Preparedness at Home

This week, we present our annual home preparedness edition of the NewsBriefs. Make sure that you don't neglect your home family when you're thinking about continuity. There are many things you can do to help ensure that a disaster doesn't become a personal disaster. The articles below can be very helpful in making your home preparedness plan.

Evaluate your personal needs and make a plan to meet those needs. (Item #1) In the event you have to evacuate, here is some help on how to go about it – or how to shelter in place at home if need be. (Item #2) Read this father's story about how a disaster got his family to understand why he was so concerned about preparedness. (Item #3)

House fires always increase this time of year; there is much you can do to ensure you can avoid fire. (Item #4) If earthquake preparedness at home is your concern, this is the article for you! (Item #5) This website gives you some idea of the kind of supplies you can get for home preparedness; there are many more such sites out there. (Item #6)

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Shelter in Place

This week, shots once again were heard on the campus of Virginia Tech, and a shelter-in-place (SiP) situation followed. We don't know if they had SiP supplies in all the campus buildings, because the situation fortunately did not last very long. But the incident should give us all pause to consider how prepared we are for such a situation. This week's links will take you to sites that will help you plan and prepare.

The CDC offers advice on how to shelter in place. (Item #1) These helpful sites can make your SiP planning easier. (Item #2) This might or might not work for you, but the federal government's new snowstorm policy is worth considering. (Item #3)

ChicagoFirst offers best practice guidelines for sheltering in place. (Item #4) LifeSecure.com has supplies and tools for sheltering in place. (Item #5) QuakeKare.com also offers a line of kits and information for an SiP situation. (Item #6)


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Winter Weather Preparedness

You can't do anything about the weather except be prepared for it... with winter just weeks away we should be thinking about those preparations. Snow on the roads and the roof, freezing precipitation, blizzards and high winds can impact everything from product distribution to whether employees can get to work. The potential impacts of weather are as varied as the organizations they affect; weather affects everyone. This week's articles can help you with preparing to weather any storms.

Start now to plan for winter weather as it affects your building and operations. (Item #1) The potential impacts of winter weather are discussed here, as well as suggestions to maintain business continuity. (Item #2) Even new construction and renovations can be impacted by severe winter weather. (Item #3)

Power failures are always a possible result of winter storms. (Item #4) Winter weather covers a range of conditions; are you prepared for all of them? (Item #5) The flu can have a great impact on some organizations; here are some tips to minimize its impact on yours. (Item #6)


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Testing Your Plan

One of the biggest difficulties that organizations face is testing and exercising their business continuity plans. Because it is perceived to be expensive and time-consuming, plan testing is simply not done by many companies. What is often overlooked is the fact that testing the plan could be the only thing between it working when it's needed and failure. Testing doesn't have to be an overwhelming task... see articles below for some ideas on how you can do it.

As plan testing matures, there are some notable trends in how it's conducted. (Item #1) Worldwide, as many as 50% of businesses do not test their BC plans; this survey done in Australia reveals typical results. (Item #2) Don't forget to make sure you test employees' remote access to critical applications in case no one can get to the office. (Item #3)

The benefits of testing and training far outweigh the cost. (Item #4) Several types of training are completely doable by almost any business. (Item #5) Are you ready for a disaster if it happens to your data center? (Item #6)


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Emergency Supplies

Just in case you have to shelter in place at home or at work, or evacuate your premises, do you know what you need to have available for survival? Even if there is no immediate threat, there is always the chance that weather will give use reason to leave or stay in place and we need to know what to have on hand so we can get through whatever happens. In this week’s articles, you’ll find some checklists and also a sampling of suppliers. (These companies are not necessarily supported by Attainium, they are only included to provide some information about the types of supplies available.)

The Red Cross is always a good first stop when you’re figuring out what you need. (Item #1) What you need for winter survival -- tips from mountaineers. (Item #2) Here is one supplier of emergency items with an assessment to help you figure out what you need. (Item #3)

We all know what it’s like to be in the dark when the power goes out; here are some products that can provide light and communication. (Item #4) Food is another important survival component... this site offers products (also available from other suppliers) to address the nutrition challenge. (Item #5) Here’s one of many sites that offer shelter-in-place kits in case you end up having to keep employees in the building for any length of time. (Item #6) And lastly, a short list of companies that provide emergency supplies.  (Item #7)


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