Ready Business

Mentoring Guide

Working With Small Businesses 

to Prepare for Emergencies

MENTOR EDITION

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Homeland

Security

www.ready.gov
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Ready Business, an extension of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Ready campaign, helps owners and 

managers of small to medium-sized businesses prepare their employees, operations and assets in the event of an 

emergency. Launched September 2004, Ready Business is funded by Homeland Security’s Office of Infrastructure 

Protection. This Ready Business Mentoring Guide was made possible with support from the Federal Emergency 

Management Agency (FEMA). For more information on individual and business preparedness visit www.ready.gov.

4/25/06 5:50:39 PM


4/25/06 5:50:42 PM

Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

What is Mentoring?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

How to Use This Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Sample Business Continuity and Disaster Preparedness Plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

 Continuity of Operations Planning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

 Emergency Contact Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

 Be Informed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

 Emergency Planning Team. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

 Evacuation Plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

 Shelter-in-Place Plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

 Emergency Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

 Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

 Cyber Security. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

 Promote Preparedness and Support Employee Health. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

 Annual Review. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Protect Your Investment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Resource Listing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Appendix — Sample Emergency Plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

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READY BUSINESS

MENTORING GUIDE

Working With Small Businesses to Prepare for Emergencies

Introduction

Scenes of disaster replay on televisions 

across the country with numbing regularity: A 

hurricane blasts through Florida... fire sweeps 

through a small-town manufacturing plant... 

floods destroy a local business district... a 

winter storm causes widespread power failure 

in the Northeast. 

Every year emergencies take their toll on 

business and industry in terms of lives 

and dollars. But something can be done. 

Businesses of all sizes can limit injury and 

damage and return more quickly to normal 

operations if they plan ahead. Preparedness 

works.

The Ready Business Mentoring Guide is designed to help business advisors encourage small 

business owners and managers to take action to reduce the impact of natural or man-made 

disasters. The Ready Business content reflects the Emergency Preparedness and Business 

Continuity Standard (NFPA 1600) developed by the National Fire Protection Association and 

endorsed by the American National Standards Institute, the 9/11 Commission and the U.S. 

Department of Homeland Security.

Thank you for your assistance in preparing the business community for disasters and emergencies. 

Your participation in this important effort will contribute to the safety of your friends and colleagues, 

as well as protect the local business community. 

Why Help Businesses Develop an Emergency Plan?

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Business owners invest a tremendous amount of time, money and resources to make their ventures 

successful, so it would seem natural for owners to take steps to protect those investments. 

While the importance of emergency planning may seem self-evident, the urgency of the task is 

often blunted by the immediate demands of the workplace. Also, owners and managers may have 

only a nominal idea of the risks their business faces, or possess only a limited understanding of 

steps they can take to reduce the potential impacts of disasters.

Last but not least, the business person is prone to the all-too-human tendency to believe that “it 

won’t happen to me.” In the meantime, businesses will continue to suffer setbacks that often could 

have been reduced or prevented altogether had someone taken the time to plan. 


We all recognize that disaster can strike anywhere, at any time. The business mentor must convey that 

emergency planning is an integral part of any successful business plan. 

Consider the following:

l An estimated 25 percent of businesses do not reopen following a major disaster, according to 

the Institute for Business and Home Safety. 

l The number of declared major disasters more than doubled in the 1990s.

l A business can be hurt indirectly when disaster strikes customers or another business, such 

as a supplier or distributor.

l OSHA requires that most businesses with 10 or more employees have a written emergency 

plan.

l The realities of a post-9/11 world and an increasing dependency on computer technology call 

for additional protection of business operations.

l The 9/11 Commission emphasized the critical importance of preparedness in protectecting 

business assets and safeguarding employees’ lives. 

“Private-sector preparedness is not a luxury; it is a cost of doing business in the post-9/11 

world. It is ignored at a tremendous potential cost in lives, money, and national security.”

 — 9/11 Commission Final Report, Chapter 12

By applying knowledge of Ready Business preparedness techniques and drawing on their own 

expertise, mentors can help small business owners and operators with what might seem like a 

daunting organizational task.

It Pays to be Prepared

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Sometimes, when convincing people of the need for emergency preparedness, too much emphasis 

is placed on dramatic, worst-case scenarios — as if these were the only possible disasters that might 

occur. 

Whenever possible, use local examples to “bring home” the lessons of preparedness. Emphasize the 

value of taking broad, commonsense protective measures, which can help a business respond to 

unanticipated emergencies of any kind.

Often, the more positive aspects of everyday preparedness are overlooked. Consider these practical 

benefits that can strengthen a business regardless of where it is located or what level of risk it may face:

l Preparedness enhances a company's ability to recover from financial losses, loss of market 

share, damages to equipment or products, and business interruption.

l Preparedness facilitates compliance with regulatory safety requirements of federal, state and 

local agencies.

l Preparedness helps companies fulfill their responsibility to protect employees, the community 

and the environment.

l Preparedness bolsters a company's security and enhances its credibility with employees, 

customers, suppliers and the community. 

l Preparedness steps taken by business owners and operators may help reduce insurance 

costs.
Roles and Responsibilities

What is Mentoring?

Mentoring is the process of one person helping another to grow and develop. Mentors offer valuable 

lessons from their own experience when providing guidance and direction to others. 

Effective mentoring leads to improved knowledge, skills and performance by providing personal 

access to important know-how and savvy practices. As a mentor, your knowledge and ability to 

communicate the preparedness message in a clear and convincing manner is critical to this learning 

partnership. 

Ready Business mentoring is based on these assumptions:

l You will be engaged in a formal mentor-mentoree relationship.

l By mutual agreement, you and the mentoree will address the specific goal of creating a 

business emergency plan. 

l In most cases, mentoring will take place during a single 1–2 hour counseling session or 

seminar presentation. Some interactions may take place during longer sessions or over an 

extended period of time. 

Roles and Responsibilities

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The best mentors are flexible in dealing with others. They are able to convey information and solicit 

feedback from the learner. Effective mentors find ways to apply information to the learner’s particular 

needs.

When working with mentorees, you may find that you take on shifting roles as teacher, guide, 

counselor and coach. Consider how mentoring involves skills particular to each of these roles:

Teacher — Assess skills and technical know-how

You will help businesses assess their current level of preparedness and add your expertise to 

develop realistic goals. One of your aims should be to convey the idea that preparedness is both 

practical, achievable and primarily a commonsense undertaking. Using the Ready Business

Mentoring Guide, you should be able to present a step-by-step plan for reaching this goal. 

Direct “yes/no” questions, checklists and simple surveys that are included here will help you and 

the mentoree draw up at least the beginnings of an emergency plan.

Guide — Share insights regarding business preparedness

You will use your own experience as a business advisor and your understanding of the Ready 

Business Web site to paint a “big picture” of preparedness. Offer resources and contacts to 

further assist the mentoree.

Counselor — Ask, listen and support

Mentoring involves asking open-ended questions that will allow the mentoree to articulate issues 

and concerns. A mentor is most effective when helping the mentoree draw on personal and 

organizational resources to determine a plan of action and to resolve difficult issues. Resist the 

urge to simply tell someone what to do, as well as the inclination to do the suggested tasks for 

your mentoree.

Coach — Encourage and motivate

Effective mentors discuss deficiencies and point out ways for improvement in a constructive manner. 

Draw on your experience to present inspiring success stories or valuable lessons in preparedness. 


WHAT IS MENTORING?

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Notes on the Mentoring Process

Even in a brief, one-time counseling session, you will find that mentoring 

follows a fairly predictable course, with each step requiring you to act in the 

aforementioned roles.

Exploration — uncover strengths and weaknesses, identify opportunities 

for improvement, and explore new ideas for expanding mitigation and 

preparedness. 

Acting primarily as a guide to gather information and share issues 

and concerns.

Collaboration — work together to share insights and lessons learned that 

will help you reach goals. 

Acting as a counselor who is thoroughly acquainted with the Ready 

Business Web site, the mentor must walk a fine line between sharing 

information and simply telling someone what to do. 

Implementation — begin developing a disaster plan by completing 

worksheets and reviewing the next steps to take. 

Working primarily as a teacher, the mentor uses professional skill to 

help the business owner take concrete steps to attain goals.

Evaluation — examine the effectiveness of the session.

Acting as a coach, the mentor provides constructive feedback and 

suggestions that will challenge the mentoree to continue work on 

developing a plan.

Working Together as a Team

A productive mentoring partnership will focus on three factors:

Conveying mutual respect — Approach each session in a professional manner. At all 

times, mentoring honors professional standards of respect, trust and confidentiality. 

Managing expectations — Determine if the mentoree has any preconceived ideas 

as to what the session will entail. Explain that you can provide a hand in establishing an 

emergency plan and can serve as an information resource, but that the business owner 

must assume responsibility and make a commitment to follow through on the plan. 

Establishing clear goals — At the beginning of your session, explain that the goal is 

to present an overview of business preparedness strategies and complete the first steps 

of an emergency plan using the worksheets and information sheets provided. Take-away 

materials will also provide guidance and resources to help direct future action.
How to Use This Guide

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The Ready Business Mentoring Guide is designed to 

help those who advise the small business community 

add emergency planning to the list of priority items that 

owners and managers need to consider. 

The goal of the mentoring session is to complete as many 

elements of a Sample Emergency Plan as is possible 

during a brief, 1–2 hour session. Ideally, mentorees will 

gain a practical understanding of the commitment and 

resources needed to continue developing their plan. 

A copy of the Sample Emergency Plan is included in the 

appendix of this guide and also may be downloaded from 

the Ready Business Web site at www.ready.gov. This 

mentoring guide is a companion to the U.S. Department of 

Homeland Security’s Ready Business Web site 

(www.ready.gov/business). 

Ready Business provides a commonsense framework 

for business preparedness and is designed to provide owners and managers with simple steps they 

can take today. The Web site is organized into three main subject areas: “Plan to Stay in Business,” 

“Talk to Your People” and “Protecting Your Investment.” 

Note: Mentors will find it beneficial to access the Ready Business Web site during their session. 

