Hurricane season is here! In addition to preparing yourself and your family, make sure your business or organization is prepared. A disaster preparedness plan can help protect your employees and customers. After a disaster, it can also help your organization continue operations. Start by identifying your organization's risks and developing a plan with the Ready Business Hurricane Toolkit.
FEMA's Ready Business Hurricane Toolkit is part of the Ready Business program. It outlines steps business owners can take to prepare for a hurricane. The toolkit can also help owners maintain cash flow and stay in business after a disaster strikes.
One of the first steps is to complete a Back-to-Business Self-Assessment. This tool identifies risks to account for them in a plan. Then, complete the Ready Business Preparedness and Mitigation Project Plan. This plan has six levels of preparedness. To ensure your business is ready, you need to protect your staff, surroundings, space, systems, structure, and service. Don't forget to make sure your building owner approves your plan.
Just like individuals, businesses also need emergency kits. Don't forget to include copies of important documents and store them in a waterproof, fireproof, portable container as well as at a second location off-site or digitally. Include documents such as:
- Site maps and building plans
- Insurance policies
- Employee contact and identification information
- Bank account records
- Supplier and shipping contract lists
Finally, identify a location where employees can work in case your office cannot be used. Regularly discuss preparedness with your employees and review company procedures.
As a business owner, you can have peace of mind knowing your organization is ready for natural disasters. Get started with FEMA's Ready Business Hurricane Toolkit, available in both English and Spanish.
Contact Us
(Article Courtesy: FEMA)