Posted by Sarah Rixey on Mon, Jan 14, 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.
Flu Update
The influenza outbreak has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Friday. The number of states reporting widespread activity rose from 41 to 47 in one week. Click here for a snapshot of flu activity in your state.
In response, Agility Recovery is hosting a free webinar this Wednesday featuring Dr. Michael Jhung, lead medical officer in the CDC's Influenza Division who will update us on the current status of the outbreak and the severity throughout the nation. Join us as we discuss how to reduce risk, prevent transmission of the virus and maintain a healthy work environment.
The 2013 Flu Outbreak: Risks and Ways to Prepare
Guest Speaker: Dr. Michael Jhung, CDC
Wednesday, January 16th – 2:00 PM EST
Click here to register
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, Jan 09, 2013
Business Continuity Practices in a Football Game?
I love football. The playoffs are the best time of year for me so it was no surprise my weekend was filled watching it. However I was surprised to see how basic business continuity practices entered my TV Screen hours before the initial playoff game when the Colts put their business continuity plan into action.
Hours before their “win or go home” 
game on Saturday, Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians was rushed to the hospital with an undisclosed illness. Shortly after arriving at the hospital it was determined Arians would not attend the AFC wild-card game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Baltimore Ravens.
<Insert Audible Here> Quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen had to quickly step up and call the offensive plays in Arians' absence. Going into the game, the passing offense of the Colts ranked seventh in the league with the average of 258 yards per game while the rushing offense is just averaging 104.4 yards per game, 21st in the league. How did they do with new play-caller Clyde Christensen on Saturday?
267 yards passing and 152 yards rushing. Not bad.
With greater production than their team had averaged throughout the season it seems appropriate to call their business continuity program a success. So what business continuity practices did the Colts use to have such a smooth transition just hours before their big game?
- The Colts knew their backup. They didn’t have to have a meeting to collaborate and figure out the best option. They already knew it was Clyde.
- Their backup (Quarterbacks - Coach Clyde Christensen) was very familiar with the game plan (Offensive Coordinator - Bruce Arians) used. In fact, he heard every play called for every game, every practice. He studied the playbook and was as familiar as he could be with the plan.
- Clyde Christensen had access to their plan (the playbook). It didn’t take the Colts any time to provide Clyde with the playbook for the game. It wasn’t lost, locked in a computer or safe. It was readily available to them when they needed it.
- Clyde Christensen had the support of the coaching staff and players. Clyde was at every game, every practice and was respected as an individual who could step up if needed.
So how can you incorporate these elements into your business in 2013?
- Make sure you have a backup.
- Make sure your backup is familiar with your job and how to do it in your absence.
- Make sure your backup has access to your plan/strategy.
- 4. Make sure your team understand who your backup is and has experience working with them.
Odds are someone reading this will be out of the office unexpectedly this year. The question is for how long? Some of us will be out for a day or two, but what if it will be for weeks or months? What if you are out when the disaster strikes?
None of us can control what and when things will happen, but we can make sure we have a backup and that they’re trained to step into our role if needed.
In the NFL (a multi-billion dollar industry) the games must go on. Isn’t this also true for your business?
Mark Norton
Sr. Continuity Planner
Agility Recovery
mark.norton@agilityrecovery.com
www.linkedin.com/in/markalannorton/
Posted by Sarah Rixey on Tue, Jan 08, 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.
Fight the Flu
A strong and intense flu season is hitting the U.S. filling clinics and doctors’ offices across the country. Each week the CDC puts out a flu report. Friday’s data shows that 41 states have widespread flu activity. Click here to view the map.
Health officials are expecting things to get worse before they get better. So what can you do to protect your business? Here are a few tips to minimize flu related absenteeism and keep your employees healthy.
- Encourage employees to get their flu shot. It’s not too late to get the vaccine. Click here to find a flu clinic near you.
- Download Agility's Influenza Preparedness Checklist designed to help employees and businesses take preventative action against the flu.
- Practice healthy habits and help stop the spread of germs. Click here for six simple ways to stay healthy and fight off the flu this season.
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, Jan 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 New Year
The New Year always seems to bring a flutter of change and high hopes for the year ahead. However, New Year’s resolutions aside, most of us will continue about our normal lives. We’ll get up, go to work, respond to emails, sit in on meetings, go home, eat dinner, go to bed and hit repeat. The day before a disaster is just a normal day.
Created by FEMA, “The Day Before” campaign reminds us of the importance of preparing for the unknown. Click to watch.
In addition to the Ad Council PSA, ready.gov developed an interactive map that takes a look back at some of our nation’s most unexpected disasters. What happen the day before those life changing moments? Click here to find out.
