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Emergency Notification
Incident Management

Severe
Weather
Preparedness
and Resiliency
Business Continuity in the face
of hurricanes, winter storms,
tornadoes and other severe
weather
By Howard Mannella
Weather Threats Preparedness and Resiliency

About the Author
Howard Mannella, CBCP,
MBCI is Managing Principal
of Alternative Resiliency
Services Corp, a risk
management consulting
firm specializing in
executive education,
strategy and planning,
and exercises around
Business Resiliency and
Organizational/Personal
Preparedness for midcap and enterprise
organizations.

Hurricanes1, winter storms, tornadoes, tropical storms2 and other severe
weather events are an unavoidable fact of life. The U.S. Atlantic hurricane
season officially runs from June 1st through November 30th. Winter storms
in the Northern hemisphere mostly occur between November and March.
The U.S. tornado season, while not official, typically begins in March.3
Severe weather exacts a massive financial toll:
•	 Severe weather caused damages of more than $100 billion in 2012 in
the United States alone.
•	 Winter weather was responsible for an average of $10 billion per year
in global economic losses over the past 10 years.
•	 11 U.S. tornado outbreaks in 2011-2012 each caused damage of more
than $1 billion.

alternativeresiliency.com

Summer phenomena such as hurricanes and cyclones exact the largest
economic losses by far. Winter weather results in less economic impact, but
it often affects larger areas than does hurricanes or tornadoes.

Table of Contents

Planning and preparedness are essential for a company to protect its assets,
operations, employees, and especially its brand and reputation.

1.	 Understanding
Resiliency
2.	 The Planning Process
3.	 Implement and Plan
4.	 Putting it Together
5.	 Resources

This planning aid is not a simple checklist. There are many resources for
example checklists (see the Resources section at the end of this paper for
some good sources). This planning aid is intended to help you to think
through how to properly plan, then take from the resources at the end of
this article and customize to your unique needs. Then your business and
people will be truly prepared and resilient!

Understanding Resiliency
Resiliency—the ability to withstand and ‘bounce back’ from an emergency
event—is more than having a checklist. Putting a document into managers’
hands does not make their operations resilient. Actively engaging in the
planning process—thinking through the risks, impacts, mitigations and
responses; coming up with a plan; implementing the plan; and training
the employees—makes an organization resilient. To paraphrase Dwight
Eisenhower, plans are helpful but planning is invaluable!4

1 The term “Hurricane” refers to a tropical storm specifically of Atlantic Ocean origin. Cyclones are a
tropical Pacific Ocean phenomenon. Resiliency and preparedness principles are the same for both.
2 Tropical storms are most powerful and destructive when over water and they lose strength as they
move inland; however, significant damage can and has occurred in inland areas as well.
3 http://www.ready.ga.gov/Press/Press-Releases/March-Marks-Start-of-Active-Tornado-Season-in-Georgia
4 At Alternative Resiliency Services Corp, “Plans are Useful, Planning is Invaluable, Exercising is
Essential!” See the About ARSC section for more information.

Page 1
Weather Threats Preparedness and Resiliency

What comprises Resiliency?
There are five foundational elements:
Communications: the ability to reach your customers, suppliers, counterparties and employees. This is critical to choreographing and managing
your response during a weather incident.
Alternate means to work or live: where would you go; where would your
business processes be performed?
A plan: figure out what you will do, and then write it down (now you have
a checklist!).
Trained and aware people: your managers and staff need to understand
the plan, their roles and what they will do.

A common pitfall is
to jump in and start
compiling a checklist.

Practice: your team will become competent and comfortable with the plan.
A hurricane is the worst time to try the plan for the first time!

The Planning Process
A common pitfall to the planning process is to jump right in and start
compiling a checklist. This is an excellent way to miss critical items and
produce a weak plan. Proper planning means going through a step-wise
process that will result in end-to-end assured preparedness. The phases
below do not have to be long and burdensome; they can be as quick and
streamlined as appropriate to your organization.

Analyze and Assess

Investments in helping
your people with their
personal resiliency will
pay dividends.

