Disaster Recovery Journal

hazards that may impact their area and
trains them in basic disaster response skills
such as fire safety, light search and rescue,
team organization, and disaster medical
operations. Using the training learned
in the classroom and during exercises,
CERT members can assist others in their
neighborhood or workplace following an
event when professional responders are
not immediately available to help. CERT
members also are encouraged to support
emergency response agencies by taking
an active role in emergency preparedness
projects in their community.
u Local and/or regional emergency
management committees work together
to focus on policies, guidance, standard
operating procedures, and operational
capabilities for emergency management.
u Public emergency operation centers
(EOC) often do not have private business
involvement. However, businesses should
proactively coordinate with EOCs, both
to volunteer and provide resources, and
to participate in planning. As much as
possible, businesses should ask to be
involved in public EOC exercises to gain
an understanding of how the community
responds and recovers from an event and
understand how they fit in.
u Joint emergency operations centers are
more broadly based than public EOCs
and may include multiple municipalities,
state and/or federal partners, and other
stakeholders such as the private sector and
the military.
u The National Guard is a state asset,
controlled by the governor, who may
call it to service based on local
community requests for services.

The National Guard may be sent to a locality ahead of time to prepare for a significant anticipated event.

Leveraging External Agencies in the Context of the Emergency Management Cycle

It is important to understand that in the private sector, the business continuity planning cycle as outlined in the DRII Ten Professional Practices is structured differently from the public arena perspective at the national, state, regional, and

municipal levels as the event emergency management cycle moves through mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery, and post-event phases. While those two standards differ, they are compatible; they have parallels and can be correlated. Participation and collaboration in public-private dialogue and planning at all levels is important for governments and government agencies, businesses, individuals, and the community at large. However, collaborating at the regional and municipal levels can be particularly rewarding, because participants at the local level have personally-shared interests and win-win opportunities.

Mitigation and Preparedness

From an education/orientation perspective, it is important for businesses to understand the National Incident Management System (NIMS), because that is the framework that local, state, and national government use to manage disasters. A free course on FEMA is available to businesses which can help them understand how governments manage disasters, including terminology and protocols. The Incident Command System (ICS) is part of NIMS but offers a separate course. Those courses will orient you to NIMS/ICS standards and improve your ability to communicate effectively in public-private interactions.

Organizational interfaces at the regional level involve public authority contacts, public information officers/public relations, area councils, local emergency planning commissions, and CERT. Businesses must establish information sources and understand how public authorities communicate. It is also important to provide up-to-date information about your organization to public safety officials on an ongoing basis.

Determining vulnerabilities and risks to your organization, which, from a business continuity planning perspective, takes place during the risk assessment phase, is best done in consultation with experts. In the case of hazard mitigation plans, for example, the best place to start for information may be regional councils or local offices of emergency management. These places are helpful because they offer interpretation of flood maps and assessment of flooding risk.

Business continuity professionals are invited to participate in training and local/regional public sector exercises. Surprisingly, few take advantage of those opportunities. For example, you can participate in local emergency management and homeland security exercises and educational opportunities that support your industry. Those experiences will be more rewarding if you obtain a copy of the pertinent emergency operations plan and review it in advance.

It is important to invite the public entities to participate in, or observe, your organization’s training and exercises. That interaction lays the foundation for the level of support that is needed and available during disaster situations. In the event of a disaster, it may be essential for your key management and technical personnel to gain access to your organization’s facilities. Prior arrangements with public sector authorities may make the difference between being granted access when an area is cordoned off and not getting access.