Mission: To mitigate the impact of emergencies and disasters by helping the community in all four phases of emergency management − mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.

Why should you have an Emergency Plan?

Every business should have an emergency plan. Emergency plans can save lives; help to stabilize an incident; protect property and the environment; and improve recovery. By having the private-sector take on greater responsibilities when it comes to responding to emergencies and critical incidents, businesses become better prepared for an emergency. This makes the entire community more resilient after the incident.

According to the 9/11 Commission, 85% of the critical infrastructure in the US is controlled by the private-sector. As many first responders are likely to come from this private-sector, is it easy to see how homeland security and national preparedness are closely tied to the private-sector. The 9/11 commission believed “Private-sector preparedness is not a luxury, it is a cost of doing business in the post 9/11 world” (The 9/11 Commission Report, p.398). This Commission also endorsed the American Nation Standards Institute's recommended standard for private-sector preparedness (NFPA 1600). The NFPA Report − amongst other things − recommends that private entities/businesses “develop an incident management system to direct, control, and coordinate response and recovery operations” (NFPA 1600 5.9.1). The Incident Command System (ICS), or Incident Management System, is a tool businesses can put in place during an incident to help effectively manage the situation. ICS can be easily incorporated into an emergency plan for businesses. This not only helps the business respond more effectively during an incident, but also helps to improve community-wide knowledge and response.

Many people and businesses assume the American Red Cross will be there to help them out after an emergency. Although part of the American Red Cross' mission statement is to help provide relief to victims of disasters, they are not a first responder agency. The Red Cross is a support agency − staffed mainly by volunteers − who attempt to activate soon after being notified of a disaster. It may take some time to put together a response team: Frequently it can take at least 2-3 hours before a full response, sometimes longer. Furthermore, the Red Cross only has limited resources in each community. If a response it required for a community wide event, the Red Cross resources may be stretched beyond their capabilities. Many individuals and businesses mistakenly assume the Red Cross, and government response agencies, will be able to provide them with the support they need immediately after a disaster. Unfortunately, their ability to provide community-wide shelter after a disaster can be limited, and many individuals and businesses may be left without outside help for days.

Before Hurricane Katrina, it was recommended that everyone (e.g. individuals, businesses, assisted living facilities, etc) have sufficient emergency supplies to get them through 72 hours without outside help. Now, many in the Emergency Management community believe that you should have sufficient supplies for 96 hours. The possibility of no outside help should also be taken into account when preparing Emergency plans: Don't prepare for the best case scenario − prepare for the worst − so you know you'll be ready if the situation arises.

Although OSHA requires every business with a fire extinguisher to have a plan (OSHA's 29 CFR 1910.157), or any business with more than ten employees to have a written emergency action plan (OSHA's 29 CFR 1910.38), every business should have an emergency plan because − amongst other things − they save lives.