Disaster Recovery Tip #48: 2011 Hurricane Season Wrap Up

The Wrap Up

Today officially marks the end of hurricane season. The 2011 Atlantic hurricane season produced a total of 19 tropical storms of which seven became hurricanes, including one that made landfall.

Take a glance at the 2011 storm-track map. Click here to enlarge map and view details.

Although the 2011 hurricane season has ended, the need to prepare for various disasters remains year-round activity. In fact, it may surprise you to know that half of Agility’s disaster declarations this year were due to isolated, non-weather related events.

With that being said, we encourage every business to prepare for all types of hazards by making an emergency plan and building a disaster recovery kit.

Contact

Mike Estey, Area Director at Agility Recovery Solutions
Telephone: (603) 660-2455
Fax: (800) 536-4237
Visit the Agility Recovery Solutions web site.

Disaster Recovery Tip #46: Involve Your Organization Top to Bottom

Gaining Support

With the end of the year just around the corner, most companies are in the midst of 2012 budget planning. Tough economic times are forcing small business owners to take a critical look at their past and future expenses.
Due to its perceived complexity and traditionally high cost, management can be quick to put business continuity planning on the budgetary chopping block. But that doesn’t have to be the case. Sometimes all it takes is an internal champion to help upper-level managers see that implementing a solid disaster recovery plan doesn’t need to take a lot of time or money.

To help with this process, Agility is hosting a free webinar tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. EST on securing management support for business continuity. Join Agility’s CEO Bob Boyd as he provides actionable advice and suggestions on how to overcome a lack of internal support.
Click here to register.

Contact

Mike Estey, Area Director at Agility Recovery Solutions
Telephone: (603) 660-2455
Fax: (800) 536-4237
Visit the Agility Recovery Solutions web site.

Disaster Recovery Tip #44: Stay Safe this Halloween

Trick or Treat!

Seeing as it is Halloween, we felt it was appropriate to take a break from the ordinary and talk about preparedness of another sort…preparing your ghouls and goblins for a safe night of trick-or-treating. By taking a few common sense measures, you can ensure a safe and happy Halloween for all. Happy Halloween!

Recommended Safety Tips From The CDC:

S		Swords, knives, and similar costume accessories should be short, soft, and flexible.
A		Avoid trick-or-treating alone. Walk in groups or with a trusted adult.
F		Fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags to help drivers see you.
E		Examine all treats for choking hazards and tampering before eating them. Limit the amount of treats you eat.
H		Hold a flashlight while trick-or-treating to help you see and others see you.
A		Always test make-up in a small area first. Remove it before bedtime to prevent skin and eye irritation.
L		Look both ways before crossing the street. Use established crosswalks wherever possible.
L		Lower your risk for serious eye injury by not wearing decorative contact lenses.
O		Only walk on sidewalks or on the far edge of the road facing traffic to stay safe.
W		Wear well-fitting masks, costumes, and shoes to avoid blocked vision, trips, and falls.
E		Eat only factory-wrapped treats. Avoid eating homemade treats unless you know the cook well.
E		Enter homes only if you’re with a trusted adult. Otherwise, stay outside.
N		Never walk near lit candles or luminaries. Be sure to wear flame-resistant costumes.

Contact
Mike Estey, Area Director at Agility Recovery Solutions
Telephone: (603) 660-2455
Fax: (800) 536-4237
Visit the Agility Recovery Solutions web site.

Disaster Recovery Tip #43: Influenza Preparedness Checklist – Protect Your Business

Fight the Flu

It’s hard to believe, but flu season is right around the corner. Officially, flu season doesn’t begin until November, but now is the time for your business to take steps to ensure your employees are protected.

Flu related absenteeism is a huge issue for business owners and can cost employers thousands of dollars in lost revenue and productivity. Below you will find a variety of steps you and your employees can take to help prevent the flu this season.

• Download Agility’s Influenza Preparedness Checklist designed to help employees and businesses take preventative action against the flu.
• Find a flu shot near you. Getting vaccinated is the single best way to avoid the flu.

Practice healthy habits and help stop the spread of germs. Click here for six simple ways to stay healthy and fight off the flu this season.

Contact
Mike Estey, Area Director at Agility Recovery Solutions
Telephone: (603) 660-2455
Fax: (800) 536-4237
Visit the Agility Recovery Solutions web site.

Disaster Recovery Tip #42: Winter Weather Webinar

A Chilling Forecast

Winter is right around the corner and with it comes ice storms, blizzards and other cold weather threats. Preparing your organization before a winter storm hits can help you protect your employees, minimize damage and lead to a speedy recovery.

Don’t let a cold and snowy winter interrupt your ability to do business. Join us next Wednesday, October 26th at 2:00p.m. for a free webinar, “Preparing your Business for the Winter Weather Season”.

Help us in welcoming ImpactWeather’s StormWatch Manager, Fred Schmude as he shares the long range winter weather outlook for the 2011-2012 Season. Following Mr. Schmude’s detailed forecast, Agility’s Senior Continuity Manager, Mark Norton will provide you with tips and best practices to mitigate the risks associated with winter weather.

