FROM A BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE
Government and Business Working Together in Emergency Management

By John Copenhaver

Much has been said (and written) about the subject of our local, state and Federal Emergency Management Agencies "partnering" with the nation's business sector in the four areas of emergency management---preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery. In fact, the concept of these partnerships seems to make sense to such an extent that the question comes to mind, "Why haven't we been doing this all along?" In the answer to this question lies the key to making this effort work for every community.

There are three factors which have historically blocked close partnerships between government and business:

• Distrust of each other's motives
• Lack of understanding about how the other side functions
• Inability of either side, particularly the business sector, to speak with "one voice"

Even if government representatives wanted to establish an alliance with businesses in a given community, how could they contact some businesses without other corporations claiming discrimination......"If you talk to them but not to us, you are discriminating against our company"? The lack of a clear central point of contact for the private sector has been a major hurdle in the establishment of partnerships with the public sector.

So how do we begin tearing down these impediments to what is universally acknowledged to be a critically-needed alliance between government and business in the emergency management arena?

First, we address the issues of distrust and lack of understanding by education and cooperation. Seminars for business representatives on the inner workings of local, state, and federal agencies in the emergency management hierarchy can be held, as well as offerings for government on business continuity processes and priorities. Joint planning sessions. . . community "town halls"...can be scheduled to bring both sides to the table in the interest of true community preparedness. Effective communication will work wonders in bringing the two sectors closer together!

Second, we can address the "single voice" hurdle in the private sector by utilizing existing structures to plug into the government network. By using local business continuity "interest groups" like the Associa-tion of Contingency Planners or the Disaster Recovery Information Exchange as a resource to provide business sector representation in local, state and Federal Emergency Operation Centers or Disaster Field Offices, government and business can more effectively communicate and coordinate during an emergency response event. Add to this mix a local Chamber of Commerce "help desk" connected to the business representative located in an EOC, and you have the beginnings of a functional alliance---a link between the public and private sectors which will serve ALL members of the community.

One other point should be made. This "model" is only the first step in a long process of preparing "disaster-resistant communities".

Businesses can, and must, assist in this process by embracing emergency preparedness as a part of their corporate culture.

Government must do its part to meet halfway by offering incentives, financial and otherwise, to corporations to construct and maintain functional business continuity plans. We as a nation have a long way to go to reach these goals; however, there is simply too much at stake for our communities to hesitate in taking the first few steps.

About the author:
John Copenhaver is an attorney and member of the Georgia State Bar. He is President of the Atlanta Chapter of ACP and is an Advisor to IBM's World Wide Crisis Response Team.