An “all hazards” approach to response and recovery ensures a flexible and organized framework for handling a diverse range of incidents.
Step-by-step, this is a basic outline of of how to approach a disaster situation to ensure continuity of your business and effectively manage the response to a disaster and the recovery of normal business operations. This is what a good business continuity program is designed to do.
Response and Recovery Steps
- Evacuate (or if appropriate, shelter in place) all persons in the hazard impact area. Emergency response teams should only enter a hazardous area when it is safe to do so
- Call in external responders as needed
- Activate the Incident Management system (protocols and authority)
- Stabilize the situation
- Analyze the situation
- Account for all persons in the facility or hazard area, and all off-duty employees
- Control access to the hazard area or physically secure the property
- Assess the damage to resources
- Conduct an Action Briefing and assign response tasks, as well as actions to:
- Mitigate further damage
- Recover from the incident
- Ensure business continuity
- Conduct media relations and public awareness as necessary
- Photograph or videotape the hazard impact for insurance documentation
- Restore utilities (power, gas, water, communications)
- Restore business functions in order of priority
- Remove water, smoke, debris, and contaminated materials
- Evaluate the business continuity program and conduct corrective actions for any deficiencies found
See also, Hazard Reference Guides to Natural Hazards and Human Caused Hazards