Business & Tech

Help Ensure Your Company's Survival; Prepare For Emergencies

Chamber President Jack Lank shares business tips on surviving the storm.

With Hurricane Irene fast making its way towards New England, the issue of emergency preparedness is more timely and important than ever. In addition to hurricanes, New England is susceptible to a wide variety of emergencies - including blizzards, ice storms, extensive flooding, fires and utility disruptions - with dozens of federally-declared disasters striking the region since 2007 alone.   

These disasters have the potential to cripple or even destroy businesses of any size that are unprepared for such events; studies show that 40% of businesses that do not have emergency plans in place do not re-open after a major incident. Being unprepared for emergencies can have catastrophic consequences for your business, your investment and income, and the lives of your employees and associates.

I strongly urge you and your employees to visit www.Ready.gov or www.Listo.govTODAY for helpful tips on preparing for hurricanes, flash flooding and other disasters.

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September is National Preparedness Month, and I encourage all business owners and executives to incorporate emergency management into their corporate culture. Assessing and strengthening your company's emergency plans and taking the appropriate, proactive steps will help ensure the safety and survival of your business and employees during and after an emergency.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency and its federal partners provide free and comprehensive information and resources that will help your company prepare. Visit www.fema.gov/business/guide for step-by-step advice on how to create and maintain a comprehensive emergency management program, andwww.ready.gov/business for commonsense ways to start getting ready, easy-to-use templates and links to detailed business continuity and disaster preparedness information.

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I also encourage business owners and executives to register as a National Preparedness Month Coalition member, which will provide access to critical information and resources and ways to collaborate on business and community preparedness with thousands of fellow members across the country. On-line registration (www.community.fema.gov) is free and takes just 97 seconds to complete, seconds that can help you save weeks, months, or even years of trouble.

As local businesses can also play a critical role in official disaster response and recovery efforts, FEMA is also now working with its local partners across the country to engage and fully leverage the resources and capabilities of local businesses so they are better able to provide self-aid and self-help - and perhaps provide critical good and services to others - during the initial hours and days following an event.

To learn more about how your business can get involved in this private sector initiative and to sign up for emergency information alerts, please contact FEMA Region I Private Sector Liaison Bruce Brodoff bruce.brodoff@dhs.gov or 617-956-7517.

Preparing for emergencies makes good business sense. The better prepared your business and employees are, the faster your operations can recover - helping not only your business but your community as well.

Jack Lank

President, United Regional Chamber of Commerce


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