Articles
9 February 2012

Hope for the Best, Prepare for the Worst

by Sarah Ryther Francom

09 February 2012—

All business owners must face the fact that a disaster could strike at any time. And without a crystal ball, you’ll never know when a black shadow will appear over your business. So what’s a business owner to do? Prepare now with the Ready Your Business 12-Point Program, a no-cost series of emergency planning workshops.

Renee Murphy, program manager for the the Department of Public Safety's Division of Homeland Security says that the 12-Point series are unique since they’re sponsored by the government but were designed from the business owners’ perspective. “[The seminars] describe and help businesses plan for emergencies according to what they [business owners] need,” says Murphy.

With countless potential disasters to plan for, the program is designed as a general guideline for what business owners should do to prevent a spontaneous and damaging reaction when a disaster occurs. “If [business owners] are prepared for the [emergencies] that they expect, then that plan is adaptable to the hazards that they don’t expect.”
The points include the following:
1.      Creating a Planning Team
2.      Communications
3.      Risks and Hazards
4.      Internal/External Resources and Capabilities
5.      Vulnerability Assessments
6.      Essential Business Functions
7.      Human Resources: Employee Communications
8.      Workplace Evacuation and Sheltering Plan
9.      Workplace Emergency Supply Kit
10. Insurance Coverage
11. Vital Records
12. Data Protection, Storage and Recovery
Murphy says each step is equally important and can be taken in any order. Once a business owner or employee has attended the workshop series in full, he or she will receive a Recognition of Readiness certificate, even if the company has not completed their plan. 
For more information about the Ready Your Business12-Point Program, visit www.BeReadyUtah.gov.

 


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