Review the critical parts of your business, the risks and their impacts.
Can a business process be transferred elsewhere temporarily? What are the
tangible and intangible impacts if it is suspended? Identify the systems,
vital records and other requirements for each—how will they be accessed
during a debilitating storm?
Review your premises and infrastructure. What are the vulnerabilities?
Can the facilities be hardened or protected? How will you handle food,
water, power, heating, communications, etc. if you are sheltering during
the storm and afterward?
Review your employees. Who are your critical staff? Are backups or
seconds-in-command identified?5 Where do they live and how will they get
to work? Will they need to stay? Most importantly, will they be available to
work? Investments in helping your people with their personal resiliency will
pay dividends. Remember, a business cannot function without the people!
5 Best industry practice is to identify “three-deep” critical staff: primary, secondary and tertiary.

Page 2
Weather Threats Preparedness and Resiliency

Review your technology. Is it redundant? Backed up? Where are the
vulnerabilities?

Formulate a Strategy
Go through each item you’ve covered in the Analyze and Assess phase.
Ask yourself, “What will I do for this item before, during and after a
hurricane?
Typical strategy options include suspension of operation, transfer to
alternate or surviving locations, Shelter-In-Place and Work-From-Home.
Each has advantages and disadvantages. Your strategy will probably be a
mix of these options.
Develop your communications plan. This is the most important part of
your plan. Who needs to communicate? What? How? Recovery teams
especially need to be able to receive and exchange critical information.
Remember that phones and mobile systems might be degraded during an
emergency.6 Robust, multi-modal emergency notification is no longer a best
practice—it’s today’s price of admission. Consider investing in a platform
such as MissionMode for assured communication and information-sharing.

Implement and Plan
The outcome of the Strategy phase is two-fold: procedures or playbooks
to run the plan during the disaster and a set of implementation items to
be completed in order that the plan can work. Example implementation
items: if your strategy involves running on generator power, then acquire
a generator, a fuel supplier (or two) and execute delivery contracts. If
your strategy is to ‘batten down’ your facility, then acquire plywood and
materials plus the tools to do the job.7 Work on the implementation items
and track them to completion.
Plan procedures do not have to be detailed and complicated. Simple
checklists or playbooks can suffice. Remember that they are not standard
operating procedures but rather the list of necessary activities specific
to reacting to a disaster. Take the approach that playbooks are not for
business-as-usual managers, but they are aids for interim or temporary
replacements. Think, “If the weather event is imminent, what do I have to
do?” Here is an outline for an emergency playbook:

6 Experience in numerous disasters have shown that SMS text messaging and peer-to-peer.
communications such as Nextel® and Blackberry® often get through when mobile voice calls cannot.
7 Pre-supplying is a good practice as supplies might be in short supply when the storm is impending.

Page 3
Weather Threats Preparedness and Resiliency

•	 “Who do I call?” List of critical people and multiple means of contact
•	 “What do I do first?” List of immediate actions
•	 “What do I do next and over time?” List of ongoing actions
•	 “What do I stop doing?” List of deferrable actions
•	 “How do I return to normal” List of actions to ‘unwind’ the plan and
get back to normal. This is an often-neglected part of planning, and
issues or actions can fall through the cracks after the situation passes

Communications is a
critical foundation.

Communications within your incident team during emergency situations is
a critical foundation of any plan. Speed is often of the essence and everyone
needs to be ‘on the same page’. This is particularly challenging when team
members are in different locations.
Good incident management software, such as that offered by MissionMode,
can provide an instant understanding of what is going on, and what needs
to be done by whom. With the addition of a mobile incident management
app, your team can coordinate a response from any location.

Everyone should be
aware of the plan.

Roll Out
Once your plan is ready, roll it out to your people. Everyone should be
aware of the plan, where they fit in and what is expected of them (or not
expected of them). Rollout plans can include company announcements,
Town Halls, email, signage and other communications for general
awareness. They should also include management briefings, discussions
in team or department meetings and other means to provide more specific
education and to hear concerns and issues.

Test
Plan tests serve several purposes:
•	 They ensure that the plans work and help to identify gaps or
weaknesses.
•	 They are a catalyst to ensure that the implementation items are
completed and plan enablers are ready.
•	 They are valuable training and practice opportunities to ensure that
staff, managers and people with recovery responsibilities are familiar,
competent and comfortable with their roles.
There are a number of testing methods used for resiliency planning. They
include plan reviews or walkthroughs, table top exercises, functional
simulations and mock events. Look to future articles for further
explanations of these methods.