Contact
Mike Estey, Area Director at Agility Recovery Solutions
Telephone: (603) 660-2455
Fax: (800) 536-4237
Visit the Agility Recovery Solutions web site.

Disaster Recovery Tip #41: Tips on Surviving a Network Disruption

How Smart is Your Phone?

Millions of BlackBerry users around the world had their work, business and social lives severely affected this week after a server crash that disconnected smartphone users across the globe. The three-day outage interrupted email messages and Internet services for customers spanning five continents.

In today’s world of continuous communication, a network disruption can be detrimental to your business. Below are some simple tips to keep you and your employees connected during an outage. For more helpful tips, download Agility’s Crisis Communications Checklist.

• SMS Text Updates – Regardless of the severity of the interruption, it is important you have a way to notify employees, clients and stakeholders. SMS text messaging has proven to work even when other mobile functions are down. (Agility members, the Alert Notification tool is perfect for this.)
• Backup Contacts – Keep your contacts updated across all channels, including phone, email and social media. This will make it easy to reach out to the right people quickly.
• Have a Backup Email Provider – Keep a list of your key contacts in a separate web-based email system such as, Gmail, Yahoo Mail or myAgility. This will allow you to access your contacts and send updates from anywhere with an internet connection.
• Update Your Website – Know how to quickly update your website to address the situation. Consider having a pre-populated webpage that can be activated on short notice to provide information during an emergency.
• Follow-Up – Always inform your employees, stakeholders and clients when the outage has ended and steps you may be taking to prevent future interruptions.

Contact
Mike Estey, Area Director at Agility Recovery Solutions
Telephone: (603) 660-2455
Fax: (800) 536-4237
Visit the Agility Recovery Solutions web site.

Disaster Recovery Tip #40: The Steve Jobs Legacy: Technology’s Impact on Our Lives

Get Tech Ready

The world mourned the death of Apple co-founder, Steve Jobs this week. Apple fans worldwide held iPhone-lit vigils paying tribute to the man who made computers personal, put internet in our pockets and ultimately changed the way we do business.

Here at Agility, we understand the role technology plays in our day to day lives. We have seen first-hand how a technological disruption directly impacts the ability to do business.

Preparing and knowing how to adapt in the event of a business interruption can ensure connectivity before, during and after a disaster. Click here for some tips from Ready.gov on how to prepare your business and get tech ready.

Contact
Mike Estey, Area Director at Agility Recovery Solutions
Telephone: (603) 660-2455
Fax: (800) 536-4237
Visit the Agility Recovery Solutions web site.

Disaster Recovery Tip #39: National Preparedness Month Resources

In Case You Missed It

As you may have heard, September was National Preparedness Month, a nationwide initiative designed to help Americans prepare for emergencies. This year marked Agility’s seventh consecutive year as a Coalition Member and our most successful year to-date.

All told, we had over 2,500 registrants for our webinar series and tremendous support from national partners including: The Small Business Administration, FEMA and The American Red Cross. We thank you for your continued support and help in making Agility’s 2011 National Preparedness Month a remarkable success.

If you missed out on any of our National Preparedness Month events, click here for a direct link to archived webinars, valuable tools and educational resources.

Contact
Mike Estey, Area Director at Agility Recovery Solutions
Telephone: (603) 660-2455
Fax: (800) 536-4237
Visit the Agility Recovery Solutions web site.

Disaster Recovery Tip #38 Webinar: The Voice of Survivors

Survivor Stories

The continued news coverage of this year’s tornadoes, fires, floods, and hurricanes has inevitably spurred business owners to wonder: Could it happen to me? Could my office, my shop, my warehouse, my factory be completely destroyed? Of course, the answer is yes, but the real question remains: Would you survive?

Join us for our fourth and final National Preparedness Month webinar on Wednesday, September 28th. Hear first-hand from those who have endured and ultimately survived a variety of disasters. Following their riveting stories, participate in our question & answer session to learn more about their recovery experience.

Survivor Panel – Real World Lessons Learned
September 28th – 2:00 p.m. EDT
Click here to Register

Contact
Mike Estey, Area Director at Agility Recovery Solutions
Telephone: (603) 660-2455
Fax: (800) 536-4237
Visit the Agility Recovery Solutions web site.

Disaster Recovery Tip #37: Community Preparation = Community Resilience

A Part of the Team

During a disaster, you, your family, your employees and your neighbors will rely on each other for help. There is a shared responsibility when it comes to our nation’s level of preparedness; and to be truly prepared, we must work together as a team.

As a proud supporter of National Preparedness Month, and in an effort to promote personal and community preparedness, Agility is hosting a free disaster recovery webinar next Wednesday. Join us in welcoming guest speaker, Tom Heneghan from the Red Cross, as he discusses simple steps individuals can take to become more engaged in community preparedness and emergency response efforts. The worst time to scramble for solutions is during an emergency.  Start making personal, family and community preparations now.

FREE Webinar: Resilient America – Personal & Community Preparedness

Guest Speaker: Tom Heneghan, American Red Cross
September 21st – 2:00 p.m. EDT
Click here to Register

Contact
Mike Estey, Area Director at Agility Recovery Solutions
Telephone: (603) 660-2455
Fax: (800) 536-4237
Visit the Agility Recovery Solutions web site.