However, training can be conducted using only the mentoring guide, Sample Emergency Plan and 

supplemental worksheets and materials provided. 

As you work with your mentorees to complete the Sample Emergency Plan, your challenge will be to 

convey clear and concise information on the steps needed to create an emergency plan. Worksheets 

and supplemental materials provided for each topic will further assist you in this process. 

l	Helpful “talking points” ( ) will summarize the main message to convey for each topic. 

l	Open-ended discussion points and suggested actions for the mentor ( ) will help initiate 

dialogue for each topic. 

l	“Yes or No?” questions drawn from the “Every Business Should Have a Plan” brochure, a 

DHS publication available on the Ready Business Web site, will direct discussion to key 

elements of the plan. The brochure may be downloaded from Ready Business at 

www.ready.gov.

l	Where applicable, worksheets will follow each topic. Use these to assess mentorees’ needs 

and to assist them in taking the all-important step of applying pencil to paper to create 

their plan. 

l	Supplemental hand-outs and a list of resources will provide direction for future activity. Add 

your own materials to the resources cited at the end of this mentoring guide, if applicable.

l	The guide concludes with a final section, “Protect Your Investment,” which offers additional 

steps for mentorees to take in support and furtherance of their emergency plan. 


HOW TO USE 

THIS GUIDE Recognizing that you will be working under time constraints, try to remain flexible in your approach. 

The best way to accomplish your goal is to know your material and apply the most relevant 

information toward completing the Sample Emergency Plan. 

Getting started is perhaps the hardest part. The Ready Business Web site and this companion 

mentoring guide are designed to help make the job of “getting ready” easier.

Preparing makes good business sense. Get ready now. 

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Getting Started

Objectives

l	Present a basic overview of emergency preparedness to business owners and managers.

l	Begin developing a plan, using the Sample Emergency Plan provided.

l	Provide suggested activities, planning resources and informational materials that will help 

the mentoree take future action. 

Talking Points

 How quickly a company can get back to business after a terrorist attack or tornado, 

a fire or flood, depends on emergency planning done today. 

 Although each situation is unique, any organization can be better prepared if it 

plans carefully, puts emergency procedures in place, and reviews and practices 

for all kinds of emergencies.

 Business preparedness can be complex, depending on the particular industry, size 

and scope of operations. But putting a plan in motion will improve the likelihood 

that the company will survive and recover. 

 Companies that already have their emergency plans in place can continue to help 

create a safer, stronger community and business environment by encouraging 

their employees to prepare at home and by mentoring other businesses in their 

supply chain.

It is estimated that more than 85 percent of the nation’s critical infrastructure is owned and 

operated by the private sector.

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11
Worksheet: What are the Costs?

	 n	 Use this list as a quick gauge of your mentorees’ current level of preparedness. As you 

run down the list, ask how many commonsense precautions their business has already 

implemented. 

Emphasize that some recommendations can be followed at little or no cost. Other steps 

may require an investment. Suggest this expense may represent a small cost when you 

consider the protection they provide against potential losses.

Many of these same items will be included in the emergency plan that you and your 

mentoree develop. 

Remember, this list is not designed to be a checklist of activity but rather to demonstrate 

that many effective preparedness steps can be taken at little or no cost.

	 n	

	 n	

Free

l	Meet with your insurance provider to review current coverage. 

Create procedures to quickly evacuate and shelter-in-place. Practice the plans. 

Talk to your people about the company’s disaster plans. Two-way communication is central

before, during and after a disaster. 

Create an emergency contact list including employee emergency contact information. 

Create a list of critical business contractors and others whom you will use in an emergency

Know what kinds of emergencies might affect your company both internally and externally. 

Decide in advance what you will do if your building is unusable. 

Create a list of inventory and equipment, including computer hardware, software and 

peripherals, for insurance purposes. 

Talk to utility service providers about potential alternatives and identify back-up options. 

Promote family and individual preparedness among your co-workers. Include emergency 

preparedness information during staff meetings, in newsletters, on company intranet, in 

periodic employee e-mails and through other internal communications tools. 

l	

l	

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l	 . 

l	

l	

l	

l	

l	

Less than $00

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

 Buy a fire extinguisher and smoke alarm. 

 Decide which emergency supplies the company can feasibly provide, if any, and talk 

to your co-workers about what supplies individuals might want to consider keeping in a 

personal and portable supply kit. 

Set up a telephone call tree, password-protected page on the company Web site, e-mail 

alert or call-in voice recording to communicate with employees in an emergency. 

 Provide first aid and CPR training to key co-workers. 

 Use and keep up-to-date computer anti-virus software and firewalls. 

 Attach equipment and cabinets to walls or other stable equipment. Place heavy or 

breakable objects on low shelves. 

 Elevate valuable inventory and electric machinery off the floor in case of flooding. 

 If applicable, make sure your building’s HVAC system is working properly and is wellmaintained. 

 Backup your records and critical data. Keep a copy off-site. 

GETTING STARTED

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GETTING STARTED

More than $00

l Consider additional insurance such as business interruption, flood or earthquake. 

l Purchase, install and pre-wire a generator to the building’s essential electrical circuits. 

Provide for other utility alternatives and back-up options. 

l Install automatic sprinkler systems, fire hoses and fire-resistant doors and walls. 

l Make sure your building meets standards and codes. Consider using a professional 

engineer to evaluate the wind, fire or seismic resistance of your building. 

l Consider using a security professional to evaluate and/or create your disaster 

preparedness and business continuity plan. 

l Upgrade your building’s HVAC system to secure outdoor air intakes and increase filter 

efficiency. 

l Send safety and key emergency response employees to trainings or conferences. 

l Provide a large group of employees with first aid and CPR training. 

Take Away

“Every Business Should Have a Plan” brochure 

from Ready Business Web site.

l This brochure outlines the information 

contained on the Ready Business

Web site. 

l Ready Business presents a threestep plan for business emergency 

planners: “Plan to Stay in Business,” 

Talk to Your People” and “Protect Your 

Investment.” 

l	The brochure may be downloaded 

from Ready Business at 

www.ready.gov.

Sample Business 

Continuity and 

Disaster Preparedness 

Plan

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1
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Sample Business Continuity 

and Disaster Preparedness Plan

4/25/06 5:51:35 PM

Supplemental material for this section: 

Sample Emergency Plan 

Available for download at www.ready.gov.

Try to keep the plan simple so that it can be remembered and followed in an emergency.

The goal is to fill in as much of the plan as possible. Explain to the mentoree that it is okay 

to “pencil in” answers. What is important is to start thinking about preparedness and move 

forward in the process of developing a plan.

n Parts of the plan will likely be easy to fill in on the spot, since the information 

requested is data that would be “top of mind” for a business owner. 

 Example: Designating a primary crisis manager and a back-up manager.

n Other parts may be partially answered, requiring follow-up in order to complete. 

 Example: Compiling a list of suppliers and back-up contractors.

n Others may require more deliberate planning that would take place over a period 

of time. 

 Example: Developing and implementing a shelter-in-place plan.

The Sample Emergency Plan is a template. It provides a basic framework that may require 

tailoring and customizing to fit the business’s specific needs. 

n The company’s actual plan may require that entries made today be expanded 

afterwards.

 Example: The company’s communication plan, once it is developed, may 

require more than the two lines provided in the Sample Emergency Plan. 

Approach the Sample Emergency Plan step-by-step. Each item in the plan relates to a 

topic that is addressed in greater detail on the Ready Business Web site. 

 Example: While the Sample Emergency Plan provides three lines for 

cyber security planning, cyber security is more fully discussed on the Web 

site, and includes links to other cyber-security sites. 

Use the mentoring guide to spur discussion and promote a better understanding of 

preparedness issues.
Sample Emergency Plan Page 1 — Plan to Stay in Business

Page 2 — Our Critical Operations

Page 3 — Suppliers and Contractors

Page 6 — Records Backup

Supplemental material for this section:

Worksheet: Continuity of Operations Planning

Information Sheet: Prepare for Utility Disruptions

Page 1

Plan to Stay 

in Business

Page 2

Our Critical 

Operations

Page 3

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Suppliers and

Contractors

Page 6

Records Backup

1
Four parts of the Sample Emergency Plan ask for information that corresponds to the 

Ready Business Web site’s discussion of business continuity. 

Ask mentorees if they have considered specific emergency scenarios, even if they have not 

formalized their thoughts into a plan. 

Let them explain some of the contingencies they may have already considered, or use 

relevant examples in the local community to highlight the importance of continuity 

planning.

Tell mentorees that additional information is available in the “Protect Your Investment” 

section at the end of the guide in support and furtherance of their emergency plan. 

Continuity of operations planning (sometimes referred to as “COOP”) involves looking at 

your business from inside and out to determine the people, resources and procedures that 

are absolutely essential to keep your operation running.

Owners and managers should explore “what-if” scenarios, such as what to do if their place 

of business is not accessible, if a major supplier is shut down, if emergency financial 

decisions must be made, or if another person in the line of succession must assume 

management of the company. At the same time, taking a broad, commonsense approach 

will help manage emergencies that cannot be anticipated. 

	 	

	 	

	 	

	 	

	 	

	 	

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q	 q

q	 q

q	 q

q	 q

q	 q

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Yes or No?

Have you identified the employee procedures that are absolutely necessary to keep 

operating? 

Do you have back-up plans for those operations? 

Do you know what you will do if your building is not accessible? 

Have you arranged for another firm to serve your customers or clients if you cannot?

Do you know what to do if your suppliers are affected by a disaster? 

Do you back up your data in case computers or storage facilities are destroyed?

 Go to the Sample Emergency Plan and have the mentoree begin to fill in the following. 

Review the worksheet to help the mentoree formulate responses. 

Plan to Stay in Business — page 1

Our Critical Operations — page 2

Suppliers and Contractors — page 3

Records Backup — page 6

Continuity of operations planning — or COOP — involves looking at your business from 

inside and out to determine what is absolutely essential to keep your operation running.

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CONTINUITY OF 

Worksheet: Continuity of Operations Planning OPERATIONS PLANNING

l

Use this worksheet to expand your discussion of continuity planning. Note that the bulleted 

Carefully assess how your company functions, both internally and externally, to determine 

Review your business process flow chart if one exists.