Page 4
Weather Threats Preparedness and Resiliency

Putting It Together
After you’ve developed your plan, refer to the following guidance to help
you walk through the actual event.

Before the Weather Event
•	 Make sure that your plan enablers are ready to go. Run the generator,
heater and other systems.
•	 Test your communication plan to make sure the information is correct
and to make sure that your people are familiar with it.
•	 Agree on priorities: People, Property, Assets and Reputation.
•	 Document your current state: take pictures of your facilities,
operations, etc. Collect any documentation that will help you make the
case for insurance claims or protect against liability.

Commonly-Overlooked Items:
•	 Extension/multi-plug cords and chargers for mobile phones, laptops,
etc.
•	 Oil for generators: having ample fuel is useless if your generator runs
out of lubricating oil.
•	 Keys or tools for turning off gas service, electrical panels, critical
machinery or systems.
•	 Systems or procedures for accessing absent employees’ voicemail
or email: critical communications might reach a standstill if critical
parties are attempting communication with unavailable employees.8
•	 Cash: normal methods of payment (credit cards, ATMs, bank
processing) might not be available for some time.
•	 Expiration dates: check them before the hurricane season is upon us.
Remember that gasoline and other fuels degrade without rotation or
addition of preservatives.
•	 Pet care (for personal resiliency): food, medicine, etc. Know where to
find a pet-friendly emergency shelter should you or your people need
one.
•	 Leisure or diversion/play items: do not underestimate the value of a
deck of cards or shelf of books/games when your people are stranded
in a location for several days.

8 Seek legal advice for the ramifications of accessing employee email and voicemail accounts

Page 5
Weather Threats Preparedness and Resiliency

During the Weather Event
Put your plan into action, using good business judgment to adapt the plan
to the specific circumstance.
Understand the ‘eye’: a hurricane is a storm movement revolving around a
central point of calm. Many lives are lost when the storm appears to cease
and people stand down, not expecting it to return, as the back of the system
passes through. Remember that the winds on the other side of the eye will
be in the opposite direction.
Understand unpredictability: hurricanes can change course unexpectedly
and tornadoes can veer and swerve. Winter storms have a more predictable
path, but they too can change course without notice. Close monitoring of
official real-time information and a conservative approach are best practice
for managing a weather event.
Remember that text messages have a better chance of getting
through than voice calls when the mobile network is overwhelmed or
compromised. Emergency notification systems can be a vital tool for
contacting a large number of people within a short amount of time.
Keep the ‘human perspective’ when running your plan. Your people, your
customers, your suppliers, even your competition… put people first!
Utilize social media. Civil authorities and news media are increasing
their use of Facebook and Twitter as a quick-twitch channel of breaking
information. Look to these sources as well as traditional sources for news
and information. Monitoring other, non-official social media traffic can
also be useful in getting visibility into the situation and what the ‘public at
large’ knows.

After the Event
•	 Confirm that your people are safe, then confirm their ability to work.
•	 Be prepared for reduced staffing for some period of time, as many
people might be focused on self/family issues or otherwise be
‘emotionally unavailable’ to work.
•	 Provide support, counseling, etc.
•	 Communicate with your customers, suppliers, counter-parties etc.
and assure them that you are in business and ready to assist them as
needed. Remember that Resiliency can be a significant differentiator so
take advantage of the investment you made in planning!
•	 Document damage for insurance and legal purposes. (This is why you
took the ‘before’ pictures, right?)
•	 Convene your team for a ‘hotwash’9 to review the event, your
responses, what worked and what needs to be improved. Track the
improvement items to closure.
9 ‘Hotwash’ is a term coined by firefighters referring to a meeting immediately after a fire incident to
review and learn while memory is still fresh

Page 6
Weather Threats Preparedness and Resiliency

This white paper is brought to you by

MissionMode’s web-based emergency notification and incident
management solutions simplify your response to any type of
incident, from routine operational issues to major disasters. They
reduce the time and cost of returning to normal business operations.

Smarter Emergency Notification
The Notification Center™ is built for mission-critical enterprise use,
yet it’s easy to use and manage. Intelligent, customized automation
adapts to changing situations and ensures a successful alert.
Features that you won’t find in many other systems include devicespecific alerts and alerts recorded in your own voice.

