If you own a business, you know the importance of preparedness. You prepare for client meetings, taxes, presentations and so on. One of the hardest things to prepare for, however, is a disaster. It is easy to put disaster preparedness at the back of your mind, especially if a disaster is not happening presently. According to a survey the Red Cross conducted in 2009, 89 percent of those surveyed felt it is necessary to be prepared for a disaster, but only 12 percent had an emergency disaster plan in place. Just as your prepare a budget and ways to save money, preparing for a disaster can save your business thousands of dollars and assist with business continuity.
The Ready Rating™ Program from the American Red Cross is a free, online program that can help you prepare for different disasters scenarios that can affect your business, from floods to fires to illnesses. When you sign up for the program, you learn about how prepared your business truly is to handle any emergency. After completing the readiness survey, you receive feedback regarding how to improve your business disaster planning efforts. Even if you have created a business disaster plan, you can still benefit from the Rating Ready™ Program because you may learn of ways to better prepare your employees or learn about consideration you did not think about when you made your plan.
Retirement, college funds, vacations, large purchases and rainy days are all reasons most people save money. However, many fail to save cash in the event of a disaster. It is common for vendors to only accept cash after a disaster as their electronic equipment may not work properly.
Experts recommend that you save emergency funds in your bank account in the event you cannot work after a disaster so you can continue to pay your bills using checks. However, you should also keep enough cash to pay for gas, food and water (in the event you run out), a telephone card and any additional supplies you may need. The amount you should save depends on the size of your household, medical needs and the needs of pets you may own.
When saving money for an emergency disaster kit, you can place a large amount in it right away or add small amounts to it every month so it grows. However, make the cash you save in your kit off-limits because you will depend upon this money if you experience a disaster. Consider placing the cash in a small, fireproof safe next to or inside your prepared emergency disaster kit.
Local natural and manmade disasters can cause great devastation when they happen. You can help reduce the affect of these disasters by getting involved in your city’s or county’s disaster planning efforts. Some states, like California and New York, have websites where communities can get involved in planning for a variety of local disasters. Check out your city or counties website to see how you can get involved, or call your local city hall or Red Cross. These places will be able to give you information on how your city or county will need help during a local disaster.
When there is a disaster, a community typically needs assistance with the following:
Redirecting Traffic. If there is loss of power to a city or there has been a natural disaster, the roads are often the first to suffer. Directing traffic can help relieve congestion and redirect people to alternate routes.
Phone tree. Operating a phone tree in a disaster helps get vital information to those who need it.
Disaster command center. The coordination of agencies involved in providing aid to a distraught area can be strenuous for just a few people to do; that’s why volunteering to help at a command center can help relieve stress and as you provide another brain that knows what’s going on. Assistance can take on the form of helping run an information booth to helping with emergency shelter services, and more.
CPR & First Aid. Learning CPR and first aid techniques can help you know how to provide immediate life-saving acts until more help arrives.
Volunteer Coordination and Preparation. Volunteer coordinators help recruit able bodies to assist in areas such as outreach to the community about preparedness, clean-up, to helping hand out essential items to those in need. Volunteers help speed the recovery effort.
Many of us consider our pets a member of the family. There are easy steps one can take to help ensure your furry companion is as safe as possible during a disaster:
*Make sure the vaccines are up to date and have proof of such
*Have a current picture of your pet in case you have to identify it at a later time
*Make sure your pet is wearing a collar with proper I.D.
*Plan ahead: keep phone numbers handy of kennels, friends or family, and shelters that can keep your pet during a disaster.
In your emergency disaster kit, plan for your pets too. In this kit, keep a copy of your pet’s I.D. and immunization records. Along with a carrier, make sure you have enough food and water for your pets. Keep a muzzle, leash, and collar in this kit so you can grab-and-go. Lastly, keep medications your pets may need handy in your kit.
If you own a business, you know the importance of preparedness. You prepare for client meetings, taxes, presentations and so on. One of the hardest things to prepare for, however, is a disaster. It is easy to put disaster preparedness at the back of your mind, especially if a disaster is not happening presently. According to a survey the Red Cross conducted in 2009, 89 percent of those surveyed felt it is necessary to be prepared for a disaster, but only 12 percent had an emergency disaster plan in place. Just as your prepare a budget and ways to save money, preparing for a disaster can save your business thousands of dollars and assist with business continuity.