Identify your suppliers, shippers, resources and other businesses you interact with on a 

Develop professional relationships with more than one company in case your 

Plan what you will do if your building, plant or store is not accessible. This type of planning 

Consider if you can run the business from a different location or from your home.

Plan for payroll continuity.

 Decide who should participate in putting together your emergency plan.

Include co-workers from all levels in planning and as active members of the 

Define crisis management procedures and individual responsibilities in advance.

 Make sure those involved know what they are supposed to do.

 Train others in case you need back-up help.

continued on next page

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1
Worksheet continued

l

l

l

Coordinate with others.

n Meet with other businesses in your building or industrial complex.

n Talk with first responders, emergency managers, community organizations and 

utility providers.

n Plan with your suppliers, shippers and other business associates.

n Share your plans and encourage other businesses to set in motion their 

continuity planning. Offer your help.

Communicate plans with employees and conduct practice drills.

Review your emergency plans annually. Just as your business changes over time, so do 

your preparedness needs. When you hire new employees or when there are changes in 

how your company functions, you should update your plans and inform your people.

Information Sheet: Prepare for Utility Disruptions

Businesses are often dependent on electricity, gas, telecommunications, sewer and other 

utilities.

l Plan ahead for extended disruptions during and after a disaster. Carefully examine which 

utilities are vital to your business’s day-to-day operation. Speak with service providers 

about potential alternatives and identify back-up options. 

l Learn how and when to turn off utilities. If you turn the gas off, a professional must turn it 

back on. Do not attempt to turn the gas back on yourself. 

l Consider purchasing portable generators to power the vital aspects of your business in an 

emergency. Never use a generator inside as it may produce deadly carbon monoxide gas. 

It is a good idea to pre-wire the generator to the most important equipment. Periodically 

test the back-up system’s operability. 

l Decide how you will communicate with employees, customers, suppliers and others. Use 

cell phones, walkie-talkies or other devices that do not rely on electricity as a backup to 

your telecommunications system. 

l Plan a secondary means of accessing the Internet if it is vital to your company’s day-today operations. 

l If food storage or refrigeration is an issue for your business, identify a vendor in advance 

that sells ice and dry ice in case you cannot use refrigeration equipment. 

l

l

Next Steps

Discuss “what-if” scenarios with members of your emergency planning team.

Review your critical operations and discuss procedures to follow in the event of a disaster 

with the staff person in charge of each operation.

Take Away

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Worksheet: Continuity of Operations Planning

Information Sheet: Prepare for Utility Disruptions
1

Y N

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Sample Emergency Plan Page 1 — Emergency Contact Information

Supplemental material for this section: 

Testimonial: Aeneas

The Sample Emergency Plan only asks the mentoree to 

list non-emergency police and fire phone numbers and 

insurance contact information. 

The mentor should explain that it is also important to 

review and update insurance coverage.

Tell mentorees that additional steps to help ensure they 

have adequate insurance coverage are provided in the 

“Protect Your Investment” section at the end of the guide. 

Inadequate insurance coverage can adversely affect a 

business that is damaged or destroyed by a disaster, or has 

its operations interrupted. 

Consider insurance-related issues such as the amount of 

deductibles, how you would meet payroll and pay creditors, and your business financial 

needs in case a disaster hits. 

Yes or No?

Does your company’s insurance provide adequate 

coverage for emergencies that may 

affect your business? 

Have you reviewed your coverage within the last year?

Have you reviewed and renewed provisions for other 

financial preparedness needs, such as arrangements 

for emergency finances and protection of vital records, 

within the past year? 

22667 Mentor.indd 19 4/25/06 5:52:19 PM
EMERGENCY CONTACT

INFORMATION Testimonial: Aeneas 

“And because we were 

ready, our customers 

never knew the 

difference.”

— Aeneas Internet and Telephone 

CEO Jonathan Harlan

22667 Mentor.indd 20 4/25/06 5:52:32 PM

The people who work at Aeneas 

Internet and Telephone of 

Jackson, Tennessee, know what 

it’s like to have their business 

devastated by Mother Nature. 

Fortunately, because they had a 

disaster recovery plan, they also 

know what it’s like to recover 

from devastation.

On May 4, 2003, Aeneas was among the more than 400 businesses in 

Tennessee hit by an F4 tornado, packing winds greater than 200 miles 

per hour. The tornado resulted in eleven deaths and more than $50 

million in damage throughout the community. Aeneas Internet and 

Telephone lost more than $1 million in hardware and software, and its 

home office was reduced to rubble.

“There was nothing left of our building. Just piles of bricks and concrete. 

We lost everything,” said Aeneas Internet and Telephone CEO Jonathan 

Harlan. “But back-up systems were in place and our employees worked 

from other locations. And because we were ready, our customers never 

knew the difference.”

Less than 72 hours later Aeneas was back, fully serving its clients’ needs. 

In fact, many of its smaller business and residential phone customers 

never lost their service. Aeneas had been able to protect itself against 

a worst-case scenario because it had planned for a worst-case scenario. 

Its business recovery plan was based on the idea that even if its facilities 

were destroyed and services halted, it would have back-ups in place and 

ready to go.

Through the recovery effort, Aeneas officials were careful to keep 

customers abreast of their progress. Aeneas also benefited from the 

quick work and dynamic spirit of its employees and the local community 

who refused to let a tornado bring down what they had fought so hard 

to build in the first place.

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Next Steps

 Review coverage with your insurance agent. Be sure you understand what is covered, 

including items that are excluded under your current policy.

 Find out what records your insurance company will need to see in the event of a disaster 

and store copies of the documents in a safe, off-site location.

Take Away

Testimonial: Aeneas
21

22667 Mentor.indd 21 4/25/06 5:52:37 PM

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Sample Emergency Plan

Supplemental material for this section:

Worksheet: Risk Assessment Survey 

Page 2 — Be Informed

Draw on local knowledge of the area you live in to discuss 

potential natural and man-made disasters. Then look at the 

“Risk Assessment Survey.” In most cases, you will identify risks 

that have not been considered previously.

Disaster preparedness includes both natural and man-made 

events ranging from floods and power outages to technological 

threats and terrorism. 

Being informed means knowing your risks and knowing what to 

do in different situations. Risk assessment can range from selfassessment to a sophisticated engineering analysis.

Post-9/11 realities have heightened the concern for terrorist 

events. The Ready Business Web site includes information 

on chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats. Your 

business safety plan should include a review of how to properly 

respond to each of these events.

The Ready Business Web site also includes helpful information on coping with natural 

disasters and industrial hazards.

Yes or No?

Do you know the risks that your business faces from natural and man-made disasters? 
BE INFORMED

 

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Worksheet: Risk Assessment Survey 

 

Possible Hazards 

and Emergencies

Risk Level trae

eno

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lomhig

How Can I Reduce My Risk?

Natural hazards

Floods

Hurricanes

Thunderstorms and 

lightning

Tornadoes

Winter storms and 

extreme cold

Extreme heat

Earthquakes

Volcanoes

Landslides and debris flow

Tsunamis

Fires

Wildfires

Technological hazards

Hazardous materials incidents

Nuclear power plants

Power outages

Cyber-security

Terrorism

Explosions

Biological threats

Chemical threats

Nuclear blasts

Radiological Dispersion 

Device (RDD)

Local hazards specific to your business

1. _______________________ q q q q ____

2. _______________________ q q q q ____

3. _______________________ q q q q ____

_______________________________

_______________________________

_______________________________

22667 Mentor.indd 22 4/25/06 5:52:38 PM
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BE INFORMED Next Steps

If you are uncertain about your risks, ask a local emergency manager about possible 

hazards or emergencies.

You also can consult FEMA for hazard maps particular to your area. Go to www.fema.gov, 

select maps and follow the directions. 

Conduct a similar brainstorming session with your company’s emergency team. Use the 

worksheet to record your findings and suggestions for reducing risk.

Take Away

22667 Mentor.indd 23 4/25/06 5:52:49 PM

Worksheet: Risk Assessment Survey

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Sample Emergency Plan

Page 2 — Emergency Planning Team

Supplemental material for this section:

Worksheet: Involve Co-Workers in Emergency 

 Planning 

Rather than fill out a team roster immediately, ask 

the mentoree to describe the make-up of the team. 

What roles and responsibilities immediately come to 

mind? Ask if certain employees are particularly wellsuited for the team, and what qualities and abilities 

make them a good fit. 

Use the checklist to help determine who in the 

organization may already be handling similar 

responsibilities. The list also provides ideas about 

how to get employees more involved in emergency 

preparedness. 

 It is important that your company involve employees 

at every level so they are part of the effort to prepare and protect their place of business; 

also consider all divisions of the business. 

Yes or No?

Does your business have an emergency planning team in place?

If not, is there anyone who has experience handling emergencies on behalf of the company? 

22667 Mentor.indd 24 4/25/06 5:53:05 PM
22667 Mentor.indd 25

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PLANNING TEAM

4/25/06 5:53:05 PM

Worksheet: Involve Co-Workers in Emergency Planning 

Involve co-workers from all levels in emergency planning; identify employees with 

disabilities or other special needs and involve them in your emergency planning.

Use newsletters, Intranet sites, staff meetings and other internal communications tools 

to communicate emergency plans and procedures. 

Set up procedures to warn employees. Plan how you will communicate with people who 

are hearing-impaired or have other disabilities, or who do not speak English. 

Set up a telephone call tree, password-protected page on the company’s Web site, email alert or call-in voice recording to communicate with employees during and after an 

emergency. 

Designate an out-of-town phone number where employees can leave an “I’m OK” 

message in a catastrophic disaster. Remember to minimize your calls and keep them 

short so others can get through. 

Encourage employees to have alternate means and routes for getting to and from work, 

in case their normal mode of transportation is interrupted. 

Keep a record of employee emergency contact information with other important 

documents in your emergency kit and at an off-site location. 

If you rent, lease or share space with other businesses, it is important to communicate, 

share and coordinate evacuation procedures and other emergency plans. 

Next Step

Establish an emergency planning team that involves employees at all levels.

