PLANNING & MANAGEMENT

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CHOOSING THE PROPER AGENT

Sidebar from "Insurance... Do You Have What it Takes" (Go there!)
By Kathryn M. Rospond

Adequately insuring a business is a complicated process at times, and having the proper insurance agent to help select appropriate coverage is an important part of the equation. By not having the right agent, a company potentially exposes itself to risk.

When selecting an agent, the most important objective is to match an agent’s skills and experience with your business’s needs, says Emanuel Levy, editor of "Insurance Advocate," a weekly publication for brokers, agents, executives, adjustors, attorneys, regulators and legislators.

"A smaller company may be able to get by with a less sophisticated agent," he says. "Larger companies, on the other hand, need to find someone who really understands their business."

The best way to do that is by asking questions, Levy says. This process can include interviews with companies the agent represents and asking directly about the agent’s performance. The company also may want to ask the agent about the number of claims her or she has handled; his or her loss ratio; the number of locations he or she serves; and whether he or she is involved in any international business.

The insured also should ask about the agent’s education:

Is the agent certified by the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters (CPCU) Society, a non-profit organization promoting excellence in insurance and risk management?

Does the agent have the proper state licenses, including an Errors and Omissions policy, which will protect the insured by paying for loss or injury resulting from an agent’s error.

Another good referral source, Levy says, is an independent insurance consultant who doesn’t place business and has no ties to one insurance agency. This individual can make recommendations based on work experience. The consultant also can review an agent’s work to see if it is adequate.

"Many people do not realize the challenges of being an insurance agent, especially when most people are not aware of the kinds of exposures their businesses face," Levy says. "It’s a skillful person who can look at a business and decide what is needed to prevent it from being destroyed."

EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS AND MITIGATION PUBLICATIONS

Numerous publications are available from the following offices:
Central United States.
Call CUSEC at (901) 544-3570

California.
Call California Office of Emergency Services at (510) 286-0873

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT GUIDE

Emergency Management Guide for Business and Industry is an excellent 76 page planning guide developed by several agencies including the Federal Emergency Management Agency. This step-by-step approach to emergency planning, response, and recovery is for companies of all sizes. For more information, call: 1-800-480-2520 or visit FEMA's website: www.fema.gov (click on reference library).

FEMA AND NEMA DEVELOP CAR

Recognizing the need for cooperation across jurisdictional boundaries in many disaster situations, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) recently announced a joint effort to develop a system for emergency managers and FEMA regional offices to assess their level of preparedness for responding to emergencies.

The Capability Assessment for Readiness (CAR) evaluates the ability of federal and state emergency management agencies to respond to disasters--particularly in partnerships with one another. CAR focuses on 13 core elements that can enhance or inhibit major emergency management functions:

1. Laws and authorities
2. Hazard identification and risk assessment
3. Hazard management
4. Resource management
5. Planning
6. Direction, control, and coordination
7. Communications & warnings
8. Operations and procedures
9. Logistics and facilities
10. Training
11. Exercises
12. Public education and information
13. Finance & administration.

Using CAR, each state and territory will conduct a comprehensive self assessment and use the results to improve state and FEMA joint strategic planning.

For further information on this effort, contact the Preparedness, Training, and Exercises Directorate, FEMA, 500 C Street, S.W., Washintgton, DC 20472; (202) 646-3487; fax: (202) 646-4557; e-mail: eipa@fema.gov; WWW: http://www.fema.gov/pte/car.htm.

To obtain a free copy of the recent publication User's Guide for the Capability Assessment for Readiness (CAR) (1997, 31 pp.), contact FEMA, Preparedness, Training, and Exercises Directorate, State and Local Preparedness Division, attn: CAR Team, 500 C Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20472.

(The above information courtesy of Natural Hazards Observer.)

GUIDEBOOK FOR A SCHOOL EARTHQUAKE SAFETY PROGRAM

Guidebook for Developing a School Earthquake Safety Program. Write FEMA--Earthquake Program, 500 C Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20472. Ask for School EQ Safety Information.

PROJECT IMPACT

In November of 1997, FEMA launched Project Impact: Building a Disaster Resistant Community. The goal of Project Impact is to bring communities together to take actions that prepare for--and protect themselves against--natural disasters in a collaborative effort.

