Posted by Sarah Rixey on Thu, Apr 04, 2013
As part of our comprehensive disaster recovery planning services, Agility Recovery Solutions sends out a free weekly tip through email. If you would like to receive these tips, please sign up here.
Happy & Healthy
Good health and a safe work environment are essential components of productivity, job satisfaction and overall quality of life for employees. In recent years, workplaces have recognized this and have taken steps to improve workplace settings.
As National Public Health Week continues, employers are encouraged to institute workplace wellness programs, as well as ensure employees have access to adequate safety gear and training.
Want to join the movement? Here are a few resources to help you get started.
- Click here to view an infographic full of interesting statistics and helpful information on creating a happy and healthy workplace.
- Click here for steps employers can take to create a safer work environment. Start small. Think big.
- Click here for a video on how public health saves both money and lives.
If you have additional questions or would like to talk with a recovery professional about your business continuity needs visit www.agilityrecovery.com or call 866-364-9696.
Posted by Mark Norton on Wed, Apr 03, 2013
Heading into the weekend of the Final Four to be played, ironically in Atlanta Georgia, I’m reminded of the night of “Miracle 3” in which great luck saved the lives of thousands...
3 seconds
Down by 3, tens of thousands of fans yelling, jumping up and down, creating a steady beat inside everyone’s chest. Alabama throws the ball in play from out of bounds as Mississippi State defenders rush towards it.
2 seconds
Players sprint to their positions on the court. Mykal Riley moves with the ball into shooting position 22 feet from the basket.
1 second
Mykal flicks the ball off his wrist over his defender on a perfect trajectory towards its target.
0:00
Swish! The sound of the ball traveling perfectly through the net is quickly drowned out by the buzzer followed by thousands roaring in applause. Alabama players rush towards Mykal Riely and raise up the hero of their Crimson Tide season. This game is headed to Over Time!
2:32 OT
In a very close game, the intense and constant rumble of the fans is replaced by the roaring sound of a freight train.
2:32:30 OT
The building starts to shake and the roaring noise intensifies within the dome. But for the first time that night, the shaking and piercing noise isn’t from the fans, it’s from something else and no one knows exactly what.
2:32:35 OT
Debris begins to fall from the roof as pipes break and water pours into different areas of the arena. The stunned fans flee the court for shelter.
On March 14th, 2008, Alabama trailed Mississippi State 59-56 in the final seconds of the first quarterfinal game of the SEC Basketball Championship in Atlanta Georgia. Alabama Crimson Tide guard Mykal Riley made a truly heroic last-second 3-pointer as time expired, sending the game into overtime. That shot not only gave Alabama another shot at victory, but prevented 20,000 fans from pouring into downtown just as the F2 tornado touched down.
The National Weather Service said the tornado’s winds reached 130 miles per hour and in 20 minutes cut a path 6 miles long and 200 yards wide through downtown. Immediately following, the storm continued east, hitting and devastating a loft complex and the largely residential neighborhood behind it, known as Cabbagetown. After a few seconds it was littered with tree trunks, smashed cars and debris which destroyed nearly 20 homes.
“This don’t happen too often,” said Ruben Thorpe, 50, a deliveryman for the warehouse owners, the Southeastern Auto Company. “A lot of bad weather, it goes around us. And for this to happen right here, it’s shocking.”
Laurie Kimbrell, a spokeswoman for the Atlanta chapter of the American Red Cross, said about 80 people had been taken to two shelters Friday night, 50 of whom were elderly residents evacuated from the damaged Antoine Graves high-rise apartments. One man was killed near downtown Atlanta and 30 others were injured. Two other deaths took place on March 15th in the northern Atlanta suburbs from the second, larger round of severe weather and tornadoes.
In total, 45 tornadoes were confirmed over the 24-hour period from eastern Alabama to the Carolina coast, with most of the activity concentrated in the Metropolitan Atlanta area, the Central Savannah River area and the Midlands of South Carolina. The total costs in damages were around half a billion dollars.
Had Alabama's Mykal Riley not sunk a 3-point shot at the buzzer, the total loss of life and injuries could’ve been in the hundreds if not thousands. Considering a good 3-point shooter makes roughly 30% of his 3-point attempts and the best of the best make close to 40%, it is certain that luck prevailed that Friday evening.