Manage an
incident in
the palm of
your hand

Incident Management Simplified
The Situation Center™ provides the tools to remedy an incident
better and faster—share information, monitor tasks, track
people’s status, send alerts, access any type of file, and more. It’s a
streamlined virtual command center that enables you to put your
plans into action with the click of a button.

Interactive Mobile Communication
EarShot™ goes far beyond ordinary notification. Communicate with
rich 2-way messages using text, forms, photos, documents, profiles
and GPS location. Increase situational awareness, get on-the-scene
intelligence, communicate with field personnel, and much more.

info@missionmode.com
www.missionmode.com
North America
+1 877.833.7763 (toll-free)
+1 312.445.8811
International
+44 203 021 1036

About Alternative Resiliency Services Corp
Alternative Resiliency Services Corp is a venture dedicated to furthering Organizational and
Personal Resiliency to enterprise and less-than-enterprise organizations. Focus areas are:
•	 Bespoke Consulting: Pragmatic and value-based advisory, fractional management and other
services without the PowerPoint and excessive fees.
•	 Managed Services: Basic preparedness without the overhead.
•	 Educational Services: Interactive evangelizing and teaching at corporate and other events.
•	 Facilitated Exercises: High-energy high-value training and practice opportunities, customized.
Visit www.alternativeresiliency.com to learn more.

MissionMode, Notification Center, Situation Center, EarShot and the MissionMode logo are trademarks of MissionMode Solutions, Inc.

Page 7
Weather Threats Preparedness and Resiliency

Resources
There are many resources for starting-point checklists and emergency
planning information. The links below are to organizations with direct
hurricane experience. They should get you started. Stay safe!
Click on a link to visit the website.
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/prepare/ready.php
Pinellas County (Florida)
http://www.pinellascounty.org/emergency/prepareahead.htm
University of Hawaii at Manoa
http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/emergency/Hurricane%20checklist.pdf
City of Miami (Florida)
http://www.miamigov.com/emergencymanagement/Hurricane/Survival%20Kit.
pdf
FEMA
http://www.ready.gov/hurricanes
Red Cross
http://www.redcross.org/images/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m4340160_
Hurricane.pdf

Text © Copyright 2013-2014, Howard Mannella. Layout and design © Copyright 2013,
MissionMode Solutions. All images are copyrighted by their respective sources, including
various Bigstock.com photographers and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric
Administration.
112513

Page 8

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Severe Weather Preparedness and Resiliency