Take Away

Worksheet: Involve Co-Workers in Emergency Planning

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Sample Emergency Plan

Page 4 — Evacuation Plan

Supplemental material for this section:

Worksheet: Make an Evacuation Plan 

Testimonial: Morgan Stanley

Information Sheets: People with Disabilities

High-Rise Buildings

Ask mentorees if their workplace has ever been 

evacuated, even as part of an emergency drill. Ask 

them to describe how they thought the situation was

handled. 

When disaster strikes, one of the most critical 

decisions to make is whether to remain on-site or to 

evacuate the premises.

Local authorities may not always be able to provide 

you immediate information about what is happening 

or what action you should take. Nevertheless, 

monitor local television and radio reports for official information as it becomes available.

If officially advised to evacuate, shelter-in-place or seek medical treatment, do so 

immediately.

Yes or No?

Does your company currently have a formal plan to evacuate the premises? 

Are employees trained to follow the plan in case of emergency?

Are evacuation routes clearly posted?

Do you regularly practice evacuation procedures?

Suggest the mentoree review the “Make an Evacuation Plan” worksheet before attempting 

to complete page 4 of the Sample Emergency Plan. Even if the business has an 

evacuation plan, there may be important steps that have been overlooked.

Worksheet: Make an Evacuation Plan

Some disasters will require employees to leave the workplace quickly. The ability to evacuate 

workers, customers and visitors effectively can save lives. People who plan and practice how 

they will get out of the building in an emergency are better prepared than those who do not have 

an exit strategy.

1. If feasible, develop a system for knowing who is in your building, including customers and 

visitors, so that all can be accounted for in case there is an emergency. 

continued on next page

22667 Mentor.indd 26 4/25/06 5:53:17 PM
22667 Mentor.indd 27 4/25/06 5:53:18 PM

EVACUATION

PLAN

Worksheet continued

2. Decide in advance who has the authority to order an evacuation. Create a chain of command 

so that others are authorized to act in case your designated person is not available. If local 

officials tell you to evacuate, do so immediately. 

3. Identify who will shut down critical operations and lock the doors, if possible, during an evacuation.

n Train others who can serve as a backup if the designated person is unavailable. 

n Write down, distribute and practice evacuation procedures. 

4. Locate and make copies of building and site maps with critical utility and emergency routes 

clearly marked. 

n Identify and clearly mark entry-exit points both on the maps and throughout the building.

n Post maps for quick reference by employees. 

n Keep copies of building and site maps with your crisis management plan and other 

important documents in your emergency supply kit and also at an off-site location. 

n Make copies available to first responders or other emergency personnel. 

5. Plan two ways out of the building from different locations throughout your facility. 

6. Consider the feasibility of installing emergency lighting or plan to use flashlights in case the 

power goes out. 

7. Establish a warning system. 

n Test systems frequently. 

n Plan to communicate with people who are hearing-impaired or have other disabilities 

and those who do not speak English. 

8. Designate an assembly site. 

n Pick one location near your facility and another in the general area in case you have to 

move farther away. 

n Talk to your people in advance about the importance of letting someone know if they 

cannot get to the assembly site or if they must leave it. 

n Be sure the assembly site is away from traffic lanes and is safe for pedestrians. 

9. Try to account for all workers, visitors and customers as people arrive at the assembly site. 

Take a head count. 

n Use a prepared roster or checklist. 

n Ask everyone to let others know if they are leaving the assembly site. 

10. Determine who is responsible for providing an all-clear or return-to-work notification. Plan 

 to cooperate with local authorities responding to an emergency. 

11. Plan for people with disabilities who may need help getting out in an emergency.

12. If your business operates out of more than one location or has more than one place where 

people work, establish evacuation procedures for each individual building. 

13. If your company is in a high-rise building, an industrial park or even a small strip mall, it is 

important to coordinate and practice with other tenants or businesses to avoid confusion and 

potential gridlock. 

14. If you rent, lease or share space with other businesses make sure the building owner and 

other companies are committed to coordinating and practicing evacuation procedures 

together.

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EVACUATION PLAN

Testimonial: Morgan Stanley

Practice Pays: 

Morgan Stanley and the 

September 11, 2001, 

Terrorist Attacks

In 1993, when terrorists attacked 

the World Trade Center for the 

first time, financial services 

company Morgan Stanley learned 

a life-saving lesson. It took the 

company 4 hours that day to 

evacuate its employees, some of 

whom had to walk down 60 or 

more flights of stairs to safety. 

While none of Morgan Stanley’s employees were killed in the attack, 

the company’s management decided its disaster plan just wasn’t good 

enough. 

Morgan Stanley took a close look at its operation, analyzed the potential 

disaster risk and developed a multi-faceted disaster plan. Perhaps just 

as importantly, it practiced the plan frequently to provide for employee 

safety in the event of another disaster.

On September 11, 2001, the planning and practice paid off. Immediately 

after the first hijacked plane struck One World Trade Center, Morgan 

Stanley security executives ordered the company’s 3800 employees to 

evacuate from World Trade Center buildings, Two and Five. This time, 

it took them just 45 minutes to get out to safety!

The crisis management did not stop at that point, however. Morgan 

Stanley offered grief counseling to workers and increased its security 

presence. It also used effective communications strategies to provide 

timely, appropriate information to management and employees, 

investors and clients, and regulators and the media.

Morgan Stanley still lost 13 people on September 11th, but many more 

could have died if the company had not had a solid disaster plan that was 

practiced over and over again. In making a commitment to prepare its 

most valuable asset, its people, Morgan Stanley ensured the firm’s future.

22667 Mentor.indd 28 4/25/06 5:53:18 PM
EVACUATION PLAN

Information Sheet: People with Disabilities

Talk to co-workers with disabilities. If you have employees with disabilities ask what assistance 

is needed. People with disabilities typically know what assistance they will need in an 

emergency. 

Identify co-workers in your organization with special needs. 

Engage people with disabilities in emergency planning. 

Ask about communication difficulties, physical limitations, equipment instructions and 

medication procedures. 

Identify people willing to help co-workers with disabilities and be sure they are able to 

handle the job. This is particularly important if someone needs to be lifted or carried. 

Plan how you will alert people who cannot hear an alarm or emergency instructions. 

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22667 Mentor.indd 29 4/25/06 5:53:19 PM

Information Sheet: High-Rise Buildings 

l Note where the closest emergency exit is.

 Be sure you know another way out in case your first choice is blocked. 

 Take cover under a desk or table if things are falling. 

 Move away from file cabinets, bookshelves or other things that might fall. 

 Face away from windows and glass. 

 Move away from exterior walls. 

 Determine if you should stay put, “shelter-in-place” or get away. 

 Listen for and follow instructions. 

 Take your emergency supply kit, unless there is reason to believe it has been contaminated. 

 Do not use elevators. 

 Stay to the right while going down stairwells to allow emergency workers to come up. 

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Next Steps

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Review and practice the evacuation plan at your business location.

Conduct employee training, exercises and drills.

Plan for people with disabilities who may need help getting out in an emergency. 

Take Away

Worksheet: Make an Evacuation Plan 

Testimonial: Morgan Stanley

Information Sheets: People with Disabilities 

High-Rise Buildings

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22667 Mentor.indd 30 4/25/06 5:53:32 PM

Sample Emergency Plan Page 5 — Shelter-in-Place Plan

Supplemental material for this section:

Worksheet: Shelter-in-Place Plan 

Information Sheet: Shelter-in-Place “Seal the 

Room” Diagram

With shelter-in-place planning, emphasize that you 

need to have both an All Hazards NOAA Weather 

Radio to monitor emergency updates as well as 

access to a commercial, battery-powered radio to 

receive the latest information from public safety 

officials.

Considering the company’s current level of 

preparedness training, it may not be possible for 

mentorees to complete the entire entry.

Deciding whether to stay or go is a critical, 

potentially life-saving call. If you are officially 

instructed by local authorities to either evacuate or 

shelter-in-place, do so immediately.

Shelter-in-place planning requires a high level of preparedness, particularly in situations 

where a decision is made to “seal the room” to create a barrier against contaminated 

outside air.

It should be noted that employees cannot be forced to shelter. Planning and effective 

communication with employees will avoid confusion in the event of an emergency.

Yes or No?

Does your company have a shelter-in-place plan to protect employees in the event they 

need to remain inside the building during an emergency? 

If so, are your employees familiar with the plan? 

Suggest that the mentoree review the “Shelter-in-Place Plan” worksheet before attempting 

to complete page 5 of the Sample Emergency Plan. Even if the business has a shelter-inplace plan, there may be important steps that have been overlooked.
22667 Mentor.indd 31 4/25/06 5:53:33 PM

SHELTER-IN-PLACE 

Worksheet: Shelter-in-Place Plan PLAN

Make a Shelter-in-Place Plan

There may be situations when it is best to stay where you are to avoid any uncertainty outside. 

There are other circumstances, such as during a tornado or a chemical incident, when specifically 

how and where you take shelter is a matter of survival. You should understand the different 

threats and plan for all possibilities. If you are instructed by local authorities to take shelter, do so 

immediately. 

1. If feasible, develop a system for knowing who is in your building in case there is an 

emergency. 

2. Establish a warning system. 

n Test systems frequently. 

n Plan to communicate with people who have hearing impairments or other disabilities 

or who do not speak English. 

3. Account for all workers, visitors and customers as people arrive in the shelter. 

n Take a head count. 

n Use a prepared roster or checklist. 

n In general, employees cannot be forced to shelter. However, there are circumstances 

when local officials will order that everyone stay put. It is important to speak with your 

co-workers in advance about sheltering to avoid confusion and allow for cooperation 

in the event you need to shelter-in-place. 

4. Assign specific duties to employees in advance and create checklists for each 

responsibility. Designate and train employee alternates in case the assigned person is 

not there or is injured. 

5. Get emergency supply kits and keep them in your shelter locations. 

6. Practice your shelter-in-place plan on a regular basis. 

Determine where you will take shelter in case of a tornado warning. 

1. Storm cellars or basements provide the best tornado protection. 

2. If underground shelter is not available, go into an interior room or hallway on the lowest 

floor possible. 