In our line of work we see all kinds of disasters, but there is one element which unites them all, the element of surprise. Most of the time, these surprises don’t come in the form of a lucky 3-point shot, so don’t leave the future of your organization up to a recovery miracle. Most of us won’t get that opportunity.
As organizations, we have to be able to respond to adversity and disasters and get back up on our feet if we want to survive. Just as in this story, the SEC recognized the importance of continuing to play basketball and immediately following the game, put its “disaster recovery plan” into action. Over the next several hours, they would secure a new venue to host the tournament games beginning the next morning. They had to do things a little differently, by forcing teams to play two games in the same day (unheard of in tournament play), but they knew they had to move forward.
Just as in this story, the stakes are high. If we don’t have a plan, there is a 40% chance our business won’t survive the challenging period after a disaster. So get a game plan today. Start practicing! Always remember a successful recovery strategy doesn’t hinge upon a miracle shot. After all, the buzzer beater is so much more enjoyable when it’s just a game isn’t it?
Mark Norton
Sr. Continuity Planner
Agility Recovery
mark.norton@agilityrecovery.com
www.linkedin.com/in/markalannorton/
Posted by Sarah Rixey on Tue, Mar 26, 2013
As part of our comprehensive disaster recovery planning services, Agility Recovery Solutions sends out a free weekly tip through email. If you would like to receive these tips, please sign up here.
#Prepare
Over the years, social media outlets have proven to be a go-to source for news and information during a disaster. Organizations like the Red Cross and FEMA have taken to twitter to provide timely information to their followers during an emergency.
Not on twitter? No problem. Twitter has a simple feature called “Fast Follow” that makes it easy to follow anyone on Twitter via text messages, even if you don’t have your own Twitter account. To use it, all you need to do is text “follow [Twitter username]” to Twitter’s short code 40404. From there, you’ll start receiving all of that user's updates via text message. Want to test it out? Simply text “follow @agilityrecovery” to 40404.
For more helpful tips on how to effectively integrate social media into your organization's disaster recovery plan, join Agility for a free webinar on April 10th.
If you have additional questions or would like to talk with a recovery professional about your business continuity needs visit www.agilityrecovery.com or call 866-364-9696.
Posted by Sarah Rixey on Thu, Mar 21, 2013
As part of our comprehensive disaster recovery planning services, Agility Recovery Solutions sends out a free weekly tip through email. If you would like to receive these tips, please sign up here.
Rate Your Risk
There is one common thread we see with all of our recoveries; the business owners never thought it would happen to them. And while we all know disasters happen, the real question remains: Is your business prepared?
Whether you’re a disaster recovery mastermind or business continuity beginner, Agility's Preparedness Evaluation can help gauge your company’s level of preparedness. Upon answering a series of questions, you will receive an official preparedness score and gain insight into what needs improvement. The evaluation only takes 4 minutes. Give it a whirl!
For more information on disaster recovery best practices and Agility’s Preparedness Evaluation, click here to view a recent article featured in Business News Daily.
If you have additional questions or would like to talk with a recovery professional about your business continuity needs visit www.agilityrecovery.com or call 866-364-9696.
Posted by Sarah Rixey on Fri, Mar 15, 2013
As part of our comprehensive disaster recovery planning services, Agility Recovery Solutions sends out a free weekly tip through email. If you would like to receive these tips, please sign up here.
Sinkholes
Sinkholes, like the one that recently swallowed a man on an Illinois golf course, and the one that killed a Florida man last week, seem to be popping up everywhere.
Sinkholes are often caused by the underground erosion of salt beds or soluble sedimentary rocks. The ground water which flows through these rocks can create subterranean caverns that can suddenly collapse. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), about 20% of the United States is susceptible to sinkholes. Click here for a map of at risk areas.
Detailed geologic maps like the one seen above can define areas of soluble rock and help educate land planners and policy makers about sinkhole risk. If you know that you live in an area underlain by soluble rock, check your property for holes in the ground or cracks in your structure's foundation. For more information on the science of sinkholes, click here.
If you have additional questions or would like to talk with a recovery professional about your business continuity needs visit www.agilityrecovery.com or call 866-364-9696.
Posted by Sarah Rixey on Wed, Mar 06, 2013
As part of our comprehensive disaster recovery planning services, Agility Recovery Solutions sends out a free weekly tip through email. If you would like to receive these tips, please sign up here.
