How quickly your company can get back to business after a disaster often depends on emergency planning done today. Otter Tail County encourages every business to consider taking the following steps and is available to support your activities.
Plan to Stay in Business
Continuity Planning
Identify your priority services, lines of succession for all key positions, alternate operating locations, and mission critical systems
Emergency Plans for Employees
Ensure emergency response procedures are in place, and that all staff have been trained in their emergency roles and responsibilities
Emergency Supplies
Identify and acquire supplies/services that your business can have available to support staff (e.g. water, food, heat, fresh air, first aid kits, etc.)
Plan to Stay or Go
Plan what you will do if your facility is not usable; identify examples of when it may be safer to shelter-in-place and when to evacuate.
Talk to Your People
Practice Your Emergency Plans
Provide regularly scheduled education and training; conduct drills on your plans to make sure they work.
Promote Family & Individual Preparedness
Encourage your staff to prepare for emergencies at home, at school, and in the community; if families and individuals are prepared, your company is better prepared.
Write a Communications Plan
Document how your organization intends to communicate with staff, local authorities, and customers during a disaster.
Support Employee Health Post-Disaster
Provide support to staff for their post-disaster physical and mental needs; both time away from work as well as the return to a regular schedule may be needed.
Protect Your Investment
Review Insurance Coverage
Check with your provider about coverage for physical losses, flood coverage, and business interruption; understand what your policy covers and what it does not.
Prepare for Utility Disruption
Plan for utility outages; identify alternate sources or methods to continue key functions.
Secure Facilities, Buildings, and Plants
Install fire extinguishers, smoke alarms, and other detectors in appropriate locations. Secure entry/exit points, and mail procedures.
Improve Cyber Security
Use anti-virus software and firewalls and keep them up to date; ensure password protection to electronic files, and regularly backup your computer data.
