Ready Your Business

State of the Emergency Georgia is at risk natural disasters: Severe thunderstorms, lightning, tornadoes and flooding Tropical storms and hurricanes Drought Wildfires Winter weather  Ice storms  Snow storms

State of the Emergency Georgia also is at risk for man-made and biological disasters Chemical spills Terrorist attacks  In June 2009, a college student was convicted of conspiring to provide material support for terrorism and was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison Pandemics

Why Prepare? 2005 Hurricane Season 18 tornadoes as a result of Katrina March 2007 tornado outbreak 21 tornadoes strike in worst outbreak in GA history Nine people died Sumter Regional Hospital destroyed April 2007 wildfires Worst wildfires in GA history, over 500,000 acres burned 2008 drought Worst drought in GA history; State of Emergency declared March 2008 tornado outbreak 11 tornadoes touch down, including first in history to strike downtown Atlanta 2008 Mother’s Day tornadoes At least 20 tornadoes touch down, including a rare EF-4 tornado Four people killed Spring 2009 flooding, tornadoes 46 counties receive federal disaster declaration Spring 2009 H1N1 50 died, 800 hospitalized September 2009 Flooding Ten fatalities Approximately 125 roads closed Douglas County residents without water for a week January 2011 Winter Storm Brought up to 7 inches of snow, freezing rain and a half inch of ice Travel disrupted for several days, inaugural activities scaled back April 2011 Tornadoes Fifteen tornadoes including a rare EF-4, 9 th in GA history Fifteen fatalities More than 2,000 homes damaged Presidential disaster declaration for 25 counties Summer 2011 Wildfires 320,000 acres burned over two months Fire Management Assistance Declaration issued for Racepond and Sweat Farm Again fires in Brantley, Charlton and Ware counties 250 people evacuated More than 1,300 firefighters responded from around the U.S. and Canada 2014 Winter Storms

Plan for Success Safeguard your business from unforeseen natural or manmade disasters that can occur without warning According to the SBA, small to mid-size businesses are most vulnerable A business continuity plan will  Protect your employees and bottom line  Minimize loss and damages  Ensure strong economic development in Georgia

Real-life Example Eggo waffles comprise 73 percent of the market They disappeared from supermarkets for seven months in due, in part, to flood damage at Atlanta plant

Ready Resources Ready Georgia offers “Ready Your Business” Intended for use by small or large organizations in any industry Implemented plan will help limit impact from major interruptions that could disrupt normal operations 12 Point Program makes planning comprehensive, easy

#1 Create Planning Team Determine who will participate in emergency planning and crisis management Develop a chain of command/continuity of authority (one primary two alternates) Keep team information updated

#2 Communications Establish options and solutions for a communications plan Maintain reliable communications with employees, customers, vendors and responders

#3 Risks and Hazards Work with your local emergency management agency to assess risks and hazards The two biggest mistakes that many businesses make are (1) failing to identify a potential hazard, and (2) underestimating the severity of a known potential hazard.

#4 Internal/External Resources Evaluate each department or area of organization to identify internal resources and capabilities needed to respond to an emergency Identify external resources such as public emergency services, business partners, vendors and contractors

#5 Vulnerability Assessment This assessment is the process of identifying, quantifying and documenting the probability and overall severity of various types of threats or hazards Select a minimum of three risks/hazards

#6 Essential Business Function Determine each function that generates revenue or is essential to normal business operations Identify what functions must be operating for recovery Recognize the most critical, time sensitive and analyze cost of downtime

#7 Human Resources: Contacts Review employee information Learn how to best communicate Train and prepare for unexpected events Develop emergency HR procedures, such as teleworking Promote individual and family preparedness in newsletters, on website, etc.

Promoting Preparedness Online resources: Provide a link to Ready Georgia on your website using the badge Showcase our YouTube videos Mention Ready Georgia and in newsletters Distribute Ready checklists at meetings

Online Toolkit Use the toolkit to engage your employees Handouts Backgrounders Presentation Tools Recent Research

Engaging through Social Media Facebook facebook.com/ReadyGA facebook.com/GEMA.OHS Twitter twitter.com/GeorgiaEMA YouTube

There’s an App for That

#8 Evacuation and Sheltering Determine when to evacuate or shelter in place Communicate that life and safety of employees and customers are number one priority

#9 Emergency Supplies Prepare facility with necessary supply items in case of an emergency Coordinate supplies by what the organization can provide and what employees should maintain in their work areas

#10 Insurance Coverage A business may rely on an insurance claim payment to carry them through a disaster Review insurance types, limits and options for necessary recovery

#11 Vital Records Record all documents that are vital to perform your essential business functions or necessary to file an insurance claim or apply for a business recovery loan Examples include financial, contractual, business insurance, customers, vendors

#12 Data Protection Develop a backup program and off-site storage procedure with a data recovery program Establish procedures to safeguard data against outside attacks and employee error Protect your business against compromised personal information

Engaging through Social Media Facebook facebook.com/ReadyGA facebook.com/GEMA.OHS Twitter twitter.com/GeorgiaEMA YouTube

Additional Resources FEMA’s Continuity Business Suite software can be found at planning-suite Enroll in the American Red Cross Ready Rating program at readyrating.org