Are You Ready?
Behavioral Attributes
Those qualities that come from within yourself that impact on your behavior
Competency
How satisfied am I
with my strengths in
this area?
What can I do about
it?
Initiative – ready to act and seize
opportunities
Relationship management – inspirational
leadership; influence; catalyst for change;
conflict management; networking; teamwork
and collaboration
Self-awareness – aware of your emotions
and their impact; knowing your strengths and
weaknesses; sense of self-confidence
Self-control – ability to control emotions;
maintain objectivity. Be empathetic, attain a
degree of dispassion
Innovation – creativity, tangential or
peripheral thinking
Skills, knowledge, abilities that you learn
Competency
How satisfied am I
with my strengths in
this area?
What can I do about
it?
Strategic planning – creating a vision;
mission and key strategies to move the
business forward.
Tactical planning and organizing –
developing action plans, structure and
staffing so the strategies can come to life
Communication and interpersonal Skills –
getting your message across to others;
building relationships with others; open to
other’s input
Project management – leading others in the
execution of a short-term project;
understanding of Pert and Gantt charting;
task and staff scheduling; critical path
\
Preparedness
Kathryn McKee
www.leadingpeoplethroughdisasters.com
Disaster Preparedness: Continuity of Operations Planning
From www.ready.gov
How quickly your company can get back to business after a, fire, earthquake, flood or a
terrorist attack or often depends on emergency planning done today. Start planning now to
improve the likelihood that your company will survive and recover. The points that are in
bold-face are areas where HR should be involved or kept current about directly and
frequently.
Vulnerability
Analysis
Business Impact Analysis; Identification of Core
Team and its Roles and Responsibilities
Step
Action Planning Overview
1. Decide who should participate in putting together your emergency plan.
o Include co-workers from all levels in planning and as active members of the
emergency management team.
o Consider a broad cross-section of people from throughout your
organization, but focus on those with expertise vital to daily business
functions. These will likely include people with technical skills as well as
managers and executives.
o Define crisis management procedures and individual responsibilities in
advance.
o Make sure those involved know what they are supposed to do.
o Train others in case you need back-up help.
2. Carefully assess how your company functions, both internally and externally, to
determine which staff, materials, procedures and equipment are absolutely
necessary to keep the business operating.
o Review your business process flow chart if one exists.
o Identify operations critical to survival and recovery.
o Include emergency payroll, expedited financial decision-making and
accounting systems to track and document costs in the event of a disaster.
o Establish procedures for succession of management. Include at least one
person who is not at the company headquarters, if applicable.
3. Plan what you will do if your building, plant or store is not accessible. This type
of planning is often referred to as a continuity of operations plan, or COOP, and
includes all facets of your business.
o Consider if you can run the business from a different location or from your
home.
o Develop relationships with other companies to use their facilities in case a
disaster makes your location unusable.
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Kathryn McKee
1
Annual
Review
Gathering Critical
Information
Step
Action Planning Overview
4. Identify your suppliers, shippers, resources and other businesses you must
interact with on a daily basis.
o Develop professional relationships with more than one company to
use in case your primary contractor cannot service your needs. A disaster
that shuts down a key supplier can be devastating to your business.
o Create a contact list for existing critical business contractors and others
you plan to use in an emergency. Keep this list with other important
documents on file, in your emergency supply kit and at an off-site
location.
5. Review your emergency plans annually. Just as your business changes over
time, so do your preparedness needs. When you hire new employees or when
there are changes in how your company functions, you should update your plans
and inform your people.
Detailed Planning Steps
(From the FEMA Manual “Emergency Management Guide for Business and Industry”)
1. Planning Steps
a. Step 1: Establish a planning team.
