Open For Business

Bonnie Canal Managing Partner

The Resiliency Institute

Business Resiliency

Business Continuity Plans are a piece of the creating safer, stronger communities

FEMA BCP Video

Hurricane Irene: by the Numbers

Storm Overview

• North Carolina residents and emergency managers began preparing for Hurricane Irene August 24 as the Category 3 storm approached the state with 115 mph sustained winds.

• Effects from the hurricane could be felt in New Hanover County by the evening of August 26. By the time Hurricane Irene made landfall at 9 a.m Saturday, Aug. 27 near Cape Lookout the winds had diminished and was downgraded to a Category 1 storm.

• The hurricane caused storm surge of 2 to 4 feet along parts of the Outer Banks and up to 15 feet along parts of the Pamlico Sound.

Damage Overview

• 7 - people killed by the hurricane (2-Pitt, 1 each in Nash, New Hanover, Onslow, Sampson and Wayne counties)

• 86 shelters open in 41 counties housing more than 10,000 people

• More than 660,000 power outages (at peak)

• More than 270 roads and 21 bridges closed due to flooding, debris and damage (at peak).

Hurricane Irene: by the Numbers

Recovery Assistance• 38 – counties approved for federal disaster assistance for individuals and business owners• 37 – counties approved for federal disaster assistance for local governments and certain

non-profits• 31– Disaster Recovery Centers were open in various communities between Aug.31 and

Nov.4 to provide one-on-one assistance for survivors• 35,034 - people registered with FEMA for state & federal assistance• 17,666- residents visited Disaster Recovery Centers which were operated jointly by FEMA

and NCEM with support from SBA• 27,800- damaged homes inspected and paperwork sent to FEMA• $35 million+ approved in federal disaster assistance grants for homeowners and renters in

38 counties• $47 million in SBA loans to homeowners and business owners• 17,500+ - Number of households or businesses that received state/federal financial

assistance to recover

Hurricane Irene: by the Numbers

Recovery Assistance• 1,671 - families helped through NCEM/FEMA Community Outreach efforts• 284 - families housed in nearby hotels or apartments for several weeks while their homes

were repaired• 196 - number of temporary housing units provided by FEMA as temporary shelter for 194

families in remote areas as they rebuilt their homes.• $1.9 million provided in Disaster Unemployment Insurance to 838 people• $110 million - Amount of Public Assistance funds obligated• 1,814 - number of Public Assistance projects for which funds have been obligated. 323

different agencies applied for funding assistance.• $63 million - amount of reimbursement to counties for debris removal and emergency

protective measures• $47 million - amount of reimbursement to counties for permanent work• 16 - number of properties acquired as part of Hazard Mitigation program• 900 - number of properties analyzed for potential hazard mitigation funding.

1 in 4 businesses forced to close after a disaster, never reopens.

Turn Excuses Into Action

• We thought we had no risk• It takes too much time• It takes too much money• We had more important things to think about• We thought we were too small to need a plan• We backed up our computers and thought that

was enough• We didn’t know where to go for help

• Protect people and property• Resume critical business operations• Minimize downtime• Preserve reputation• Meet obligations

Objectives of Business Continuity Planning

What if…

A natural, human-caused, technological orbuilding-specific disaster occurred?

Could you contact employees / vendors / customers?

What if your equipment or machinery were damaged? What if you lost valuable information/data? Would you lose market share or reputation?

Top 5 Threats or Risks to Businesses

• Power Loss• Loss of Sales & Customers• Length of Recovery• Uninsured Loss (for continuing operations)

• Uninsured Loss (for destruction of physical property)NFIB Research Foundation Report

WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS?

10 Steps to Preparedness

1. Assess Your Risk – Both Internally and Externally

2. Know Your Operations

3. Know Your IT Capabilities & Back Up Your Data

4. Prepare Your Supply Chain

5. Prepare Your Employees

6. Create a Crisis Communications Plan

7. Assemble Emergency Supplies

8. Identify an Alternate Location

9. Know Your Insurance Coverage & Finances

10.Test Your Plan

Know Your Risks

Know Your Operations

PayrollAccounts Payable Customer Orders

Sales Deliveries Benefits

Know Your Information Technology & Back Up Your Data

Prepare Your Supply Chain

• How will you maintain operations if your suppliers are impacted by a disaster? • Talk to your key vendors and suppliers about their recovery plans.• Ask yourself…has it been tested?

• Develop relationships with alternate vendors.• Eliminate single points of failure

• Insure what can’t be protected.

Know Your Key Customers, Contacts, Suppliers & Vendors

Know Your Employees

Prepare Your Employees

What Do Your Employees Know About Your Plan?• Do they know a plan exists?• Do they know where to find the plan?• Do they know their primary role?• Have you shared the plan with new hires?• Prepare for work-from-home challenges.

Create a Communication Plan

• Call Tree (Landline, Mobile, Text, Email)

• Call-in Number

• Social Media

• Company Intranet

• 3rd Party Emergency Notification Systems

• Customers

• Suppliers & Vendors

• Creditors

• Media Communications

Assemble Emergency Supplies

• Employee Emergency Kits• Workplace Recovery Kits

Plan for an Alternate Location

• Physical Recovery Elements– Data shouldn’t be the only recoverable asset

• Office Space• Work Spaces (desks, chairs, etc.)• Hardware (servers, desktops, copy, fax)• Power (know your demands ahead of time)

Know Your Finances

Know Your Insurance Coverage

• Business Income & Extra Expense

• Contingent Business Interruption

• Supply Chain

• Services Interruption/Off -Premises Power

• Interruption by Civil or Military Authority

Test Your Plan: Where the Rubber Meets the Road!

• Do an annual exercise and update the plan as necessary.

• There is no pass or fail.• Make adjustments as needed and remember

to re-educate your employees.• Testing is a process not just a project.

“Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice”. -Anton Chekhov

Know Where to Go For Help

Prepare to Recover

Do This TODAY…

• Assess Your Risk• Employee Contact List• Suppliers/Vendors List• Identify Other Key Contacts• Identify Critical Business Functions• Identify Possible Alternate Recovery Location

Tools & Resources

• http://readync.org/• www.ready.gov• www.sba.gov• www.preparemybusiness.org• www.readyrating.org• www.disastersafety.org

Questions?

Bonnie Canal Managing Partner

The Resiliency Institute504-874-5474

bonniecanal@theresiliencyinstitute.com