3. In a high-rise building, go to a small interior room or hallway on the lowest floor possible. 

4. Stay away from windows, doors and outside walls. Go to the center of the room. Stay 

away from corners because they attract debris. 

5. Stay in the shelter location until the danger has passed. 

Seal the Room

If local authorities believe the air is badly contaminated with an agent released from a chemical 

manufacturing plant, for example, you may be instructed to take shelter and “seal the room” in 

an inside room on a higher floor. The process used to seal the room is considered a temporary 

protective measure to create a barrier between your people and potentially contaminated air 

outside. It is a type of sheltering that requires preplanning.

continued on next page

1
SHELTER-IN-PLACE

PLAN

22667 Mentor.indd 32

Worksheet continued

1. Identify a location to “seal the room” in advance.

n If feasible, choose an interior room, such as a break room or conference room, 

with as few windows and doors as possible. 

n If your business is located on more than one floor or in more than one building, 

identify multiple shelter locations. 

2. To “seal the room” effectively: 

n Close the business and bring everyone inside. 

n Lock doors, close windows, air vents and fireplace dampers. 

n Turn off fans, air conditioning and forced air heating systems. 

n Take your emergency supply kit unless you have reason to believe it has been 

contaminated. 

n Go into an interior room, such as a break room or conference room, with few 

windows, if possible. 

n Seal all windows, doors and air vents with plastic sheeting and duct tape. Measure, 

cut and label the sheeting in advance to save time. 

n Be prepared to improvise and use what you have on hand to seal gaps so that you 

create a barrier between yourself and any contamination. 

n Local authorities may not immediately be able to provide information on what is 

happening and what you should do. However, you should watch television, listen 

to the radio or check the Internet often for official news and instructions as they 

become available.

4/25/06 5:53:33 PM
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SHELTER-IN-PLACE

Information Sheet: Shelter-in-Place “Seal the Room” Diagram PLAN

Cover all doors, windows and vents with 2–4 mil. thick plastic sheeting. 

Cut the plastic sheeting several inches wider than the openings and label each sheet. 

Duct tape plastic at corners first and then tape down all edges.

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Next Steps

Review and practice the shelter-in-place plan at your business location.

Organize an emergency team that understands procedures to shelter-in-place.

Identify special needs of employees and ensure that they are provided assistance in case 

of a shelter-in-place emergency; include these employees in your planning process. 

If you are in the process of expanding, changing locations or building new facilities, you 

may want to consider constructing a special shelter-in-place room. For more information, 

visit www.fema.gov/mit/saferoom. 

Take Away

Worksheet: Shelter-in-Place Plan 

Information Sheet: Shelter-in-Place “Seal the Room” Diagram


Sample Emergency Plan Page 5 — Emergency Supplies

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Supplemental material for this section:

Worksheet: Emergency Supplies Checklist

 The Sample Emergency Plan asks if owners 

or managers have talked to employees about 

emergency supplies. Discuss items the 

mentoree might want to keep on site.

 Shelter-in-place strategies require that emergency supplies be available at the workplace, 

but it is a good idea to have basic supplies 

on-site in the event of other emergencies. 

Emergency planners should let employees 

know what emergency supplies the company 

will store on location so that individuals may 

consider if there are other items they need to 

include for their personal protection.

Remember that emergency supplies should include a battery-operated All Hazards 

NOAA Weather Radio for weather alerts and a commercial radio for news and 

information from local authorities. 

Keep essential documents such as building plans, insurance documents, supplier 

contracts, employee contact information and computer backup tapes in a waterproof, 

fireproof container. Store a duplicate set of these same items at an off-site location.

In addition to emergency supplies that the company can feasibly keep on hand, 

encourage workers to maintain their own kit, including such things as medications, 

mini-flashlight, emergency whistle, water, snacks, etc. 

Yes or No?

22667 Mentor.indd 34 4/25/06 5:53:47 PM

In addition to a basic first-aid kit, does your company store and maintain emergency 

supplies that could be useful in the event of a disaster? 

Do you protect documents essential to business continuity at work and at an off-site 

location?

Worksheet: Emergency Supplies Checklist

On opposite page; also available for download at www.ready.gov.

Emphasize that the list is a starting point. Encourage mentorees to add items that might 

be appropriate to their particular business and the needs of employees.
EMERGENCY 

SUPPLIES

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Emergency Supplies

Emergency Supplies

Talk to your co-workers about what emergency supplies the company can feasibly

provide, if any, and which ones individuals should consider keeping on hand.

Recommended emergency supplies include the following:

Water, amounts for portable kits will vary. Individuals should determine

what amount they are able to both store comfortably and to transport to

other locations. If it is feasible, store one gallon of water per person per

day, for drinking and sanitation

Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food

Battery-powered radio and extra batteries

Flashlight and extra batteries

First Aid kit

Whistle to signal for help

Dust or filter masks, readily available in hardware stores, which are

rated based on how small a particle they filter

Moist towelettes for sanitation

Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities

Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food)

Plastic sheeting and duct tape to "seal the room"

Garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation

Next Steps

Review the emergency supply list and add additional items that fit your particular situation. 

Encourage employees to put together their own emergency preparedness kit.

Take Away

Worksheet: Emergency Supplies Checklist


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Sample Emergency Plan Page 6 — Communications

22667 Mentor.indd 36 4/25/06 5:54:02 PM

Supplemental material for this section: 

Worksheet: Develop a Crisis Communication Plan

Testimonial: Equity Technologies

 The Sample Emergency Plan asks how the 

business will share its disaster plan with 

employees and how it will communicate with 

staff in the event of a disaster. 

 Encourage mentorees to take a broader view 

of communications, considering how they 

would communicate with customers and 

others in their business network, as well as 

with emergency personnel and the public 

in case a serious incident should occur. 

Remind the mentoree of the importance of 

designating a spokesperson, which appears 

on page 1 of the Sample Emergency Plan.

 Point out that effective internal communication 

depends on the ability of the emergency planning team to involve other employees. 

Active participation in the form of drills and exercises reinforces the message that the 

company values employees’ safety and well-being.

The ability to effectively communicate with employees, customers, local authorities 

and the public during an emergency can make a major difference in how well your 

company is able to recover from disaster.

Encourage open communication from employees concerning procedures before, 

during and after an emergency.

Yes or No?

Does your business regularly include emergency preparedness and safety information in 

company communications, including web pages, newsletters and e-mails? 


22667 Mentor.indd 37

COMMUNICATIONS

4/25/06 5:54:09 PM

Worksheet: Develop a Crisis Communication Plan

1. Employees: Be prepared to provide employees with information on when, if and how to 

report to work following an emergency. 

n Set up a telephone call tree, password-protected page on the company Web 

site, an e-mail alert or a call-in voice recording to communicate with employees 

in an emergency. 

n Be clear on how their jobs may be affected. 

2. Management: Provide top company executives with all relevant information needed for 

the protection of employees, customers, vendors and nearby facilities. 

3. Public: It may be important to update the general public with calm assurance that 

all resources are being used to protect workers and the community. Being able to 

communicate that plans are in place for recovery may be especially important. 

4. Customers: Update your customers on whether and when products will be received and 

services rendered. 

5. Government: Tell officials what your company is prepared to do to help in the recovery 

effort. Also communicate with local, state and federal authorities what emergency 

assistance is needed for you to continue essential business activity. 

6. Other Businesses/Immediate Neighbors: You should be prepared to give competing 

and neighboring companies a prompt briefing on the nature of the emergency so they 

may be able to assess their own threat levels. 
COMMUNICATIONS

Testimonial: Equity Technologies

“It wasn’t hard to put 

together a plan, you 

just have to make it a 

priority.”

— President and CEO 

Cathy Anderson-Giles

22667 Mentor.indd 38 4/25/06 5:54:16 PM

Equity Technologies Corporation 

knows what it means to be 

prepared. Located in Mobile, 

Alabama, the company has long 

had plans and procedures in 

place to counter the threat posed 

by hurricanes and other severe 

weather. For instance, Equity 

Technologies promotes family 

and individual preparedness and 

has set up a means of communicating with employees when dangerous 

weather threatens. Employees carry laminated cards with contact 

information for supervisors and a voice recorded call-in number with 

updates about the company’s status.

But it was the risk of Y2K-related disturbances that motivated Equity 

Technologies to get serious about its disaster preparedness and business 

continuity plans. “We are a small company which does business around 

the world. To be competitive my clients must feel confident that we are 

ready for anything,” said Equity Technologies Corporation’s President 

and CEO Cathy Anderson-Giles. “It wasn’t hard to put together a plan, 

you just have to make it a priority.” 

First the company identified workers to serve as key contacts for the 

72-employee operation. These key contacts then established safety 

and security teams which analyzed Equity Technologies Corporation’s 

entire emergency process.

The teams realized that communication between the company and the 

outside world was the single most important operational factor in an 

emergency. As a result, Equity Technologies purchased generators to 

power the phone system during utility outages and trained co-workers 

to set them up within seven minutes. Not only does the company have 

emergency plans and procedures in place, it has made a commitment to 

review the plans and tools each year at the start of the hurricane season. 

“We have the annual review on our corporate calendar,” said AndersonGiles. “Being prepared means being ready for any kind of emergency, be 

it hurricane, utility disruption or man-made disaster.”
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22667 Mentor.indd 39 4/25/06 5:54:24 PM

Next Steps

Include safety and preparedness information in future company communications.

Identify employees with disabilities or special communication needs and involve them in 

your planning.

Take Away

Worksheet: Develop a Crisis Communications Plan

Testimonial: Equity Technologies


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22667 Mentor.indd 40 4/25/06 5:54:34 PM

Supplemental material for this section:

Worksheet: Improving Cyber Security

 Mentorees may relate best to this topic by 

thinking about the cyber protection they take 

on their home computers and systems.

The issue of computer security is an everyday 

problem that most people are familiar with 

on a personal level. Because computers are 

the lifeblood of many operations, it is vital that 

companies address cyber security. 

Every computer is vulnerable to cyber-security 

threats. While some protections can be highly 

technical and expensive, even the smallest 

business can benefit from taking measures to 

guard against computer hacking and viruses.

