National Preparedness Month

September is National Preparedness Month (NPM). The goal of NPM is to increase public awareness about the importance of preparing for emergencies, including natural disasters and potential terrorist attacks, at home, work and school. It is "designed to encourage Americans to take simple steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses, and communities." Events and activities across the nation encourage individuals and businesses to get an emergency supply kit, make a family emergency plan, and get involved in preparing their communities. National Preparedness Month is sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Ready Campaign. This week's articles focus on some of the things you should be considering during the month.

Gain access to resources to help you observe National Preparedness Month. (Item #1)   How do you measure your readiness quotient? (Item #2)   It's almost flu season; what can you do to get ready? (Item #3)  

Here's some advice on what you need to include in your survival kit. (Item #4)   Take action before the disaster strikes and things may go more smoothly if it happens. (Item #5)   What can you do to protect your business, employees and customers? (Item #6)  

As always, we look forward to hearing your comments & insights regarding business continuity. If you have a topic you'd like us to cover, email me at [email protected].

Bob Mellinger, President
Attainium Corp

1. Join the NPM Coalition

Membership is open to all public and private sector organizations at no cost. Once you register you will receive access to the NPM Website where you can find a toolkit that includes templates, resources, and tips to assist you with promoting emergency preparedness. You will also find an NPM calendar where you can post your events and see what other organizations are doing in your community. In addition, you can share your success stories and read about the successes of others.
http://ready.adcouncil.org/

2. What's Your Readiness Quotient?

In recent years, the American people have been urged to "get ready" and to prepare for emergencies - from natural disasters to terrorist attacks. But no one has ever given the public a simple, comprehensive and consistent tool to actually measure how prepared they are. No one has ever provided individuals, communities, and the nation as a whole with a practical "gauge" to assess their preparedness, recognize their successes and identify gaps where more work needs to be done. Until now.
http://www.whatsyourrq.org/

3. Business Planning for Flu

While most of the danger of a pandemic is over for now, flu season is coming up. Businesses and other employers have a key role in protecting employees' health and safety as well as limiting the negative impact to the economy and society. Planning for pandemic influenza is critical. Companies that provide critical infrastructure services, such as power and telecommunications, also have a special responsibility to plan for continued operation in a crisis and should plan accordingly. As with any catastrophe, having a contingency plan is essential.
http://pandemicflu.gov/professional/business/

4. Survival Kits: How to Select the Right Gear

Every office should have a survival kit sufficient to provide for each employee. You can either choose to put together your own emergency kit, or better still, you can buy a pre assembled kit from one of the many suppliers online. A pre-assembled survival kit can offer you a variety of emergency supplies that are designed to meet special needs. Here's what to look for when you're shopping for a survival kit.
http://www.officeemergencykit.com/category/office-emergency-kit-articles

5. Preparedness Today: What should you 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

6. Preparing your business for the unthinkable

While reports vary, as many as 40 percent of small businesses do not reopen after a major disaster like a flood, tornado or earthquake. These shuttered businesses were unprepared for a disaster; they had no plan or backup systems. Don't let it happen to you.
http://www.redcross.org/www-files/Documents/pdf/Preparedness/PrepYourBusfortheUnthinkable.pdf