i. Form the team
ii. Establish authority
iii. Create and issue a plan mission statement
iv. Establish a schedule and budget
b. Step 2: Analyze capabilities and hazards
i. Review internal plans and policies
ii. Meet with outside groups
iii. Identify codes and regulations
iv. Identify critical products, services, and operations
v. Identify internal resources and capabilities
vi. Identify external resources
vii. Do an insurance review
viii. Conduct a vulnerability analysis
ix. List potential emergencies
x. Estimate probability
xi. Assess the potential human impact
xii. Assess the potential property impact
xiii. Assess the potential business impact
xiv. Assess internal and external resources
c. Step 3: Develop the plan
i. Write an executive summary
ii. Describe emergency management elements
iii. Describe emergency response procedures
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iv. Add support documents
v. Detail the development process
vi. Identify challenges and prioritize activities
vii. Write the plan
viii. Establish a training schedule
ix. Continue to coordinate with outside organizations
x. Maintain contact with other corporate offices
xi. Review plan, conduct training, and revise plan
xii. Seek final approval
xiii. Distribute the plan
d. Step 4: Implement the plan
i. Integrate the plan into company operations
ii. Conduct training of employees
iii. Determine the planning considerations
iv. Evaluate training activities
v. Evaluate employee training
vi. Evaluate and modify the plan
2. Disaster management issues to consider
a. Direction and control
vii. Emergency Management Group (EMG)
viii. The Incident Commander
ix. Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
x. Security isolation of the incident scene
xi. Coordination of outside response
b. Communications
xii. Contingency planning
xiii. Emergency Communications
xiv. Methods of communication. These include:
1. Employee and family communications
2. Notification
3. Warning
c. Life safety
xv. Evacuation planning
xvi. Evacuation routes and exits
xvii. Assembly areas and accountability
xviii. Shelter
xix. Training and information.
xx. Family preparedness
d. Property protection
xxi. Planning considerations
xxii. Protection systems
xxiii. Facility shutdown
xxiv. Records preservation
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3. Community outreach
a. Community involvement
b. Community service
c. Public information
d. Media relations
4. Recovery and restoration
a. Planning considerations
b. Continuity of management
c. Employee support
d. Resuming operations
5. Administration and logistics
a. Administrative actions
6. Processes to think about
a. Evacuation plans
b. Communication plans
c. Building security
d. Reconstruction of computer services
e. Restoration of accounting services
f. Reconstruction of files
g. Mail handling
h. Employee relations
 Trauma Counseling (Critical Incident Stress Debriefings)
 Contingent HR Policies
 Special approaches to discipline and discharge
 Management training
 Special treatment – days off, pizza parties, etc.
i. Stress reduction
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. It is possible that your staff will need time to ensure the
well-being of their family members, but getting back to work is important to the personal recovery of
people who have experienced disasters. It is important to re-establish routines, when possible.
1. Two-way communication is central before, during and after a disaster.
o Include emergency preparedness information in newsletters, on company
intranet, periodic employee emails and other internal communications tools.
o Consider setting up a telephone calling tree, a password-protected page on the
company website, an email alert or a call-in voice recording to communicate with
employees in an emergency.
o Designate an out-of-town phone number where employees can leave an "I'm Okay"
message in a catastrophic disaster.
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o
Provide all co-workers with wallet cards detailing instructions on how to get
company information in an emergency situation. Include telephone numbers or
Internet passwords for easy reference.
o Maintain open communications where co-workers are free to bring questions and
concerns to company leadership.
o Ensure you have established staff members who are responsible for
communicating regularly to employees.
2. Talk to co-workers with disabilities. If you have employees with disabilities ask about
what assistance is needed. People with disabilities typically know what assistance they
will need in an emergency.
o Identify co-workers in your organization with special needs.
o Engage people with disabilities in emergency planning.
o Ask about communications difficulties, physical limitations, equipment instructions
and medication procedures.
o Identify people willing to help co-workers with disabilities and be sure they are able
to handle the job. This is particularly important if someone needs to be lifted or
carried.
o Plan how you will alert people who cannot hear an alarm or instructions.
3. Frequently review and practice what you intend to do during and after an emergency with
drills and exercises.
Personal Preparedness
Ensure your employees have made personal preparedness plans for themselves and their families.
Your local Red Cross Chapter has expanded lists of what to do to prepare your family
Have enough supplies at home to meet your needs for three days including a gallon of
water per family member for three days
Have a supply of medicines and a first aid kit
Have a plan for connecting with your children – pick two places to meet and practice with
your children
Make plans for your pet(s). Have a carrier in case you all have to go to a shelter. Make
plans for large animals
Ask an out of state friend or family member to be your family contact.
Resources
 National Fire Protection Association: www.nfpalearn.org
The National Preparedness Standard on Disaster/ Emergency Management and
Business Continuity Programs (NFPA 1600)
 Federal Emergency Management Association: www.fema.gov
 www.ready.gov
 American Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org/
 State of California Office of Emergency Services:
http://www.oes.ca.gov/Operational/OESHome.nsf/1?OpenForm
 Institute for Business and Home Safety: www.ibhs.org
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