  • 1. Emergency Notification Incident Management Severe Weather Preparedness and Resiliency Business Continuity in the face of hurricanes, winter storms, tornadoes and other severe weather By Howard Mannella
  • 2. Weather Threats Preparedness and Resiliency About the Author Howard Mannella, CBCP, MBCI is Managing Principal of Alternative Resiliency Services Corp, a risk management consulting firm specializing in executive education, strategy and planning, and exercises around Business Resiliency and Organizational/Personal Preparedness for midcap and enterprise organizations. Hurricanes1, winter storms, tornadoes, tropical storms2 and other severe weather events are an unavoidable fact of life. The U.S. Atlantic hurricane season officially runs from June 1st through November 30th. Winter storms in the Northern hemisphere mostly occur between November and March. The U.S. tornado season, while not official, typically begins in March.3 Severe weather exacts a massive financial toll: • Severe weather caused damages of more than $100 billion in 2012 in the United States alone. • Winter weather was responsible for an average of $10 billion per year in global economic losses over the past 10 years. • 11 U.S. tornado outbreaks in 2011-2012 each caused damage of more than $1 billion. alternativeresiliency.com Summer phenomena such as hurricanes and cyclones exact the largest economic losses by far. Winter weather results in less economic impact, but it often affects larger areas than does hurricanes or tornadoes. Table of Contents Planning and preparedness are essential for a company to protect its assets, operations, employees, and especially its brand and reputation. 1. Understanding Resiliency 2. The Planning Process 3. Implement and Plan 4. Putting it Together 5. Resources This planning aid is not a simple checklist. There are many resources for example checklists (see the Resources section at the end of this paper for some good sources). This planning aid is intended to help you to think through how to properly plan, then take from the resources at the end of this article and customize to your unique needs. Then your business and people will be truly prepared and resilient! Understanding Resiliency Resiliency—the ability to withstand and ‘bounce back’ from an emergency event—is more than having a checklist. Putting a document into managers’ hands does not make their operations resilient. Actively engaging in the planning process—thinking through the risks, impacts, mitigations and responses; coming up with a plan; implementing the plan; and training the employees—makes an organization resilient. To paraphrase Dwight Eisenhower, plans are helpful but planning is invaluable!4 1 The term “Hurricane” refers to a tropical storm specifically of Atlantic Ocean origin. Cyclones are a tropical Pacific Ocean phenomenon. Resiliency and preparedness principles are the same for both. 2 Tropical storms are most powerful and destructive when over water and they lose strength as they move inland; however, significant damage can and has occurred in inland areas as well. 3 http://www.ready.ga.gov/Press/Press-Releases/March-Marks-Start-of-Active-Tornado-Season-in-Georgia 4 At Alternative Resiliency Services Corp, “Plans are Useful, Planning is Invaluable, Exercising is Essential!” See the About ARSC section for more information. Page 1
  • 3. Weather Threats Preparedness and Resiliency What comprises Resiliency? There are five foundational elements: Communications: the ability to reach your customers, suppliers, counterparties and employees. This is critical to choreographing and managing your response during a weather incident. Alternate means to work or live: where would you go; where would your business processes be performed? A plan: figure out what you will do, and then write it down (now you have a checklist!). Trained and aware people: your managers and staff need to understand the plan, their roles and what they will do. A common pitfall is to jump in and start compiling a checklist. Practice: your team will become competent and comfortable with the plan. A hurricane is the worst time to try the plan for the first time! The Planning Process A common pitfall to the planning process is to jump right in and start compiling a checklist. This is an excellent way to miss critical items and produce a weak plan. Proper planning means going through a step-wise process that will result in end-to-end assured preparedness. The phases below do not have to be long and burdensome; they can be as quick and streamlined as appropriate to your organization. Analyze and Assess Investments in helping your people with their personal resiliency will pay dividends. Review the critical parts of your business, the risks and their impacts. Can a business process be transferred elsewhere temporarily? What are the tangible and intangible impacts if it is suspended? Identify the systems, vital records and other requirements for each—how will they be accessed during a debilitating storm? Review your premises and infrastructure. What are the vulnerabilities? Can the facilities be hardened or protected? How will you handle food, water, power, heating, communications, etc. if you are sheltering during the storm and afterward? Review your employees. Who are your critical staff? Are backups or seconds-in-command identified?5 Where do they live and how will they get to work? Will they need to stay? Most importantly, will they be available to work? Investments in helping your people with their personal resiliency will pay dividends. Remember, a business cannot function without the people! 5 Best industry practice is to identify “three-deep” critical staff: primary, secondary and tertiary. Page 2
