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Institute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management

Crisis and Emergency Management

November 2004 Volume 7 - Number 2

Business Update...

DHS Ready Business Program

by Peter Muldoon

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Advertising Council and a variety of business organizations launched the Ready Business campaign on September 23, 2004. The goal of Ready Business is to raise the business community’s awareness of the need for emergency planning and to motivate businesses to take action (http://www.dhs.gov/).

Tom Ridge, Secretary of Homeland Security, noted “The terrorist attacks of 9-11 and more recently the hurricanes Charley, Frances and Ivan showed that disastrous events can paralyze business operations. Ready Business was created to help encourage every business to develop an emergency plan, thereby making our nation and our economy more secure” (http://www.ansi.org/). This needed security is emphasized in that small businesses account for more than 99% of all companies with employees, employ 50% of all private sector workers and provide approximately 45 % of the nation’s payroll (http://www.ready.gov/).

DHS has created a three-step guide to assist owners and managers of small to medium-sized businesses in the design and implementation of business preparedness. The steps include Plan to Stay in Business, Talk to Your People and Protect Your Investment. The first step, Plan to Stay in Business, is a common sense approach to take care of the business owner, co-workers and the ability to recover in an emergency situation. This advanced planning must account for any emergency situations including prior knowledge of the type of emergency that may affect the business. Continuity planning for internal and external company functions, fire safety, emergency planning, medical emergencies, basic survival supplies and an evacuation plan to include a shelter-in place option are topics to be considered during this stage of planning.

In the next step, Talk to Your People, business owners are encouraged to maintain constant communication regarding emergency preparedness within the company. To accomplish this, DHS directs businesses to create a detailed crisis communication plan to be used with employees and customers in the event of a crisis. The inclusion of individuals representing all employee levels is essential during this planning stage. Also of importance is practicing drills, employee health and the promotion of employee preparedness.

The Protect Your Investment step involves actions to be taken in order to safeguard the company and to secure physical assets. Recommendations include appropriate insurance coverage; equipment, facility and information technology security assessment and a review of HVAC systems to improve indoor air quality. Additionally, owners are advised to prepare for disruptions in utility services during and after a disaster.

In summary, Ready Business outlines reasonable measures business owners and managers can take to prepare for an emergency. These recommendations reflect the Emergency Preparedness and Business Continuity Standard (NFPA 1600), which was developed by the National Fire Protection Association and endorsed by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and DHS. It also provides useful links to resources providing more detailed information on business continuity and disaster preparedness, which will be distributed through website messages, brochures, radio, print and internet advertisements (http://www.ready.gov/).

Bibliography

http://www.ready.gov/business/overview.html. October 24, 2004. Preparing Makes Business Sense. United States Department of Homeland Security.

http://www.ready.gov/business/step1.html. October 24, 2004. Plan to Stay in Business. United States Department of Homeland Security.

http://www.ready.gov/business/step2.html. October 24, 2004. Talk to Your People. United States Department of Homeland Security.

http://www.ready.gov/business/step3.html. October 24, 2004. Protect Your Investment. United States Department of Homeland Security.

http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/press_release/press_release_0523.xml. United States Department of Homeland Security. Press Release, Fact Sheet: Ready Business Campaign. October 4, 2004.

http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?content=4035. United States Department of Homeland Security. Office of the Press Secretary. Press Release, Homeland Security and Business Organizations Launch Ready Business. October 4, 2004.

http://www.ready.gov/bisiness/index.html. October 4, 2004. READY Business. United States Department of Homeland Security.

http://www.ready.gov/business/overview.html. October 24, 2004. Preparing Makes Business Sense. United States Department of Homeland Security.

http://www.ansi.org/news_publications/news_story.aspx?menuid=7&articleid=777. October 24, 2004. DHS Launches Ready Business and Incorporates Recommendations from American National Standard NFPA 1600. ANSI News and Publications.