Yes or No?

Do you regularly install security patches to your software? 

Have you installed a firewall to your network? 

Do you update your anti-virus software? 

Worksheet: Improving Cyber Security 

 Use anti-virus software and keep it up to date.

 Do not open e-mail from unknown or unwanted sources.

 Use hard-to-guess passwords.

 Protect your computer from Internet intruders by using firewalls.

 Back-up your data.

 Regularly download security update patches.

 Check your computer operations security on a regular basis.

 Train personnel on steps to take should the computer system become infected, or 

designate an in-house contact should a cyber-security problem arise.
22667 Mentor.indd 41

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CYBER SECURITY

4/25/06 5:54:40 PM

Next Steps

Use the online resources of the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (www.us-cert.

gov). This is a partnership between DHS and public and private sectors. The team was 

established to protect the nation’s Internet infrastructure through coordinated defense 

against and responses to cyber attacks.

Consider signing up for the Department of Homeland Security’s National Cyber Alert 

System (www.us-cert.gov) to receive free, timely alerts on new threats and to learn how to 

better protect your area of cyberspace.

Review Common Sense Guide to Cyber Security for Small Businesses, Recommended 

Actions for Information Security, First Edition, March 2004. Available for download at 

www.us-cert.gov/reading_room/CSG-small-business.pdf.

Take Away

Worksheet: Improving Cyber Security

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Sample Emergency Plan Page 7 — Promote Preparedness and Support 

 Employee Health After a Disaster

Yes or No?

Supplemental material for this section: 

Worksheet: Support Employee Health 

 Use the simple step of compiling emergency 

contact information to introduce the 

larger issue of promoting preparedness to 

employees. 

 Encouraging employees to prepare for 

emergencies helps individuals and families 

minimize the impact a disaster may have 

on their lives. In the event of a disaster, 

employees will be able to re-establish routines 

faster and the company as a whole will be 

able to recover more quickly.

 People who experience a disaster may 

have special recovery needs. For example, 

someone recovering from a devastating flood 

may have to re-establish themselves and their family in a new living situation, and will 

likely need extra time in the transition. Be prepared to support employee health after a 

disaster.

Does your company keep emergency contact information on hand that is readily 

retrievable in the event of an emergency? 

Has the information been updated recently? 

Is this information also kept off-site with other parts of 

your emergency plan? 

Do you encourage employees to make a personal 

emergency supply kit and a family 

communication plan? 

22667 Mentor.indd 42 4/25/06 5:54:53 PM
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PROMOTE 

PREPAREDNESS

22667 Mentor.indd 43 4/25/06 5:54:54 PM

Worksheet: Support Employee Health

Re-establishing routines, including getting back to work, is important to the well-being of people 

who have experienced disasters. If individuals and families are prepared, your company and your 

co-workers are better positioned in an emergency situation.

Support Employee Health After a Disaster: 

Encourage adequate food, rest and recreation. 

Provide for time at home to care for family needs, if necessary. 

Have an open-door policy that facilitates seeking care when needed. 

Create opportunities for breaks where co-workers can talk openly about their fears and 

hopes. Sharing with others can speed personal recovery. 

Reassure one another that families will be supported. Worries about family well-being can 

consume workers who have experienced a disaster. 

Re-establish routines, when possible. Workplace routines facilitate recovery by providing 

an opportunity to be active and to restore social contact. 

Offer professional counselors to help co-workers address their fears and anxieties. 

Once the need to listen for emergency instructions has passed, limit television, radio and 

other external stresses. 

Take care of yourself. Leaders tend to experience added stress after a disaster. Your 

personal health and recovery is important to your family and your employees. 

Next Steps

Visit www.ready.gov (Ready America) for general preparedness instructions and 

information.

Encourage your employees and their families to “Get a Kit, Make a Plan, Be Informed.” Call 

1-800-BE-READY for a free brochure. 

Review Are You Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness, available at www.

fema.gov/areyouready or by calling (800) 480-2520. Also available upon request is the 

Are You Ready? Facilitator Guide, an aid to presenting preparedness information to 

employees and small groups.

Have employees test their knowledge of preparedness by taking an Are You Ready? 

independent study course online at www.training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is22.asp.

Include emergency preparedness information in newsletters, company Intranet, employee 

e-mails and other internal communications.

Review Preparing Makes Sense Brochure. Available for download at www.ready.gov.

Review Family Communications Plan. Available for download at www.ready.gov.

Take Away

Worksheet: Support Employee Health

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Sample Emergency Plan

Page 7 — Annual Review

22667 Mentor.indd 44 4/25/06 5:55:04 PM

Supplemental material for this section: 

Worksheet: Practice the Plan with Co-Workers

Testimonial: Childs Capital, LLC

The last item in the Sample Emergency 

Plan simply asks that businesses review their 

plan annually. Encourage the mentoree to 

do more than just look the plan over, though. 

Review the plan, and practice what to do in 

the event of an emergency through drills and 

exercises.

Yes or No?

Has your company’s emergency plan been updated within the last year? 

Have you practiced an emergency plan within that time? 

Do you practice or coordinate with other companies in your building or business center? 

Worksheet: Practice the Plan with Co-Workers

If you rent, lease or share office space, coordinate and practice evacuation and other 

emergency plans with other businesses in your building or facility. 

Conduct regularly scheduled education and training seminars to provide co-workers with 

information, identify needs and develop preparedness skills. 

Include preparedness training in new employee orientation programs. 

Do tabletop exercises with members of the emergency management team. Meet in a 

conference room setting to discuss individual responsibilities and how each would react to 

emergency scenarios. 

Schedule walk-through drills where the emergency management team and response teams 

actually perform their designated emergency functions. This activity generally involves more 

people and is more thorough than a tabletop exercise. 

Practice evacuating and sheltering. Have all personnel walk the evacuation route to a 

designated area where procedures for accounting for all personnel are tested. Practice your 

shelter-in-place plan. 

Evaluate and revise processes and procedures based on lessons learned in training and 

exercises. 

Keep training records. 
ANNUAL REVIEW

Testimonial: Childs Capital, LLC

“We had trained in 

advance and knew what 

to do.”

— Founder and CEO Donna Childs

22667 Mentor.indd 45 4/25/06 5:55:05 PM

Many small businesses struggled 

to recover after the terrorist 

attacks of September 11th, 

but one small company with a 

comprehensive contingency plan 

was back in business within a 

week.

Childs Capital, LLC, a company 

that specializes in international economic development, is located very 

near Ground Zero. The company’s chief executive officer was in the 

World Trade Center when the first plane hit. “I immediately called the 

office and told them that it wasn’t safe, then ordered an evacuation and 

initiated our emergency plan,” said Childs Capital Founder and CEO 

Donna Childs. “We had trained in advance and knew what to do.”

As the dust settled, Childs Capital still had to cope with major disruptions 

to power, telephone, water and other utilities. “Our building had a backup generator that allowed us to run some of the computers, but we had 

planned to rely on battery-powered laptops,” said Childs. Childs Capital 

was back in business, albeit in a limited capacity, within a week.

It took the company less than a month to get back to full operation. 

“I used to be in the reinsurance business and I knew exactly how to 

document the expenses we were incurring,” said Childs. “Our insurance 

company paid in full in three days of submission and we were back in 

business.”

Take Away

Worksheet: Practice the Plan with Co-Workers

Testimonial: Childs Capital, LLC

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Protect Your Investment

Supplemental material for this section: 

Worksheets: Insurance Discussion Form

Computer Inventory Form

Secure Facilities, Buildings and Plants

Assess Building Air Protection

At this stage, the mentoree should have started a first draft of the Sample Emergency 

Plan. In addition to creating a plan, there are a number of practical steps the 

mentoree should also consider to safeguard the company and secure its physical 

assets.

The “Protect Your Investment” section provides information about other preparedness 

actions the mentoree should implement in support and furtherance of the emergency 

plan.

Worksheet: Insurance Discussion Form 

On opposite page; also available for download at www.ready.gov.

Inadequate insurance coverage can lead to major financial loss if your business is 

damaged, destroyed or simply interrupted for a period of time.

Review coverage with your insurance agent. Be sure you understand what is covered, 

including items that are excluded under your current policy.

22667 Mentor.indd 46 4/25/06 5:55:10 PM
PROTECT YOUR 

INVESTMENT

In

A

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22667 Mentor.indd 47 4/25/06 5:55:12 PM

Insurance Discussion Form

Open for Business Worksheet

Insurance Coverage Discussion Form

Use this form to discuss your insurance coverage with your agent. Having adequate coverage now will

help you recover more rapidly from a catastrophe.

surance Agent:

ddress:

hone: ___________________ Fax: _______________________ Email: ____________________

INSURANCE POLICY INFORMATION

Type of Insurance Policy No. Deductibles Policy Limits Coverage

(General Description)

Do you need Flood Insurance? Yes __ No __

Do you need Earthquake Insurance? Yes __ No __

Do you need Business Income and Extra Expense Insurance? Yes __ No __

Other disaster-related insurance questions:

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Worksheet: Computer Inventory Form

Below; also available for download at www.ready.gov.

Maintaining accurate records and safeguarding them in an emergency is an 

important element of ensuring adequate insurance coverage.

Find out what records your insurance company will need to see in the event of a 

disaster and store copies of the documents in a safe, off-site location. 

Computer Inventory Form

Open for Business Worksheet

Computer Hardware Inventory

Use this form to:

* Log your computer hardware serial and model numbers. Attach a copy of your vendor documentation to this document.

* Record the name of the company from which you purchased or leased this equipment and the contact name to notify for

your computer repairs.

* Record the name of the company that provides repair and support for your computer hardware.

Make additional copies as needed.

Keep one copy of this list in a secure place on your premises and another in an off-site location.

