Disaster Proofing Your Agency

Preparedness Planning for Your Agency

Businesses that want to survive disasters should prepare in advance for the impact of the many hazards they face in today’s world including

NATURAL DISASTERS

  • floods,
  • hurricanes,
  • tornadoes,
  • earthquakes and
  • widespread serious illness such as the H1N1 flu virus pandemic.

HUMAN-CAUSED EVENTS

  • accidents,
  • acts of violence by people and
  • acts of terrorism.

TECHNOLOGY FAILURES

  • Examples of technology-related hazards are the failure or malfunction of
    • systems,
    • equipment or
    • software.

Only 35% of medium to small sized businesses have a comprehensive disaster recovery plan. This is a discouraging statistic given that many studies show that 40% of businesses do not reopen after a disaster (source: Insurance Information Institute).

This is not a small task, but proper planning IN ADVANCE goes a long way toward assuring you’re business will survive disaster.


Every business as well as every family and individual should have a GO bag of emergency items in the event you are dislocated.

Agency ‘GO’ Bag

A GO BAG is an emergency kit that is ready to be used at all times. Its purpose is to minimize the impact of a disaster by including the basic items needed to run your business in the event you have to relocate. It doesn’t hurt to have at least two GO bags stored in OFFSITE locations.

A GO BAG office emergency kit is unique to the individual needs of your office, but a good starting list might include:

  • Data Backups, with procedures and processes
  • A printout of your employee and client list with contact information
  • Your insurance policies with contact information
  • A basic first aid kit
  • Basic offices supplies needed such as pens, paper, stationary, etc.
  • Battery backups for mobile devices
  • A laptop, printer, and scanner
  • A basic tool kit
  • Petty cash for covering emergency purchases, payroll and other bills
  • Basic food items, water, etc