If today were the day before, would you be ready?
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, Dec 27, 2012
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.
The Best of 2012
Join us this week as we revisit our top 10 disaster recovery tips from 2012. We hope you enjoy taking a look back, and picking up a tip or two that you missed the first time around. Want to help spread the word of preparedness? [~Forward~]Click here[~EndForward~] to forward to a friend.
10.) 10 Steps to Preparedness – Our National Preparedness Month webinar, The 10 steps to Preparedness was our most watched webinar this year.
9.) The #1 Cause of Business Downtime – As we look back at the various business interruptions our members faced this year, there is an obvious common thread among them all. From hurricanes to tornadoes, floods to blizzards, the main culprit of business downtime remains the loss of power.
8.) An Emotional Recovery – The tragic shootings in Colorado and Connecticut this year shocked us all. Learning how to effectively manage traumatic stress can help both you and your employees better cope physically and emotionally following a disaster.
7.) October Storms – Year after year October seems to bring some of the worst storms. This year, Hurricane Sandy proved this yet again. Stretching from the Carolinas to New England, Sandy left 8.5 million homes and businesses without power across 15 states.
6.) National Preparedness Month – For the eighth consecutive year, Agility partnered with FEMA and the Ready Campaign for National Preparedness Month. Thank you to all those who took the time to pledge to prepare this September.
5.) Your To-Do List – Take advantage of the sunny days to plan for the disasters ahead. Agility's simple to-do list will help you get started when the sun is shining.
4.) Disaster Preparedness for your Smartphone – With so many disaster recovery apps out there, how do you know which ones are worth downloading? Here's a list of our top three favorite apps.
3.) Violence in the Workplace – Workplace violence sadly made the headlines several times this year. Learn more about the risk factors and scope of violence in the workplace as well as prevention tips for employers and employees alike.
2.) Ship Wrecked – The cruise boat that capsized off the coast of Italy this year reminded us all of the importance of having a personal preparedness plan.
1.) Common Misconceptions – During an emergency, many people are quick to offer up their opinion. Can you differentiate the sound advice from the urban legends? Don’t let common misconceptions cloud your judgment. Read up on the top disaster myths.
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, Dec 20, 2012
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.
Pay It Forward
The entire world was shaken to its core this past Friday as the details of the Sandy Hook shooting in Newtown, Connecticut unfolded. The overwhelming heartbreak and grief felt for the families and friends of the victims has prompted many of us to ask, "What can I do help?”
Inspired to spread good in the world, an online campaign called “26 Acts of Kindness” was created to honor the lives of the 20 children and 6 teachers lost in the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary. Connected through the hashtag #26Acts, thousands of people have taken to Facebook and Twitter to honor the victims and positively impact communities around the world.
Interested in joining the movement and spreading some holiday cheer? Click here to be inspired.
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 Josh Smith on Mon, Dec 17, 2012
“Play Your Whole Team”
Take a moment to imagine that you are the coach of a football team. You have an offensive group and a defensive group – each made up of players who are physically inclined toward their roles on the field and who also have very specific skill sets that make them good at what they do. Now imagine that instead of playing your offense on a possession 
when your team has the ball, you play your defensive players. Or instead of putting the allowable eleven players on the field, you only send out eight. Doesn’t make sense, right?
Neither would an organization planning for any of the five mission areas of the National Preparedness goal – Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response and Recovery – without utilizing all of the resources available within their community. By working with their communities, organizations can collectively understand and validate the needs of their communities as well as determine the best ways to organize and strengthen their ability to respond to disasters.
FEMA has put together a set of principles and strategic themes that are helpful when tackling the concept of Whole Community and attempting to incorporate it into efforts to forge more resilient organizations and communities:
Whole Community Principals:
- Understand and meet the actual needs of the whole community.
- Engage and empower all parts of the community.
- Strengthen what works well in communities on a daily basis.
Whole Community Strategic Themes:
- Understand community complexity.
- Recognize community capabilities and needs.
- Foster relationships with community leaders.
- Build and maintain partnerships.
- Empower local action.
- Leverage and strengthen social infrastructure, networks and assets. [1]
These overarching principals and more specific strategic themes form a framework from which to launch local efforts to bring diverse community interests to the table and create a meaningful dialogue around preparedness. One of the essential elements to any efforts toward Whole Community preparedness will be the ability to cultivate and sustain the relationships necessary to make this concept a reality. Committees comprised of delegates from the various parts of the community may be one way to tackle this need. With the ever present challenge of turnover within all organizations, a system of succession and/or reappointment should also be put in place to ensure the torch is carried forward and that loss of momentum is minimized in times of transition.