HARDWARE INVENTORY LIST

Hardware (CPU, Monitor,

Printer, Keyboard, Mouse)

Hardware Size,

RAM & CPU

Capacity

Model

Purchased

Serial

Number

Date

Purchased Cost
PROTECT YOUR 

Worksheet: Secure Facilities, Buildings and Plants INVESTMENT

While there is no way to predict what will happen or what your business’s circumstances will 

be, there are things you can do in advance to help protect your physical assets.

l Install fire extinguishers and smoke detectors in appropriate places. 

l Locate and make available building and site maps with critical utility and emergency 

routes clearly marked. 

n Plan to provide a copy to fire fighters or other first responders in the event of a disaster. 

n Keep copies of these documents with your emergency plan and other important 

documents in your emergency supply kit. 

l Consider if you could benefit from automatic fire sprinklers, alarm systems, closed circuit 

TV, access control, security guards or other security systems. 

l Secure ingress and egress. Consider all the ways in which people, products, supplies and 

other things get into and leave your building or facility.

l	 Plan for mail safety. The nation’s battle against terrorism takes place on many fronts, 

including the mailrooms of U.S. companies. A properly informed and well-trained work 

force can overcome such threats.

n Teach employees to be able to quickly identify suspect packages and letters. Warning 

signs include: 

◆ Misspelled words 

◆ No return address 

◆ Excessive use of tape 

◆ Strange discoloration or odor 

n The United States Postal Service (www.usps.com) suggests that if a suspect letter or 

package is identified: 

◆ Do not open, smell, touch or taste 

◆ Immediately isolate suspect packages and letters 

◆ Move out of the area and do not let others in 

◆ Quickly wash with soap and water and remove contaminated clothing 

◆ Contact local law enforcement authorities 

n Post emergency numbers for easy reference. 

l Identify what production machinery, computers, custom parts or other essential equipment 

is needed to keep the business open. 

n Plan how to replace or repair vital equipment if it is damaged or destroyed. 

n Identify more than one supplier who can replace or repair your equipment. 

l Store extra supplies, materials and equipment for use in an emergency. 

l Plan what you will do if your building, plant or store is not usable. 

n Consider if you can run the business from a different location or from your home. 

n Develop relationships with other companies to use their facilities in case a disaster 

makes your location unusable. 

l Identify and comply with all local, state and federal codes and other safety regulations that 

apply to your business. 

l Talk to your insurance provider about what impact any of these steps may have on your 

policy. 

22667 Mentor.indd 49 4/25/06 5:55:22 PM

4
PROTECT YOUR

INVESTMENT Worksheet: Assess Building Air Protection 

In some emergencies, microscopic particles may be released into the air. A building can provide 

a barrier between contaminated air outside and people inside, but there are ways to improve 

building air protection.

Depending on the size of the building and the design and layout of the Heating, Ventilating and 

Air-Conditioning (HVAC) system, there may be simple steps building owners and managers can 

take to help protect people from some airborne threats. 

l Know the HVAC system. 

n Building owners, managers and employers should take a close look at the site’s 

system and be sure it is working properly and is well maintained. 

n Be sure any security measures do not adversely impact air quality or fire safety. 

l Develop and practice shut-down procedures for the HVAC system. 

l Secure outdoor air intakes. HVAC systems can be an entry point and means of 

distributing biological, chemical and radiological threats. 

n Limit access to air intake locations to protect the people inside a building from 

airborne threats. Air intakes at or below ground level are most vulnerable because 

anyone can gain easy access. 

n Consider relocating or extending an exposed air intake, but do not permanently 

seal it. 

l Determine if you can feasibly upgrade the building’s filtration system. 

n Increasing filter efficiency is one of the few things that can be done in advance 

to consistently protect people inside a building from biological and some other 

airborne threats. 

n Carefully consider the highest filtration efficiency that will work with a building’s 

HVAC system. 

l HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Arrester) Filter Fans: These individual units have 

highly efficient filters that can capture very tiny particles, including many biological 

agents. Once trapped within a HEPA filter, contaminants cannot get into your body 

and make you sick. While these filters are excellent at filtering dander, dust, molds, 

smoke, many biological agents and other contaminants, they will not stop chemical 

gases. 

Take Away

22667 Mentor.indd 50 4/25/06 5:55:28 PM

Worksheets: Insurance Discussion Form

Computer Inventory Form

Secure Facilities, Buildings and Plants

Assess Building Air Protection
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RESOURCE LISTING

4/25/06 5:55:29 PM

To utilize these resources 

please visit the Ready 

Business Knowledge 

Center at: www.ready.gov

Resource Listing

Emergency Planning and Business Continuity

American Red Cross: Business and Industry Guide

Provides suggestions for emergency planning in advance of a disaster, including 

recommendations regarding employees, computers, inventory, insurance, emergency supplies, 

building protection and customer safety.

Business Executives for National Security (BENS): Getting Ready: Company Primer 

on Preparedness and Response Planning for Terrorist and Bioterrorist Attacks

Provides information on the types of terrorist attacks, especially those involving bioterrorism 

and using various potential biological agents and methods of attack. Includes treatment and 

control options. Also provides background information on local-state-federal governmental 

relationships and emergency response under a public health emergency, company procedures 

for recognizing and responding to bioterrorist attacks, and guidelines for maintaining business 

functions after a terrorist attack.

FEMA: Emergency Management Guide for Business and Industry

Provides step-by-step advice on creating and maintaining a comprehensive emergency 

management program, or assessing and updating an existing company emergency 

management plan. Provides information on how to build emergency management capabilities in 

key response functional areas such as life safety, property protection and community outreach, 

in addition to hazard-specific information.

FEMA: State Offices and Agencies of Emergency Management

Provides state emergency management organizations’ geographical mailing addresses, phone 

numbers and email address links.

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22667 Mentor.indd 52 4/25/06 5:55:36 PM

Institute for Business and Home Safety: Open for Business

Provides information and recommendations regarding business continuity and emergency 

planning, including worksheets for developing contact information on business suppliers, 

customers, public and private sector emergency response related agencies, and businesses 

(e.g., gas/heat and electric companies).

Also provides information collection worksheets and checklists for disaster supplies, insurance 

coverage, creditors, computer hardware, software and peripherals inventories, as well as natural 

disaster hazard and business building protection measures by geographic region, plus a list 

of business continuity and preparedness measures grouped by cost level ($0, <$500, >$500). 

Web site also includes links for obtaining Disaster Recovery Folder and one-page Getting Back 

to Business brochure.

Michigan State University: Critical Incident Protocol: A Public and Private Partnership, 

Office of Domestic Preparedness, U.S. Department of Justice

Provides lessons learned information on establishing public-private partnerships in advance 

of a disaster by conducting individual and joint public/private evaluations of risk factors and 

subsequent joint emergency plans, facilitating business resumption and recovery, developing 

training exercises on joint plans, and incorporating mitigation throughout these processes to 

help prevent disasters or reduce their impacts.

National Fire Protection Association: 1600 Standard on Disaster/Emergency 

Management and Business Continuity Programs 2004 Edition

Establishes and provides common set of criteria for disaster management, emergency 

management and business continuity programs for public and private sector use in assessing 

current mitigation, preparedness response, and recovery programs, or developing these 

programs. Focuses on emergency management plan elements including direction and 

control, communications and warning, operations and procedures, logistics and facilities, 

training, exercises, evaluations, corrective actions, crisis communications, and finance and 

administration.
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RESOURCE LISTING

To utilize these resources 

please visit the Ready 

Business Knowledge 

Center at: www.ready.gov

22667 Mentor.indd 53 4/25/06 5:55:37 PM

OSHA: How to Plan for Workplace Emergencies and Evacuations

Provides business emergency planning guidance including OSHA legal emergency planning, 

toxic substances, hazard notification and response requirements. Also has good practice 

recommendations including suggested responder roles, evacuation route development 

and dissemination, medical care and first aid services or arrangements, employee locating 

techniques, training, emergency equipment, and coordination with external organizations and 

agencies.

OSHA: Emergency Preparedness and Response

Provides the basic steps for handling workplace emergencies including accidental releases of 

toxic gases, chemical spills, fires, explosions, and bodily harm and trauma caused by workplace 

violence. OSHA requirements and guidance information are for small businesses that do 

not have safety and health professionals, and includes information on written and oral plan 

requirements, as well as recommendations regarding emergency response chain of command, 

communications, emergency response teams and training.

Small Business Administration: Get Ready-Be Prepared

Provides a list of emergency preparedness questions, concerns and recommendations for small 

business, as well as links to related SBA, FEMA, and Institute for Business and Home Safety 

Web sites.

Are You Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness

FEMA’s most comprehensive source on individual, family and community preparedness. The 

guide was revised, updated and enhanced in August 2004 to provide the public with the most 

current and up-to-date disaster preparedness information available. 

Are You Ready? Facilitator Guide

Call (800) 480-2520 to request copy 

A tool for those interested in delivering Are You Ready? content in a small group or classroom 

setting. The Facilitator Guide is an easy-to-use manual that has instruction modules for adults, 

older children and younger children. A resource CD is packaged with the Facilitator Guide 

that contains customizable presentation materials, sample training plans and other disaster 

preparedness education resources. 

Joint Preparedness Publications from FEMA and American Red Cross

Preparing for Disaster — Provides step-by-step disaster preparedness procedures including 

hazard identification, how to create a family disaster plan, how to assemble a disaster supplies 

kit, and how to maintain a plan and kit. 

Helping Children Cope With Disaster — Provides information on how to prepare children prior 

to disaster and how to lessen the emotional effects of disaster.


Food and Water in an Emergency — Explains how to select and store food and how to store 

and treat water in the event of an emergency. Provides information on emergency cooking, 

where to locate emergency water, and how to assemble a portable disaster supplies kit with 

food and water. 

Preparing for Disaster for People With Disabilities and Other Special Needs — Provides 

disaster preparedness information specific to people with disabilities and other special needs, 

including the elderly.

RESOURCE LISTING

22667 Mentor.indd 54 4/25/06 5:55:43 PM
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RESOURCE LISTING

To utilize these resources 

please visit the Ready 

Business Knowledge 

Center at: www.ready.gov

22667 Mentor.indd 55 4/25/06 5:55:44 PM

Evacuation and Shelter Planning

 American Disabilities Act Access Board: ADA Design Requirements for Accessible 

Egress

Provides Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines, which primarily cover new 

construction and alterations, and include specifications for accessible means of evacuating, 

emergency alarms and signage, life safety codes, and state access codes relating to persons 

with disabilities, such as the mobility impaired.

