Living in today's world means learning to prepare for all forms of disasters – whether they be natural or man-made. We make provisions for protecting our loved ones, but do you have a preparedness plan in place for your business? Having one in place is as crucial as any other aspect when it comes to the running of your business, and there are several elements that you need to include.
Assessing Risk
The first and most crucial step to be taken towards any preparedness plan is that you narrow down any possible occurrences. Create a list of all the disasters that could occur and prove to impact your business. These might include weather conditions, such as a blizzard or some form of violence in the workplace. From your list, choose the twelve emergencies you feel you could most likely be forced to deal with, and develop and organize a plan with protocols for a response.
Life Safety
Almost every emergency situation has the possibility of causing loss of life, which is why you will need a preset plan for a proper response. The plan will depend on the specific scenario, but the basics will need to include evacuation, sheltering in place, or as a last resort, locking down. Make a plan to ensure that you have trained your employees on each of these actions, when they are called for, and how best to handle them.
Stabilization of Incidents
In the case of any emergency, you will find it very helpful to know which individuals in your community possess what could be essential training and skills. For instance, are there any members of your staff that are trained and certified in CPR? Which individual is the most organized and level-headed to serve as the point of contact for any information, whether the need is internally or externally? Who has the training necessary to deal with chemical spills? And finally, who possesses the most knowledge of the facility, its layout, and its strengths and weakness, which can prove crucial in helping to minimize any damage?
Make a list of any supplies or equipment you feel you may need if an emergency occurs. Check to see if you have a fire extinguisher that is functioning and has not expired. Check how much potable water you have on hand, along with how many and which medical supplies. The last thing you will want to find yourself needing to do and take care of is searching for the supplies and equipment necessary if an emergency strikes.
Weather Emergencies
Over the decades, the science of predicting oncoming weather, such as snowstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters, has improved. When considering the preparedness of your business for an anticipated weather event, some valuable skills will include: assessing any damage, protecting property that has escaped any damage, and salvaging any damaged items while cleaning up. Keep up on any alerts of inclement weather that may be headed your way to better prepare and minimize any possible damage.
Review Your Insurance
Part of your preparedness plan should involve knowing what insurance coverage you have and what is and is not covered. Be sure that you have a working knowledge of the scope and protection your plan affords you, including the amount your deductible will be, should you need to make a claim. By reviewing your plan ahead of time, you will be able to make the necessary adjustments if there are any shortages or overages in the plan.
Consider Your Finances
If the worst-case scenario were to happen, lives could be lost. However, even in the best-case scenario, you will undoubtedly see the involvement of a monetary cost. Imperative to make sure of is that you plan and have funds available in the contingency that damage or disruption happens to occur. In the long run, being prepared in this manner could be the best investment you could ever make. As a business owner, you are always closely watching your bottom line. However, in the case of emergency preparedness, the only bottom line that counts is whether or not you are prepared.
Global Security Group, Inc. (GSG) was founded in 2001 shortly after attacks of 9/11 with a clear mission; use the knowledge, training and experience of our team of former US Federal Agents and senior officers from the Police and Fire Departments of the City of New York to meet the security and life safety needs of the private sector. Feel free to reach out to us for a consultation on your security needs.
Assessing Risk
The first and most crucial step to be taken towards any preparedness plan is that you narrow down any possible occurrences. Create a list of all the disasters that could occur and prove to impact your business. These might include weather conditions, such as a blizzard or some form of violence in the workplace. From your list, choose the twelve emergencies you feel you could most likely be forced to deal with, and develop and organize a plan with protocols for a response.
Life Safety
Almost every emergency situation has the possibility of causing loss of life, which is why you will need a preset plan for a proper response. The plan will depend on the specific scenario, but the basics will need to include evacuation, sheltering in place, or as a last resort, locking down. Make a plan to ensure that you have trained your employees on each of these actions, when they are called for, and how best to handle them.
Stabilization of Incidents
In the case of any emergency, you will find it very helpful to know which individuals in your community possess what could be essential training and skills. For instance, are there any members of your staff that are trained and certified in CPR? Which individual is the most organized and level-headed to serve as the point of contact for any information, whether the need is internally or externally? Who has the training necessary to deal with chemical spills? And finally, who possesses the most knowledge of the facility, its layout, and its strengths and weakness, which can prove crucial in helping to minimize any damage?
Make a list of any supplies or equipment you feel you may need if an emergency occurs. Check to see if you have a fire extinguisher that is functioning and has not expired. Check how much potable water you have on hand, along with how many and which medical supplies. The last thing you will want to find yourself needing to do and take care of is searching for the supplies and equipment necessary if an emergency strikes.
Weather Emergencies
Over the decades, the science of predicting oncoming weather, such as snowstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters, has improved. When considering the preparedness of your business for an anticipated weather event, some valuable skills will include: assessing any damage, protecting property that has escaped any damage, and salvaging any damaged items while cleaning up. Keep up on any alerts of inclement weather that may be headed your way to better prepare and minimize any possible damage.
Review Your Insurance
Part of your preparedness plan should involve knowing what insurance coverage you have and what is and is not covered. Be sure that you have a working knowledge of the scope and protection your plan affords you, including the amount your deductible will be, should you need to make a claim. By reviewing your plan ahead of time, you will be able to make the necessary adjustments if there are any shortages or overages in the plan.
Consider Your Finances
If the worst-case scenario were to happen, lives could be lost. However, even in the best-case scenario, you will undoubtedly see the involvement of a monetary cost. Imperative to make sure of is that you plan and have funds available in the contingency that damage or disruption happens to occur. In the long run, being prepared in this manner could be the best investment you could ever make. As a business owner, you are always closely watching your bottom line. However, in the case of emergency preparedness, the only bottom line that counts is whether or not you are prepared.
Global Security Group, Inc. (GSG) was founded in 2001 shortly after attacks of 9/11 with a clear mission; use the knowledge, training and experience of our team of former US Federal Agents and senior officers from the Police and Fire Departments of the City of New York to meet the security and life safety needs of the private sector. Feel free to reach out to us for a consultation on your security needs.
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