A guidebook has been designed to help communities build a disaster resistant community. It is intended to help "mitigate" or protect the community, the residents, organizations, businesses, infrastructure, and the stability and growth of its economy as much as possible against the impact of natural disasters BEFORE they happen. To accomplish this goal, the Guide has organized pre-disaster activities into four phases. The chapters of the guidebook represent each of these four phases:

• Building Community Partnerships
• Identifying Hazards and Community Vulnerability
• Prioritizing Hazard Risk Reduction Actions
• Communicating Success

Copies of the guidebook can be obtained from FEMA Publications at (800) 480-2520 or via FEMA's Web Site at http://www.fema.gov/about/impact.htm.

THE DISASTER RESEARCH CENTER

The Disaster Research Center (DRC), the first center of its kind in the world and the oldest in the United States, was established at the Ohio State University in 1963 and moved to the University of Delaware in 1985. DRC conducts social science research projects on group and organizational preparations for, responses to , and recovery from community-wide emergencies, particularly natural and technological disasters.

DRC maintains a large data archive that includes quantitative and qualitative data from three decades of research on the social aspects and impacts of disasters. These data exist in various forms, including interview tapes and transcripts, newspapers and other documentary materials, and computerized data sets.

For more information:
Consult DRC's home page on the World Wide Web: http://www.udel.edu/DRC/drc.htm

THE NATURAL HAZARDS CENTER--A GOLDMINE

The Natural Hazards Center in Boulder, Colorado.
The center was founded to strengthen communications among researchers, individuals, and organizations concerned with mitigating natural disasters. The Natural Hazards Observer is published bimonthly.

For information call (303) 492-6818 or visit their web site at http://adder.colorado.edu/~hazctr/home.html

Also... Extensive Library Now Online
Anyone can conduct searches via the Internet. Christened, "HazLit," the library Internet database, including many fully annotated entries, is available through the World Wide Web at: http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/litbase/litindex.htm.

THIRD ANNUAL CRISIS MANAGEMENT SURVEY
REVEALS GROWING IMPORTANCE OF CRISIS MANAGEMENT

According to a recent survey, most Fortune 1000 companies are now changing the way they view crisis management in their own company. The percentage of senior managers who find crisis management plans to be very important is at its highest level in three years. According to respondents, the driving forces behind this trend are mostly due to a recent crisis in their own company or those witnessed in the media, and an increased sense of vulnerability to natural hazards.

These are among the key results of the Third Annual Crisis Management Survey of the Fortune 1000 jointly conducted by The Corporate Response Group Inc. (CRG), a full-service crisis management consulting firm, and the George Washington University, Institute for Crisis and Disaster Management, Research and Education. This survey tracked the crisis management practices of the Fortune 1000 throughout 1997.

A copy of the complete survey is available for purchase for $20 from the Corporate Response Group. For more information, call (202)775-0177.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

FREE SELF-ASSESSMENT SURVEY

Comdisco Disaster Recovery Services offers a free self-assessment survey from which businesses can determine how vulnerable their computer data is in the event of a prolonged computer disruption. Companies can request the survey by calling (800) 272-9792, Monday through Friday, 9 AM - 5 PM (CST).

HIGH TECH CRIME PREVENTION TIPS

By Jack Wiles, Director of Oltronics, Inc., Security Services Division

Professional Association
The High Technology Crime Investigation Association (HTCIA) is an association whose purpose is to assist with high tech types of crimes. Currently there are about 12 chapters throughout the country, and several being formed in other countries. The HTCIA chapters offer some of the best training available for both law enforcement agencies and corporate security specialists.

Excellent Security Related Books
Computer Crime, A Crime Fighters Handbook. This book provides an excellent overview of the topics and issues associated with preventing , investigating and prosecuting these new high-tech crimes. Written by David Icove, Karl Seger & William VonStorch and published by O'Reilly & Associates.

