Minor planning for Disasters

1. Disaster Planning and Communications
Taking a proactive approach is vital to preparedness. The ability to respond quickly and the effectiveness of
communications protocolsare critical. Even minimal planning outshines no planning. Be prepared! Don’t take chances.
DO Definition/Detail
Have a Call Tree “A call tree (phone tree, call list, phone chain or text chain) is a telecommunications chain for
in place notifying specific individuals of an event or tracking people down in case of a disaster.Each person on
the call tree contacts the next person on the list and that person contacts the next person (and so on)
until everyone on the call tree has been reached. In the event that the next person on the list cannot
be reached, the caller continues with the next level of the tree that so the chain does not break. “
To ensure that everyone who needs to know about the event has been notified, the last person on
the call tree list should call the first person on the list to complete the loop.
For a call tree to work, employee contact information must be up-to-date and individuals on
the tree should supply multiple contact options. Such as home phone, cell phone and an
emergencycontact phone number.
If the call tree is not automated and has to be done manually;
Store the phone numbers for the people for which you are responsible on your cell phone.
Print the list have a copy; at your desk, at home, in your car
Have an “Office Pair up – make it a formal process that everyone in the office has an office buddy who will know if
Buddy” system they are in the office that day or not. Much like in a fire drill where either the manager or cube mate
or office mate is aware of the whereabouts of a specific individual.
Each person’s primary allegiance is to their personal safety and that of their family, pets and friends, but employers
should also be in that mix – they need to know you are ok for multiple reasons –first, you are a valuable commodity –
second, there are business functions, payrolls, insurance claims and other processes that need to continue or be enacted
during a disaster.
If you… Then
know you have to evacuate at Call, text and/or email your manager and your office buddy to let them know;
some point where you are
plan on staying put what you are planning with regard to evacuation or safety
will be out of town whether or not you are in harms’ way
are evacuating who to contact if they don’t hear from you or can’t get in touch with you
have power/phone is charged during the emergency
can get to the internet
Some nearby businesses might have Wi-Fi and internet café’s that you can go to and also might have backup generators so
you can charge your cell phone. Coffee Shops are usually a decent bet!
Have not been contacted during an Call, text or email your manager and your office buddy to let them know you are
emergency and are; ok.
OK
On vacation or out of town or This allows them to check you off the list of people they are tracking down so
travelingand hear about it they can focus on the few who are not accounted for and can focus on rescue or
have power or a charged phone or operational issues.
can get to the internet somewhere
Cydney Davis, Senior Consultant – MDI Group