Spring Forward
It's that time again. Daylight Saving Time begins on Sunday, March 10th at 2:00 AM, with clocks "springing forward" one hour overnight.
As you change your clocks and replace your smoke alarm batteries, here are a few additional tasks we recommend associating with Daylight Saving Time.
If you have additional questions or would like to talk with a recovery professional about your business continuity needs visit www.agilityrecovery.com or call 866-364-9696.
Posted by Sarah Rixey on Wed, Feb 27, 2013
As part of our comprehensive disaster recovery planning services, Agility Recovery Solutions sends out a free weekly tip through email. If you would like to receive these tips, please sign up here.
Stay Afloat
The Midwest was hammered with yet another snow storm this week. And with winter weather on everyone’s mind, it’s hard to believe the first day of spring is less than a month away.
As the snow melts and temperatures rise, flooding becomes a major issue in many parts of the country. According to FEMA, floods are one of the most common and expensive natural disasters. All it takes is a few inches of water to cause thousands of dollars of damage.
So what can you do to protect yourself, your family and your business? Join Agility on March 13th for a free webinar on preparing your business for spring weather.
If you have additional questions or would like to talk with a recovery professional about your business continuity needs visit www.agilityrecovery.com or call 866-364-9696.
Posted by Sarah Rixey on Fri, Feb 22, 2013
As part of our comprehensive disaster recovery planning services, Agility Recovery Solutions sends out a free weekly tip through email. If you would like to receive these tips, please sign up here.
Cybercrime Goes Mobile
Mobile devices have become an essential tool for everyday life. We check in for flights, make online purchases, access bank accounts and connect to social media all on mobile-enhanced websites and newly developed applications.
The worldwide adoption of the smartphone has prompted cybercriminals to shift their focus toward mobile users and away from the traditional PC environment. According to Norton’s Cybercrime Report, 1 in 4 adults have been a victim of mobile and social cybercrime.
So what can we do to protect our mobile devices and guard our personal information? Use the tips below to keep your smartphone safe and secure.
- Regularly update your operating system for security patches.
- When you enter a website (especially financial) make sure that "https" appears in the address bar, which means connection is secure.
- Turn the Bluetooth function off after using it. It is another way unknown applications or viruses can access your cell phone.
- Be sure to use applications only from trustworthy and reputable sources.
- Use a password to protect your device. The more random your password, the better.
- Don't connect to unprotected WiFi access points.
- Know how to perform a remote wipe to remove data from your device if lost or stolen.
If you have additional questions or would like to talk with a recovery professional about your business continuity needs visit www.agilityrecovery.com or call 866-364-9696.
Posted by Sarah Rixey on Wed, Feb 20, 2013
As part of our comprehensive disaster recovery planning services, Agility Recovery Solutions sends out a free weekly tip through email. If you would like to receive these tips, please sign up here.
What’s In A Name?
As winter storms pick up across the nation, names like Athena and Nemo have stirred quite a bit of controversy.
In 2012, The Weather Channel announced that it will be naming “noteworthy” winter storms. And while the idea was to increase public awareness and urge people to prepare, many feel the names have no scientific merit.
Love it or hate it, we want to hear from you. Click here to share your opinion and join the discussion on LinkedIn.
If you have additional questions or would like to talk with a recovery professional about your business continuity needs visit www.agilityrecovery.com or call 866-364-9696.
Posted by Sarah Rixey on Mon, Feb 04, 2013
As part of our comprehensive disaster recovery planning services, Agility Recovery Solutions sends out a free weekly tip through email. If you would like to receive these tips, please sign up here.
Blackout Bowl
Last night's Super Bowl will be remembered for years to come. Not for the Ravens' thrilling victory, or the 49ers' impressive attempt at a comeback in the second half, but for the thirty-four-minute stadium blackout that left players, fans and viewers in the dark.
And while there is sure to be some fallout for the city of New Orleans and the Superdome, the truth is – disasters happen – even when you least expect them. So what can you do to prepare for the unexpected? Download Agility's Power and Generator Checklist for tips on how to plan, prepare and recover from future power outages.
Whether the entire world is watching or just your customers, the importance of preparedness cannot be overstated.
If you have additional questions or would like to talk with a recovery professional about your business continuity needs visit www.agilityrecovery.com or call 866-364-9696.