High-Technology Crime, Investigating Cases Involving Computers. This is an in-the-trenches nuts and bolts book over 600 pages in length. The author, Ken Rosenblatt, is Deputy District Attorney for Santa Clara County, California-- that's the "Silicon Valley"! This book must be ordered directly from the publisher. (KSK Publications, P.O. Box 934, San Jose, CA 95108-0934)

For information concerning activities and membership of HTCIA, contact Jack Wiles, current President of the Carolina Chapter, at (803) 328-2753 or at jwiles@oltronics.net on the Internet.

MANHATTAN CYBER PROJECT

The Manhattan Cyber Project (MCP) is a concentrated outreach initiative between industry, government and academia to address the cyber threat impact on the National Information Infrastructure and the competitiveness of corporate America. The mission of the MCP is to develop and facilitate a coordinated outreach program that will:

Gather quantitative and qualitative data/information enhancing the understanding and benchmarking of the cyber threat

Provide educational programs to enhance threat awareness and training on security safeguards

Furnish collected information to the legislative branch relating to critical infrastructure protection and corporate competitiveness

Lay the foundation for the nonprofit Cyberspace Research and Education Center (CYRECä )

Additional information is available on the Internet at www.warroomresearch.com/mcp or via email request addressed to the Project Coordinator, Mark Gembicki, at mcpdir@warroomresearch.com.

PLANNING A TAPE LIBRARY MOVE?

Tips for Evaluating a Vendor's Services

By Data Base Inc.

When you relocate the library of tapes containing your vital business data, consider getting an experienced third-party vendor to handle the move. The vendor's services should include the following:

A relocation manager experienced in tape library moves.

A national network of resources, including aircraft chartering, airport facilities, specialty packaging materials, over-the-road transport, and backups for all of the above.

Pre-move meetings to discuss and set move expectations and to identify and assign relocation team leaders to manage critical coverage assignments.

Written evaluation details on origin and destination sites, based on personal visits by the relocation manager.

The relocation vendor should arrange for primary and secondary resources including transportation, airport facilities, labor and packaging materials.

Always expect your relocation vendor to be proactive in anticipating challenges (e.g., processing delays, weather, mechanical breakdowns, etc.) that would delay your move. A few preventive examples would include back-up emergency flight crew, alternative airports, on-call trucks and drivers, standby trained labor, and measures to handle inclement weather.

Your relocation vendor must be extremely focused and aware of time-efficiency issues, including:

• Planning sole access to facility docks and elevators.
• Allowing multiple material handling resources (i.e., multiple fork-lifts and operators).
• Pre-arranging security access at origin, destination and airport facilities.
• Providing color-coded transport containers corresponding to appropriately coded racks at the destination site, which avoids confusion and delay in multi-vault situations.
• Origin and destination library layout maps, printed and reviewed prior to the move date.

Data Storage Nuggets presented by Data Base Inc.

Average financial impact of just one hour of data center down time:

Under federal law, senior management is personally liable for the effective protection of all vital corporate assets, including data. That means corporate officers can be sued or prosecuted for loss of data, if reasonable measures were not taken to protect it. Chances of surviving a disaster affecting the corporate data center: 7 percent.

Nobody knowingly hires a thief or a saboteur. But do you give employees uncontrolled access to cash or other valuable assets? Unlike cash or personnel, lost or destroyed data cannot be replaced. More than 75% of IT professionals surveyed view authorized users and employees as a threat to the security of their system. Three-quarters of U.S. corporations, government agencies, financial institutions and universities had suffered financial losses due to digital security breaches in 1996. Losses to the 249 organizations able to estimate them totalled $100 million.

For total protection of survival-critical data, it should be off-site, off-line and out of reach.

• Contingency Planning Research
• Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977
• U.S Bureau of Labor
• Computer Security Institute
• Information Week/Ernst & Young Information Security Survey

SECURITY ACROSS THE LAN

"Security Across the LAN" Bud Bates, author of Disaster Recovery for LANs, A Planning and Action Guide (McGraw-Hill, 1993), details security measures to protect the LAN. Check it out: www.tcic.com

TERROR AND VIOLENCE IN THE WORKPLACE

An excellent resource is the book Terror and Violence in the Workplace, a publication of Littler, Mendelson, Fastiff, Tichy & Mathiason. To obtain information call Jeffrey Tanenbaum at (415) 433-1940.