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: Fact Sheet on Obtaining and Using 

Employee Medical Information as Part of Emergency Evacuation Procedures

Provides answers to recently asked employer questions related to the Americans with 

Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act and concerning whether they can request information 

to help identify individuals who may need assistance because of a medical condition and 

whether they can share this information with others in the workplace so that they can develop 

or re-evaluate company emergency evacuation procedures.

American Red Cross: Shelter-in-Place in an Emergency

Provides definition of sheltering-in-place and describes how chemical, biological or radiological 

air contamination may require sheltering-in-place, as well as checklists of procedures for doing 

so at work, home or school, as well as in a vehicle.

National Institute for Chemical Studies: Shelter-in-Place at Your Office — A General 

Guide for Preparing a Shelter-in-Place Plan in the Workplace

Provides procedures for sheltering-in-place in an office, as well as other information on 

preparedness measures to be taken prior to any emergency, such as determining employee 

intentions to participate or not, developing employee sheltering roles, devising an accountability 

system, conducting drills, identifying shelter locations and obtaining necessary equipment. A 

sample business shelter-in-place plan is also provided.

FEMA: Tornado Protection: Selecting Refuge Areas in Buildings

Uses case studies of three schools struck by tornadoes during the last 30 years, plus damage 

examinations by structural engineers, building scientists and architectural experts to select 

safety areas in existing buildings for protecting against a tornado strike and provides information 

on how to identify best available refuge areas in buildings.

OSHA: Does Your Facility Need an Emergency Action Plan?

Provides emergency planning matrix of questions to help employers identify if they are required 

to develop an Emergency Action Plan. Also provides links to OSHA Web sites with guidance for 

helping in plan development and training.


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OSHA Evacuation Planning Matrix

Provides information to help small, low-hazard service or retail businesses to determine 

whether they need an Emergency Action Plan and if so, to implement one. Describes what 

an Emergency Action Plan is, provides checklists, diagrams, pictures of required signs, exit 

routes, equipment (e.g., alarm systems, fire extinguishers and their maintenance), public 

sector coordination recommendations, recommendations for employers in high-rise buildings, 

OSHA requirements information, and a simple “fill in the blank” expert system to help write an 

Emergency Action Plan.

OSHA Fact Sheet: Evacuating High-Rise Buildings

Provides information on actions that employers should take in advance of any emergency to 

help ensure safe evacuations of high-rise buildings, things workers should know prior to an 

emergency, and things both employers and employees should do during an emergency.

Assess Building Air Protection

22667 Mentor.indd 56 4/25/06 5:55:45 PM

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH): Guidance for 

Protecting Building Environments from Airborne Chemical, Biological, or Radiological 

Attacks

Provides guidance for building owners on implementing without delay actions to enhance 

occupant protection from airborne chemical, biological or radiological attack. Includes 

information on how to modify existing buildings for better air protection and security, designing 

more secure new buildings, and developing preparedness plans for building managers to help 

them make effective decisions in the midst of a chemical, biological or radiological attack. 

Examples of recommended measures include enclosing or raising vulnerable outdoor air 

intakes; isolating lobbies, mailrooms, loading docks and storage areas from rest of building; and 

strictly controlling access to information on building operations.
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To utilize these resources 

please visit the Ready 

Business Knowledge 

Center at: www.ready.gov

22667 Mentor.indd 57 4/25/06 5:55:45 PM

Cyber Security

Department of Homeland Security National Cyber Alert System

Provides preparedness and response information for cyber attacks, including links to lists of 

cyber security alerts and tips, sign-up systems for receiving email notification of future technical 

and non-technical cyber security alerts and bulletins, and systems for use in reporting a 

cyber attack or vulnerability. The National Cyber Alert System of technical and nontechnical 

information is also described.

National Cyber Security Alliance: Stay Safe Online

Provides “Top Ten Cyber Security Tips,” an online cyber security test involving 10 questions, and 

links to 22 supporting organizations including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and 

the Cyber Security Industry Alliance.


______________________

______________________

______________________

______________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_______________________

_______________________

_______________________

_______________________

______________________

______________________

______________________

______________________

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

Sample Emergency Plan

Sample Business Continuity and Disaster Preparedness Plan

PLAN TO STAY IN BUSINESS

_________________________

Business Name

_________________________

Address

_________________________

City, State

_________________________

Telephone Number

If this location is not accessible we will operate

from location below:

__________________________

Business Name

__________________________

Address

__________________________

City, State

__________________________

Telephone Number

The following person is our primary crisis manager

and will serve as the company spokesperson in an

emergency.

__________________________

Primary Emergency Contact

__________________________

Telephone Number

__________________________

Alternative Number

__________________________

E-mail

If the person is unable to manage the crisis, the

person below will succeed in management:

___________________________

Secondary Emergency Contact

___________________________

Telephone Number

___________________________

Alternative Number

___________________________

E-mail

EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION

Dial 9-1-1 in an Emergency

Non-Emergency Police/Fire

Insurance Provider

PAGE 1

22667 Mentor.indd 58 4/25/06 5:58:08 PM
o ________________________________________________

o ________________________________________________

o ________________________________________________

o ________________________________________________

o ________________________________________________

o ________________________________________________

o ________________________________________________

o ________________________________________________

o ________________________________________________

o ________________________________________________

o ________________________________________________

o ________________________________________________

o ________________________________________________

o ________________________________________________

_____________________ _________________________ _________________________________

_____________________ _________________________ _________________________________

_____________________ _________________________ _________________________________

_____________________ _________________________ _________________________________

_____________________ _________________________ _________________________________

Sample Emergency Plan

Sample Business Continuity and Disaster Preparedness Plan (cont'd)

BE INFORMED

The following natural and man-made disasters could impact our business.

EMERGENCY PLANNING TEAM

The following people will participate in emergency planning and crisis management.

WE PLAN TO COORDINATE WITH OTHERS

The following people from neighboring businesses and our building management will

participate on our emergency planning team.

OUR CRITICAL OPERATIONS

The following is a prioritized list of our critical operations, staff and procedures we need to

recover from a disaster.

Operation Staff in Charge Action Plan

PAGE 2

22667 Mentor.indd 59 4/25/06 5:58:12 PM


Sample Emergency Plan

Sample Business Continuity and Disaster Preparedness Plan (cont'd)

SUPPLIERS AND CONTRACTORS

Company Name: _______________________________________________

Street Address: _______________________________________________

City: ______________State:_______________Zip Code: _________________

Phone: _____________Fax:_______________E-Mail: _________________

Contact Name: _________________ Account Number: ________________

Materials/Service Provided: _______________________________________

If this company experiences a disaster, we will obtain supplies/materials from the following:

Company Name: _______________________________________________

Street Address: _______________________________________________

City: ______________State:_______________Zip Code: _________________

Phone: _____________Fax:_______________E-Mail: _________________

Contact Name: _________________ Account Number: ________________

Materials/Service Provided: _______________________________________

If this company experiences a disaster, we will obtain supplies/materials from the following:

Company Name: _______________________________________________

Street Address: _______________________________________________

City: ______________State:_______________Zip Code: _________________

Phone: _____________Fax:_______________E-Mail: _________________

Contact Name: _________________ Account Number: ________________

Materials/Service Provided: _______________________________________

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________________

________________

________________

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Sample Emergency Plan

Sample Business Continuity and Disaster Preparedness Plan (cont'd)

EVACUATION PLAN FOR _______________________________________ LOCATION

(Insert address)

We have developed these plans in collaboration with neighboring businesses

and building owners to avoid confusion or gridlock.

We have located, copied and posted building and site maps.

Exits are clearly marked.

We will practice evacuation procedures ____ times a year.

If we must leave the workplace quickly:

1. Warning System:_____________________________________________

We will test the warning system and record results ____ times a year.

2. Assembly Site: _____________________________________________

3. Assembly Site Manager & Alternate:_____________________________

a. Responsibilities Include:

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

4. Shut Down Manager & Alternate:_______________________________

a. Responsibilities Include:

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

5. _________________________is responsible for issuing all clear.

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Sample Emergency Plan

Sample Business Continuity and Disaster Preparedness Plan (cont'd)

SHELTER-IN-PLACE PLAN FOR __________________________________ LOCATION

 (Insert address)

We have talked to co-workers about which emergency supplies, if any, the company 

will provide in the shelter location and which supplies individuals might consider

keeping in a portable kit personalized for individual needs.

We will practice shelter procedures ____ times a year.

If we must take shelter quickly

1. Warning System:______________________________________________

We will test the warning system and record results ____ times a year.

2. Storm Shelter Location: ________________________________________

3. "Seal the Room" Shelter Location:________________________________

4. Shelter Manager & Alternate:

a. Responsibilities Include:

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

5. Shut Down Manager & Alternate:

a. Responsibilities Include:

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

6. _________________________is responsible for issuing all clear.

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___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

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Sample Emergency Plan

Sample Business Continuity and Disaster Preparedness Plan (cont'd)

COMMUNICATIONS

We will communicate our emergency plans with co-workers in the following way:

In the event of a disaster we will communicate with employees in the following way:

CYBER SECURITY

To protect our computer hardware, we will:

To protect our computer software, we will:

If our computers are destroyed, we will use back-up computers at the following location:

RECORDS BACK-UP

________________________ is responsible for backing up our critical records including

payroll and accounting systems.

Back-up records including a copy of this plan, site maps, insurance policies, bank account

records and computer back ups are stored onsite ________________________________.

Another set of back-up records is stored at the following off-site location:

___________________________________________________________________________

If our accounting and payroll records are destroyed, we will provide for continuity in the

following ways:

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_____________________ _____________________ _____________________

_____________________ _____________________ _____________________

_____________________ _____________________ _____________________

_____________________ _____________________ _____________________

Sample Emergency Plan

Sample Business Continuity and Disaster Preparedness Plan (cont'd)

EMPLOYEE EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION

The following is a list of our co-workers and their individual emergency contact information:

ANNUAL REVIEW

We will review and update this business continuity and disaster plan in _______________.

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