A study by First OnSite has looked into the state of Canadian disaster recovery, with an investigation into the preparedness of businesses for a disruption caused by wildfire, according to an article in Insurance Business. Examining the events of the last five years, including the Fort McMurray disaster, the survey found the western provinces were both significantly more affected and concerned by wildfire events, with 31% of businesses in Alberta, and 28% of British Columbia businesses being worried about future events, both well above the national averages. Comparably, businesses in both provinces reported higher levels of disruption due to wildfires, at 18% and 10% respectively, compared to a national average of 6%.
Says Jim Mandeville, Senior Project Manager at First OnSite, “What we’ve seen through our Business Preparedness Survey is that more and more businesses are starting to think more seriously about preparedness, not just for wildfires but for natural disasters in general.”
Mandeville also notes “Preparedness is twofold. There are things to do with practice and procedure that businesses can prepare for, finding answers to questions like: how are you going to continue operating if staff are evacuated? Are your employees able to work from home or will you need to relocate them? Do they have the necessary equipment to be able to do their jobs from home or another location?”
