After a natural disaster hits, it’s critical for companies and governmental agencies to be able to return to normal operation as soon as possible, both for their own benefit, and for the benefit of those in the community who rely on their business and services. To support this quick return to action, these organizations can focus on three key areas, a recommended by Security Magazine:
Clear communication: Having well-established plans in place defining the organizational decision-making process, both pre- and post-disaster, and detailed approaches for communicating critical information to or otherwise supporting employees or other stakeholders. This can extend to engaging people in pre-disaster exercises or events, to ensure the plan remains fresh in memory
Public-private partnerships: Establishing mutual aid agreements with other organizations in the area to act as hubs for communication and distribution of any disaster-related resources, and to act as supplemental or redundant sources of assistance, while encouraging collaboration.
Infrastructure redundancies: Incorporating backups for critical or irreplaceable hardware, including communications or power systems. For many disasters, the power grid can face disruptions, leaving companies without the ability to even flow out their messages to key responders, making redundant or backup systems a key method of ensuring continued operation.
For all of these items, it’s important they be established as soon as possible as, once disaster hits, it’s too late to start considering how best to respond.
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