Just as a football team must replenish its squad with healthy athletes, a community focused on the Whole Community approach must endeavor to keep its partners in preparedness active and involved, and replace those who are called in different directions just as a team replaces a free agent who decides to go where the proverbial grass is greener. Buy-in amongst participants may not be instantaneous but will grow as trust is established through each community member’s participation in the process. This is analogous to the way players’ buy-in to a team’s philosophy grows as the players come to know the effectiveness of the strategies when put into action on the field.
Don’t chance the success of your community’s preparedness by playing anything less than your A-game. Join the conversation on Agility’s LinkedIn page and share how your community is fielding its strongest preparedness team possible.
[1] Federal Emergency Management Agency, “A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management: Principals, Themes, and Pathways for Action,” December 2011.
Posted by Sarah Rixey on Fri, Dec 14, 2012
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.
The Ripple Effect
As shown by the 2011 Japan Tsunami, it can take months for the effects of natural disasters to reverberate down the supply chain. This year has proven to be no different. As retailers struggle to get their supply chains back up and running, Hurricane Sandy serves as yet another reminder of how important it is for every organization, regardless of size, to make supply chain management a priority.
So, you may be wondering, what can I do? Well, with contract renewals on the table and 2013 planning meetings taking place, now is the perfect opportunity to talk to those you rely on about their recovery capabilities and continuity plans.
To help you with this process, PrepareMyBusiness.org has created a simple vendor assessment form. Use this form to determine your vendors’ ability to continue service despite any sort of interruption. Additionally, if you would like Agility’s assistance in helping to protect your supply chain, please 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 Thu, Dec 06, 2012
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.
Tis' The Season
The winter holidays are upon and there’s an undeniable festive spirit in the air. As we cook, decorate, entertain, and enjoy time off with friends and family, here are a few things to remember this season to ensure everyone has a safe and happy holiday.
- Deck the Halls – Holiday decorations, like candles, lights and Christmas trees, add a joyous and festive mood to the holiday season. However, it is important these decorations are used properly. Here are a few helpful reminders to ensure your home and workplace are decorated appropriately.
- Holiday Closures – With excitement in the air, it is easy to forget the important steps you should take before closing up shop. To help you ready your business, we’ve created a list of the ten things you need to do to prepare your office for holiday downtime.
- Winter Weather – Your employees are your most valuable asset. Make sure they are prepared for severe winter weather this holiday season. Here are some tips from Ready.gov on how to prepare before, during and after a winter storm.
Help make this holiday season safe, as well as joyous. Share these tips with family and friends.
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, Dec 05, 2012
Prepare Your Office for Holiday Closures
The winter holidays are rapidly approching and most of us are making our “to do” lists in preparation for the celebration. Grocery lists, travel arrangements, get-the-house-ready checklists, and party dates are all being checked and double-checked.
With excitement in the air, it is easy to forget the important steps you should take before closing up shop.
To help you ready your business, we’ve created a list of the top ten things you need to do to prepare your office for holiday closures
:
10. Schedule your “out of office” message for your email.
9. Change your voice-mail message to indicate that you’re closed (or that your hours may be shortened or expanded for the holiday).
8. Check your delivery schedules and notify the services if necessary. Not everyone gets time off and you wouldn’t want your water delivery or office supply delivery to show up while you’re closed.
7. Make a checklist of all equipment that should be turned off and/or unplugged if your business is going to be closed for a longer-than-usual time. For instance, you should shut down computers instead of just logging off. Printers, copiers, fax machines…etc. should be turned off and perhaps even unplugged.
6. Throw out perishable food items. If you have an office refrigerator, this is the perfect time to clean it out. There’s nothing worse than coming back from a holiday and finding someone’s moldy lunch in the fridge on Monday morning!
5. Check all deadlines to make sure nothing slips through the cracks because of an abbreviated work week. Make sure any weekly reports or projects are either completed early or okay to postpone until Monday.
4. Check your meeting calendar. If you have a weekly meeting every Friday, everyone may assume that it’s been cancelled, but why take the chance? Send out a reminder to all participants letting them know that it is cancelled due to the holiday. This is especially important if you’re group consists of many different companies. Not all will have the Friday after Thanksgiving off and may assume that the meeting is still on.
3. Notify your staff or team members of the dates you’ll be closed. If you’re open for business or giving everyone the Friday after Thanksgiving off, make sure they know it.
2. Notify your clients. Make sure you’ve let all of your clients know the dates that you’ll be closed. If you’re not completely closed, make sure your clients have the contact information of people who are available. Also let your team members/employees know who is scheduled to work and who has taken the day off.
1. Have a safe and happy Holidays!