  • 4. Weather Threats Preparedness and Resiliency Review your technology. Is it redundant? Backed up? Where are the vulnerabilities? Formulate a Strategy Go through each item you’ve covered in the Analyze and Assess phase. Ask yourself, “What will I do for this item before, during and after a hurricane? Typical strategy options include suspension of operation, transfer to alternate or surviving locations, Shelter-In-Place and Work-From-Home. Each has advantages and disadvantages. Your strategy will probably be a mix of these options. Develop your communications plan. This is the most important part of your plan. Who needs to communicate? What? How? Recovery teams especially need to be able to receive and exchange critical information. Remember that phones and mobile systems might be degraded during an emergency.6 Robust, multi-modal emergency notification is no longer a best practice—it’s today’s price of admission. Consider investing in a platform such as MissionMode for assured communication and information-sharing. Implement and Plan The outcome of the Strategy phase is two-fold: procedures or playbooks to run the plan during the disaster and a set of implementation items to be completed in order that the plan can work. Example implementation items: if your strategy involves running on generator power, then acquire a generator, a fuel supplier (or two) and execute delivery contracts. If your strategy is to ‘batten down’ your facility, then acquire plywood and materials plus the tools to do the job.7 Work on the implementation items and track them to completion. Plan procedures do not have to be detailed and complicated. Simple checklists or playbooks can suffice. Remember that they are not standard operating procedures but rather the list of necessary activities specific to reacting to a disaster. Take the approach that playbooks are not for business-as-usual managers, but they are aids for interim or temporary replacements. Think, “If the weather event is imminent, what do I have to do?” Here is an outline for an emergency playbook: 6 Experience in numerous disasters have shown that SMS text messaging and peer-to-peer. communications such as Nextel® and Blackberry® often get through when mobile voice calls cannot. 7 Pre-supplying is a good practice as supplies might be in short supply when the storm is impending. Page 3
  • 5. Weather Threats Preparedness and Resiliency • “Who do I call?” List of critical people and multiple means of contact • “What do I do first?” List of immediate actions • “What do I do next and over time?” List of ongoing actions • “What do I stop doing?” List of deferrable actions • “How do I return to normal” List of actions to ‘unwind’ the plan and get back to normal. This is an often-neglected part of planning, and issues or actions can fall through the cracks after the situation passes Communications is a critical foundation. Communications within your incident team during emergency situations is a critical foundation of any plan. Speed is often of the essence and everyone needs to be ‘on the same page’. This is particularly challenging when team members are in different locations. Good incident management software, such as that offered by MissionMode, can provide an instant understanding of what is going on, and what needs to be done by whom. With the addition of a mobile incident management app, your team can coordinate a response from any location. Everyone should be aware of the plan. Roll Out Once your plan is ready, roll it out to your people. Everyone should be aware of the plan, where they fit in and what is expected of them (or not expected of them). Rollout plans can include company announcements, Town Halls, email, signage and other communications for general awareness. They should also include management briefings, discussions in team or department meetings and other means to provide more specific education and to hear concerns and issues. Test Plan tests serve several purposes: • They ensure that the plans work and help to identify gaps or weaknesses. • They are a catalyst to ensure that the implementation items are completed and plan enablers are ready. • They are valuable training and practice opportunities to ensure that staff, managers and people with recovery responsibilities are familiar, competent and comfortable with their roles. There are a number of testing methods used for resiliency planning. They include plan reviews or walkthroughs, table top exercises, functional simulations and mock events. Look to future articles for further explanations of these methods. Page 4
  • 6. Weather Threats Preparedness and Resiliency Putting It Together After you’ve developed your plan, refer to the following guidance to help you walk through the actual event. Before the Weather Event • Make sure that your plan enablers are ready to go. Run the generator, heater and other systems. • Test your communication plan to make sure the information is correct and to make sure that your people are familiar with it. • Agree on priorities: People, Property, Assets and Reputation. • Document your current state: take pictures of your facilities, operations, etc. Collect any documentation that will help you make the case for insurance claims or protect against liability. Commonly-Overlooked Items: • Extension/multi-plug cords and chargers for mobile phones, laptops, etc. • Oil for generators: having ample fuel is useless if your generator runs out of lubricating oil. • Keys or tools for turning off gas service, electrical panels, critical machinery or systems. • Systems or procedures for accessing absent employees’ voicemail or email: critical communications might reach a standstill if critical parties are attempting communication with unavailable employees.8 • Cash: normal methods of payment (credit cards, ATMs, bank processing) might not be available for some time. • Expiration dates: check them before the hurricane season is upon us. Remember that gasoline and other fuels degrade without rotation or addition of preservatives. • Pet care (for personal resiliency): food, medicine, etc. Know where to find a pet-friendly emergency shelter should you or your people need one. • Leisure or diversion/play items: do not underestimate the value of a deck of cards or shelf of books/games when your people are stranded in a location for several days. 8 Seek legal advice for the ramifications of accessing employee email and voicemail accounts Page 5
