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Developing a disaster plan for your business means starting now
Tampa Bay Business Journal - by Betti Johnson
2008 Hurricane Guide: Guest Columnist
April 11, 2008

I know what you are thinking -- what are the odds? It's been 87 years since Tampa Bay was hit by a major hurricane. Many people believe Tampa Bay is somehow protected along the west coast of the peninsula. No, sorry -- all the weather experts agree it has just been pure luck.

Think about how our world has evolved over the last 87 years. Tampa Bay has obviously grown from a "boom town" in 1921 of approximately 240,000 people -- most of whom lived on high ground -- to a metropolitan region of 3.5 million people. We not only have a large coastal and mobile home population, but many of our residents have special needs. These factors, our location on the shallow Gulf waters and the configuration of Tampa Bay, make this region the second-most hurricane vulnerable region in the country. We are second only to New Orleans in flood vulnerability and second to Miami in potential wind damage.

Our economy may be more vulnerable as well. Businesses in 1921 were not as dependent upon electrical power, utilities, connectivity, communications and transportation. Disaster planning means thinking about these linkages and finding the solutions for your business.

The real question is, "Do we all continue to gamble that our luck will hold, or do we realize our very real vulnerability and take the time and the resources to prepare ourselves?" It's been proven that businesses that prepare will have the competitive advantage and most will survive. For those who continue to chance it, well, you don't have to be a gambler to know the odds are no longer with us.

At the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, we are working with our Business Continuity Planning Committee to update and revise our Florida Business Disaster Survival Kit (fldisasterkit.com). Here are the top 10 things to remember as you develop your action plan for this hurricane season:

• Conduct a vulnerability assessment. Identify the numerous hazards from hurricanes or other events that could seriously impact your business. "Being prepared for the unexpected is the key to the resiliency of one's business from the smallest setback to the unavoidable catastrophic event," said Steve Elliot, president and CEO of Elliot Consulting Services Inc. "A disaster is any event that impacts you and your operations."

• Protect your most valuable assets: your employees. Make sure they are prepared at work and at home and know what you expect of them before, during and after an emergency. "It is critical for businesses to develop a culture of preparedness within the workplace," said Susan Mueller, emergency manager for TECO Energy. "A prepared work force plays a vital role in the continuity of a business in times of emergency."

• Insurance, insurance, insurance. It's not the be-all to end-all, but it is very important. As Sandra Gunner, president and CEO of the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, advises "Run, don't walk, to your insurance agent and make sure you are adequately covered." Review your policy with a professional every six months to insure you protect your facilities, employees, clients/customers and operations.

• Protect your vital records. "After Hurricane Charley, our center was filled with people just trying to stay in business," said Jerry Ross, executive director of the Disney Entrepreneur Center in Orlando. "They were rebuilding their customer records, accounts receivable lists and insurance information. Those who were prepared for a disaster were back on their feet much faster!"

• Back up your data. Make regularly scheduled backups of all electronic files and keep it in a safe location or online.

• Protect your facilities. Know your ABCs. In order to do this, you may want to bring in a commercial contractor to help.

The ABCs are: Anchor roof connections; brace all doors; cover windows and other openings; and identify a "safe room," an interior room away from windows.

"It is a good idea to include a plan to shelter in place should the need arise for different scenarios including a tornado warning, high winds, or a hazardous materials incident," said Doug Douglass, manager of planning and preparedness for the Tampa Bay Chapter of the American Red Cross.

• Identify the critical functions for your business. What functions must be accomplished if your business is to stay in operation? What can be put on the back burner? What are your immediate resource (equipment, supplies, personnel) needs?

• Develop a communications plan. At minimum, a phone tree should be distributed with home and cell phone numbers. However, after a hurricane, phone lines and cell towers may be down. How will you communicate? You should know your employees' plans and they should know how to contact you. You will also need alternate numbers for vendors, suppliers and key customers/clients.

• Identify alternate vendors and suppliers. Your suppliers or vendors may have been impacted. It is important to know who else you can call for immediate needs, such as payroll, shipping services, materials and emergency supplies.

• Identify an alternate facility in case you cannot return to your building.

If you need assistance developing your plan, contact your county emergency management office or your local Red Cross Chapter. They can provide you with information.

Business and industry play a vital role in disaster recovery. Preparedness is everyone's responsibility and your community is counting on you. "Do it today," said Laurie Feagans, Manatee County Emergency Management director, and leader of the Tampa Bay Incident Management Team responding to Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina. "Take it seriously. Don't gamble with your business needlessly."

Read the article at TBBJ online edition.

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