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April 2005                                                                            Volume 8 - Number 3

    

 

Preparedness Updates...

     

 


The National Preparedness Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs (NFPA 1600) Two-Day Workshops

By:  Claudette F. Fetterman

 

The National Preparedness Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs (NFPA 1600) developed by the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) is recommended as the “standard of care” for businesses to their employees and the general public.  It is endorsed by the US Congress, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the 9/11 Commission, and the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS).  The NFPA 1600 provides “a total program approach” to the challenge of integrating disaster and emergency management with business continuity planning.  In fact, the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 signed into law last month by President George W. Bush includes the NFPA 1600.

 

Due to its significance, a series of two-day workshops is being offered by the NFPA, in collaboration with DHS and the New York University’s International Center for Enterprise Preparedness, throughout the US to help employers in the private and public sectors prepare their disaster plans.  See scheduled of upcoming workshops below: 

 

  • April 11-12, Nashville
  • April 18-19, Atlantic City
  • May 2-3, Farmington, CT
  • May 9-10, Ft. Lauderdale
  • May 23-24, Atlanta
  • June 13-14, San Francisco
  • June 20-21, Schaumburg, IL
  • August 29-30, Pittsburgh

 

The workshops are designed for developing new emergency management and business continuity programs and assessing and enhancing existing ones for potential hazards like hurricanes, tornadoes, utility or technology emergencies, workplace violence and terrorism.  The following topics will be covered through presentation, discussion, small-group breakouts, and a variety of guest speakers:

 

  • Program Management
  • Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment
  • Business Impact Analysis (BIA)
  • Hazard Mitigation
  • Resource Management
  • Mutual Aid
  • Strategic Plan
  • Emergency Operations Plan
  • Mitigation Plan
  • Recover/Business Continuity Plan
  • Direction, Control, and Coordination
  • Communication and Warning
  • Operations and Procedures
  • Logistics and Facilities
  • Training
  • Exercises, Evaluations, and Corrective Actions
  • Crisis Communication, Public Education, and Information
  • Finance and Administration

 

Any professional concerned with preparedness and protection of facilities such as property and facility managers, engineers, safety directors, loss prevention and risk managers, security officers, business continuity administrators, contingency planners, and others will certainly benefit from the workshops. As Bill Raisch, Executive Director of InterCEP and advisor to the 9/11 Commission said (Brown, K. and James, C., 2005):

 

Recent statistics show that every major corporation has a 20% likelihood of suffering a significant crisis over the course of any five-year period, one that will result in the loss of 30% or more of its market value.  How an organization manages a crisis can make the difference between keeping the doors open after an event or closing them forever. Preparedness can be a lifeline for employees and determine the bottom line for the business.

 

To register for a session, please call 1 (800) 344-3555 or visit www.nfpalearn.org.  For questions or additional information, please contact: Margie Coloian, NFPA Public Affairs Officer, at 1 (617) 984-7275 or via email at mcoloian@nfpa.org.

 

Sources:

Brown, K. and James C.  2005.  Business wire:  NYU creates nation’s first academic center for private sector crisis management.  Available online:  http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20050301006089&newsLang=en.  Accessed on: Mar. 2005.

NFPA.  2005.  The national preparedness standard on disaster/emergency management and business continuity programs (NFPA 1600) 2-day seminar.  Available online:  www.nfpalearn.org.  Accessed on Mar. 2005.

Schofield, M.  2005.  The national preparedness standard on disaster/emergency management and business continuity programs (NFPA 1600) 2-day seminar brochure.  In his email attachment dated Mar. 28, 2005.