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September is the sixth annual National Preparedness Month. This year, NPM will focus on changing perceptions about emergency preparedness with the goal of helping Americans understand what it truly means to be Ready -- beyond fire alarms, smoke detectors, dead-bolt locks and extra food in the pantry. Remember to visit the NPM web site this month: http://www.ready.gov/america/npm09/index.html; they will add resources throughout the month.

Learn more about potential disruptions and how to respond to them. (Item #1)   What you do today affects your ability to handle unexpected events. (Item #2)   How ready are you? Take this quiz and find out.
(Item #3)  

Keep in mind that you need to protect your most valuable asset - your employees. (Item #4)   The most common business disaster is fire; make sure you know how to prevent fire at your location. (Item #5)   The better your plan the quicker you are likely to be back in business after a disaster. (Item #6)   Join the National Preparedness Month Coalition now! (Item #7)  

As always, we look forward to hearing about your concerns with regards to business continuity. If you have a topic you'd like to see covered, please email me at [email protected]

Best Regards,

Bob Mellinger
President
Attainium Corp

Quote of the Week

"Get a Kit, Make a Plan, Be Informed, and Get Involved"
- Theme of National Preparedness Month -

Articles

1. Be Informed
There are important differences among potential emergencies that will impact the decisions you make and the actions you take. Learn more about the potential emergencies that could happen where you work and live and the appropriate way to respond to them.
http://www.ready.gov/america/beinformed/index.html

2. Preparedness Today: What you need to do
To help, the American Red Cross and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have teamed up to answer common questions and provide guidance on steps you can take now to protect you and your loved ones. Though some people feel it is impossible to be prepared for unexpected events, the truth is that taking preparedness actions helps people deal with disasters of all sorts much more effectively when they do occur.
http://www.redcross.org/preparedness/cdc_english/home.asp

3. What's your Readiness Quotient (RQ)?
The Council for Excellence in Government provides the first practical "gauge" for individuals, communities, and the nation to assess their preparedness, recognize their successes and identify gaps where more work needs to be done. See how you stack up against the national average and learn specific steps you can take to better prepare yourself and your family, as well as things you can do to encourage your community, schools and workplace to be better prepared.
http://www.whatsyourrq.org/

4. Emergency Planning for Employees
Your employees and co-workers are your business's most important and valuable asset. There are some procedures you can put in place before a disaster, but you should also learn about what people need to recover after a disaster.
http://www.ready.gov/business/plan/emerplanning.html

5. Make Fire Safety Part of the Plan
Fire is the most common of all business disasters. Each year fires cause thousands of deaths and injuries and billions of dollars in damage. These tips can help you mitigate the risk of fire and also provides evacuation information.
http://www.ready.gov/business/plan/planfiresafety.html

6. Continuity of Operations Planning
How quickly your company can get back to business after a terrorist attack or tornado, fire or flood often depends on emergency planning done today. Start planning now to improve the likelihood that your company will survive and recover.
http://www.ready.gov/business/plan/planning.html

7. Join the NPM Coalition
It's still possible to register an organization to be a 2009 NPM Coalition Member as more than 1,600 organizations have done. Registering gives the organization access to the NPM Web site and its toolkit is for promoting emergency preparedness, plus an NPM calendar where members can post their own events and see what other organizations are doing. Use the link below to join.
http://ready.adcouncil.org/