  • 7. Weather Threats Preparedness and Resiliency During the Weather Event Put your plan into action, using good business judgment to adapt the plan to the specific circumstance. Understand the ‘eye’: a hurricane is a storm movement revolving around a central point of calm. Many lives are lost when the storm appears to cease and people stand down, not expecting it to return, as the back of the system passes through. Remember that the winds on the other side of the eye will be in the opposite direction. Understand unpredictability: hurricanes can change course unexpectedly and tornadoes can veer and swerve. Winter storms have a more predictable path, but they too can change course without notice. Close monitoring of official real-time information and a conservative approach are best practice for managing a weather event. Remember that text messages have a better chance of getting through than voice calls when the mobile network is overwhelmed or compromised. Emergency notification systems can be a vital tool for contacting a large number of people within a short amount of time. Keep the ‘human perspective’ when running your plan. Your people, your customers, your suppliers, even your competition… put people first! Utilize social media. Civil authorities and news media are increasing their use of Facebook and Twitter as a quick-twitch channel of breaking information. Look to these sources as well as traditional sources for news and information. Monitoring other, non-official social media traffic can also be useful in getting visibility into the situation and what the ‘public at large’ knows. After the Event • Confirm that your people are safe, then confirm their ability to work. • Be prepared for reduced staffing for some period of time, as many people might be focused on self/family issues or otherwise be ‘emotionally unavailable’ to work. • Provide support, counseling, etc. • Communicate with your customers, suppliers, counter-parties etc. and assure them that you are in business and ready to assist them as needed. Remember that Resiliency can be a significant differentiator so take advantage of the investment you made in planning! • Document damage for insurance and legal purposes. (This is why you took the ‘before’ pictures, right?) • Convene your team for a ‘hotwash’9 to review the event, your responses, what worked and what needs to be improved. Track the improvement items to closure. 9 ‘Hotwash’ is a term coined by firefighters referring to a meeting immediately after a fire incident to review and learn while memory is still fresh Page 6
  • 8. Weather Threats Preparedness and Resiliency This white paper is brought to you by MissionMode’s web-based emergency notification and incident management solutions simplify your response to any type of incident, from routine operational issues to major disasters. They reduce the time and cost of returning to normal business operations. Smarter Emergency Notification The Notification Center™ is built for mission-critical enterprise use, yet it’s easy to use and manage. Intelligent, customized automation adapts to changing situations and ensures a successful alert. Features that you won’t find in many other systems include devicespecific alerts and alerts recorded in your own voice. Manage an incident in the palm of your hand Incident Management Simplified The Situation Center™ provides the tools to remedy an incident better and faster—share information, monitor tasks, track people’s status, send alerts, access any type of file, and more. It’s a streamlined virtual command center that enables you to put your plans into action with the click of a button. Interactive Mobile Communication EarShot™ goes far beyond ordinary notification. Communicate with rich 2-way messages using text, forms, photos, documents, profiles and GPS location. Increase situational awareness, get on-the-scene intelligence, communicate with field personnel, and much more. info@missionmode.com www.missionmode.com North America +1 877.833.7763 (toll-free) +1 312.445.8811 International +44 203 021 1036 About Alternative Resiliency Services Corp Alternative Resiliency Services Corp is a venture dedicated to furthering Organizational and Personal Resiliency to enterprise and less-than-enterprise organizations. Focus areas are: • Bespoke Consulting: Pragmatic and value-based advisory, fractional management and other services without the PowerPoint and excessive fees. • Managed Services: Basic preparedness without the overhead. • Educational Services: Interactive evangelizing and teaching at corporate and other events. • Facilitated Exercises: High-energy high-value training and practice opportunities, customized. Visit www.alternativeresiliency.com to learn more. MissionMode, Notification Center, Situation Center, EarShot and the MissionMode logo are trademarks of MissionMode Solutions, Inc. Page 7
  • 9. Weather Threats Preparedness and Resiliency Resources There are many resources for starting-point checklists and emergency planning information. The links below are to organizations with direct hurricane experience. They should get you started. Stay safe! Click on a link to visit the website. National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/prepare/ready.php Pinellas County (Florida) http://www.pinellascounty.org/emergency/prepareahead.htm University of Hawaii at Manoa http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/emergency/Hurricane%20checklist.pdf City of Miami (Florida) http://www.miamigov.com/emergencymanagement/Hurricane/Survival%20Kit. pdf FEMA http://www.ready.gov/hurricanes Red Cross http://www.redcross.org/images/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m4340160_ Hurricane.pdf Text © Copyright 2013-2014, Howard Mannella. Layout and design © Copyright 2013, MissionMode Solutions. All images are copyrighted by their respective sources, including various Bigstock.com photographers and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. 112513 Page 8