THE REAL TRUTH ABOUT MAGNETS AND MAGNETIC MEDIA

For a free booklet detailing truths and myths about magnet media, call Perm-A-Store at (800) 366-7335. Ask for a copy of "Turtle Tips." Check out their website: www.turtlecase.com

By Dave McDaniel, BMS Cat

The management of vital records is a critical part of a corporation’s emergency preparedness responsibility. The adage that vital records be backed up by duplicate copies should be heeded. The task of restoring damaged documents can be very arduous and time consuming. In defining vital records, caution must be exercised in the selection process. Only those documents most critical to emergency operations, those documents which are listed in the legal retention requirements, those documents which have financial value, and those documents which define other contractual obligations of the corporation should be chosen. As a check, a good rule of thumb is that only 1 to 7 percent of the total documents are vital records. The inventory of vital records becomes itself a vital record. The inventory must be available off site so that emergency recovery can be effected. This inventory should consist of:

• Recovery priority of the records series.
• The name of the office responsible for the records series containing vital information.
• The title of each record series containing vital information.
• Indication of whether the series is an emergency operating vital record or a vital record related to rights.
• The medium (and format) on which the record is recorded.
• The physical location for offsite storage of copies of the records.
• The frequency with which the records are to be cycled.

This nugget has been excerpted from a presentation given at a Disaster Recovery Journal conference. For more information, contact Dave McDaniel at BMS Cat (800) 433-2940.

FACILITY ISSUES

A GOLDMINE OF RESOURCES!

Arkwright has some excellent booklets with useful information for business protection:

"Ten Qualities of a Well-protected Property"
"Effective Action Against Flood"
"A Guide to Planning Your Emergency Organization"
"Fire Protection for Offices"
"Construction as A Defense Against Hurricanes"
"Hurricane and Windstorms: Dealing with Destruction"

For more information:
Call Order Processing at (781) 255-4681 or fax (781) 255-4359 or visit Factory Mutual's web site at www.factorymutual.com Also, visit www.arkwright.com for a look at SmartSite, a unique web site with sound risk management advice, interactive skill tests, timely information and related links.

COOPERATIVE DISASTER MITIGATION AND RESPONSE EFFORT

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the American Red Cross have initiated an agreement that will encourage ASCE members at the local level to volunteer their expertise in disaster mitigation and recovery. As part of the agreement, ASCE will work to heighten member awareness of the need or volunteer support in pre-disaster mitigation and post-disaster relief and recovery activities, such as inspection, assistance with building codes, consultation on standards and zoning, and damage mapping.. For more information, contact Mike Peralta, ASCE, (703) 295-6085; email: mperalta@asce.org

EMERGENCY POWER REQUIREMENTS:
Free Planning Guide

The NEW Aggreko Emergency Planning Guide is an easy to use, fill-in-the-blank planning tool that will bring to the users attention any unexpected requirement for emergency power, chiller and compressed air rentals. The guide is broken into five sections that are invaluable time savers when trying to make a quick assessment or locate order rental equipment.

The Contingency Planning Checklists section starts with a 16 point step-by-step flow chart that can be used for any piece of rental equipment. This section also includes detailed fill-in-the-blank worksheets for determining equipment requirements for electrical power, chilled water and process refrigeration and compressed air. There are separate fill-in-the-blank pages for manufacturer personnel, and contractors. For more information contact Karen Shannon at (800) 323-6086 ext. 206.

EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND SALVAGE WHEEL

The National Task Force on Emergency Response has recently created a useful tool to guide museums, libraries and other cultural institutions in protecting and salvaging their collections. The Emergency Response and Salvage Wheel (1997) outlines steps to take in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters. To obtain a copy, call the group at (202) 634-1422.

*Information taken from the Natural Hazards Observer.

GOOD BOOK

Take a look at High-Rise Security and Fire Life Safety by Geoff Craighead, published by Butterworth-Heinemann of Newton, MA. This informative book is an excellent resource for building managers and owners. For details, call (617) 928-2500.

