citizencorps.gov

-  Get customized copies of IT’S A DISASTER! for your employees, customers, family and friends www.itsadisaster.net

A commitment to planning today will help support employees, customers, the community, the local economy and our country.


Bill & Janet Liebsch are co-founders of Fedhealth and co-authors of IT’S A DISASTER! …and what are YOU gonna do about it?

 
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