Business

Preparedness Planning for Your Business

Businesses and their staff face a variety of hazards:

Natural hazards like floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes.
Health hazards such as widespread and serious illnesses like the flu.
Human-caused hazards including accidents and acts of violence.
Technology-related hazards like power outages and equipment failure.

There is much that a business leader can do to prepare his or her organization for the most likely hazards. The Ready Business program helps business leaders make a preparedness plan to get ready for these hazards.

Ready Business Toolkits

The Ready Business Toolkit series includes hazard-specific versions for earthquake, hurricane, inland flooding, power outage, and severe wind/tornado. Toolkits offer business leaders a step-by-step guide to build preparedness within an organization. Each toolkit contains the following sections:

Identify Your Risk
Develop A Plan
Take Action
Be Recognized and Inspire Others

Business Emergency Preparedness Social Media Toolkit

The Business Emergency Preparedness Social Media Toolkit has safety and preparedness messages you can share on your social media channels.

Link to Business Emergency Prepardness Social Media Toolkit

Earthquake “QuakeSmart” Toolkit

Unlike other natural disasters, earthquakes occur without warning and cannot be predicted. Most of the United States is at some risk for earthquakes, not just the West Coast, so it is important that you understand your risk, develop preparedness and mitigation plans, and take action.

Link to QuakeSmart Ready Business Toolkit

Link to Spanish Ready Business QuakeSmart Toolkit

Hurricane Toolkit

Many parts of the United States, including Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastal areas, Hawaii, parts of the Southwest, Puerto Rico, the Pacific Coast, and the U.S. Virgin Islands and territories in the Pacific may be directly affected by heavy rains, strong winds, wind-driven rain, coastal and inland floods, tornadoes, and coastal storm surges resulting from tropical storms and hurricanes. The Ready Business Hurricane Toolkit helps leaders take action to protect employees, protect customers, and help ensure business continuity as well.

Link to Hurricane Ready Business Toolkit

Link to Spanish Ready Business Hurricane Toolkit

Inland Flooding Toolkit

Most of the United States is at some risk for flooding, so it is important that organizations, businesses, and community groups understand the potential impacts.

Link to Inland Flooding Ready Business Toolkit

Link to Spanish Ready Business Inland Flooding Toolkit

Power Outage Toolkit

While a Power Outage may not seem as dangerous as a tornado or earthquake, they can still cause damage to homes, businesses and communities. Power Outages cost the U.S. economy $20 billion and $55 billion annually and continue to increase each year (CRS, 2012).

Link to Power Outage Ready Business Toolkit

Link to Spanish Ready Business Power Outages Toolkit

Severe Wind/Tornado Toolkit

It is not just in Tornado Alley. Most of the United States is at some risk for severe wind and tornadoes

Link to Severe Wind Tornado Ready Business Toolkit

Link to Spanish Ready Business Severe Wind Tornado Toolkit

Ready Business Workshop “How-To” Guide

This “How-To” guide explains how to plan for and deliver effective Ready Business workshops.

Link to How-To Ready Business Toolkit

Ready Business Videos

The Ready Business Program provides leaders with the tools to plan, take action, and become a Ready Business. The program addresses several key parts of getting ready, including Staff, Surroundings, Physical space, Building Construction, Systems, and Service. These videos briefly explain each concept.

Staff/Employee Management

Physical Surroundings

Physical Space

Building Construction

Systems

Community Service