This guide highlights the need for communities to plan for the cleanup of debris after a major natural disaster. Based on lessons from actual disasters, it shows how to prepare for such events and recovery more quickly. Chapters address the magnitude of the debris problem created by natural disasters, federal resources available, state and local resources, case studies in managing disaster debris, and information sources. To obtain a free copy, call the EPA Document Line: (800) 424-9346. (#EPA530-K-95-010, 1995, 24 pages.)

*Information taken from the Natural Hazards Observer.

RISK ASSESSMENT SURVEY

Firelock of Kutztown, Pennsylvania has developed two excellent tools which focus on disaster prevention. "Risk Assessment Survey" and "Power Rating the Storage Environment'" provide a snap shot of your over all risk exposure. The risk survey is broken down into six segments: site evaluation, facility evaluation, vault evaluation, general security, life safety, and environmental conditions.

For more information:
Call Firelock at (610)756-4440.

SEISMIC NONSTRUCTURAL HAZARD MITIGATION

Nonstructural damage caused by earthquakes can be expensive. The structural components of a building typically constitute only 20-25% of the total building cost, with nonstructural components making up the remainder. Nonstructural refers to those portions of buildings that do not support structural integrity. This includes such items as suspended ceilings, lighting, windows, office furnishings, computer equipment, laboratory instruments etc.

Seismic mitigation means to reduce the risk/or occurrences of physical injury (life safety), operational dysfunction and economic loss. Common sense tells us that seismic mitigation should include all equipment, furnishings, and materials that pose a threat of life safety or injury to employees, jeopardize critical business functions, or expose an organization to significant direct and/or indirect financial loss.

Coming soon to the Web!
Don Hubbard, President of Worksafe Technologies provides a common sense approach to non-structural hazard mitigation. He includes the latest techniques and strategies for businesses wanting to minimize non-structural damage.

The Disaster Prevention & Recovery Source
This annual supplement to Consulting-Specifying Engineer is packed full of information related to prevention and recovery of facilities. For more information, call (847) 635-8800.

*Information taken from the Natural Hazards Observer.

WE NEED YOUR HELP

Do you have Facilities articles and nuggets to share? We are looking for resources for the Online GUIDE and for the 1999 GUIDE. Please send your ideas by fax to: (714) 558-8901 or email: webmaster@disaster-resource.com

CRISIS RESPONSE & COMMUNICATIONS

CHEM-TEL'S SERVICE FEATURE

Chem-Tel has a new service feature, MSDS on Demand which has been developed to assist subscribers with regulatory compliance. For information, call (813) 979-0626.

HOSPITAL INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM

Hospital Incident Command System (HEICS)
Receive a free copy (on disc) of three Incident Command based emergency management systems developed for hospitals by Orange County Health Care Agency and the State of California Emergency Medical Services Authority. The available programs are:

Hospital Emergency Incident Command System (404 pages)

Medical Aid Station Incident Command System (150 pages)

Facility Incident Command System (9 pages)

For a free copy, fax your request to Paul Russell, Orange County EMS at (714) 834-3125. Include your name and fax number to receive further information.

SPECIAL FOCUS: CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS

January 1998 edition of the IAEM BULLETIN, published by the International Association of Emergency Managers.

Articles by outside authors cover: motivating the public to prepare; working with the media during a crisis; how public information officers handled the Dunblane, Scotland mass murder, and what they learned; use of the Internet as a disaster communications tool; the technical side of staying in touch during disasters; and crisis management and information exchange. There also is a brief list of resources recommended by the authors.

For single copies (free) of the Jan. 1998 Bulletin, contact IAEM headquarters by telephone at (703) 538-1795 or by fax at (703) 241-5603.

SUBSCRIPTION TO LAB SAFETY'S NEWSLETTER TECHLINES

LAB Safety offers a free subscription to its newsletter, TECHlines. Another great resource...Safety and Compliance Directory, a 27-page booklet which contains an extensive listing of hotlines and agencies dealing with environmental and safety issues. Another service is EZ Facts (fax on demand) service. Call (800) 356-2855 for information.

Do you have Information Technology articles and nuggets to share? We are looking for articles and nuggets related to Information Systems, Telecommunications, and Vital Records--for the Online GUIDE and for the 1999 GUIDE. Please send your ideas by fax to: (714) 558-8901 or email: webmaster@disaster-resource.com