Disaster Preparedness and Recovery

Disasters can happen at any time to any agency. From major viruses that damage your hardware and software to critical employees walking out on the job, disasters are to be expected. Your agency must be ready to handle just about every contingency, including the worst of catastrophes. The question Board and senior staff members should ask is How do you fully prepare for disasters since there is no way to ever truly anticipate every situation? The best answer is to have a comprehensive plan outlined well in advance.

Generally, disasters affect five key areas of non-profits:

• Physical or psychological injury to people;

• Inability to continue important agency operations;

• Damage to or destruction of facilities;

• Financial loss, apart from the above; and

• Spillover effects from something that has affected some other person or agency.

• Establish and document procedures for evacuation of facilities in case of various types of emergencies – fire, flood, explosion, etc. If certain staff, volunteers, or clients have special physical needs or have medical conditions requiring special attention, make sure someone is assigned to help these people as needed. Consider a buddy system to ensure that everyone gets out. Make sure everyone knows how to find at least two escape routes.

• Some of your staff should be trained in first aid and be familiar with how to properly use a fire extinguisher.

• Advise people where to go during and after a disaster and how to let others know they are safe.

• Practice evacuation procedures.

• If you are in an area prone to tornadoes and/or earthquakes (special cases because of their extreme severity and suddenness), instruct everyone where the best shelter is located and how to get there quickly. Consider designating an alternate shelter location as a backup.

• Within reason, know where your staff and volunteers are at all times in case of disruption of communications or travel; a sign-in/sign-out sheet is a good idea. Know how to reach a family member or friend of each staff member and volunteer. Consider setting up a "telephone tree" for quickly contacting everyone.

• Have adequate insurance coverage.

• Install fire and burglar alarms, sprinklers, non-water fire suppressants in computer rooms, locks on doors (control who has keys), etc. Remember that most alarms depend on a functioning electrical supply and may fail to operate if the power is out. Consider battery-operated alarms as backup.

• Maintain safety equipment and periodically test to make sure it is operating properly.

• Cross-train your staff and volunteers so that every job in the agency can be performed by at least two people.

• Be aware of community efforts to provide services and coordinate with public safety people.

• Have your insurance agent arrange for a loss prevention specialist to visit your facilities and make suggestions for ways to prevent problems.

• Impress on staff and volunteers the importance of being aware of anything unusual or threatening, and make sure they know to whom they report such concerns.

• Pay attention to forecasts of bad weather or civil disturbances, and to threats – however vague. Consider whether getting people out of harm’s way is advisable.

• Cross-train your staff and volunteers so every job in the agency can be performed by at least two people.

• Maintain a secure off-site location for document storage. This can be a public storage facility or even someone’s home. Consider having the off-site location a considerable distance away.

• Keep adequate supplies for the changes in weather conditions and rotate your supply of perishable items and batteries.

• Have a list of two or more suppliers for things you may need just before or after disaster strikes.

• Learn whom to call if disaster strikes and have someone maintain a list of numbers for emergency personnel.

• If operations need to be transferred to another location, have a temporary staff housing facility in mind, if necessary.

• Be aware of the resources and services available in the community – particularly who coordinates disaster action plans and how and where they do it.

• If your agency’s programs or resources include the ability to assist others in need, have an outline of what you can do to help others in the event of hurricanes, fire, floods, etc.

• Unfortunately, there is often little that can be done to prevent these kinds of incidents from happening. However, good preparation will help to prevent them from becoming disasters. It is important to remember that prevention includes confirming that the appropriate personnel know the proper procedures.

• Arrange for backup operational facilities to be available if needed. These should include office space, space for your programs and equipment.

• Have a plan for moving personnel, critical equipment, and supplies to the backup facility.

• If you have "must save" items, be sure key people know what and where such items are and someone (and a backup) is designated to try to save such items from imminent damage.

• If clients normally come to your location to receive services, plan how you will notify them of a new address if your facility is damaged.

• Inform staff of how they should react if facilities or personnel are threatened with protests, vandalism, etc. Procedures will likely differ depending on whether the protesters are outside or already inside the facility, and exactly what appears to be threatened.

• Have adequate insurance coverage.

• Take reasonable steps to assure that facilities being considered for purchase or currently owned or leased are of sound construction. Hiring a structural engineer to examine an existing facility and make recommendations for improvements may be appropriate.

• Try as much as possible to avoid locating facilities in places known to be excessively high risk for earth movement or flooding – e.g., on floodplains, on faults, etc.

• Install fire and burglar alarms, sprinklers, non-water fire suppressants in computer rooms, locks on doors (control who has keys), etc. Remember that most alarms depend on a functioning electrical supply and may fail to operate if the power is out. Consider battery-operated alarms as backup.

• Have sufficient portable fire extinguishers on hand. Check them periodically to make sure they are in operating condition.

• If your activities are of a higher-risk nature, such as providing health care, working with young children, or taking controversial public positions on issues, consider employing guards and requiring identification cards for all persons having access to your facilities.

• Allocate adequate resources to maintenance of equipment and facilities so the risk of accidents, mechanical breakdowns, etc., is minimized.

• Have your insurance agent arrange for a loss prevention specialist to visit your facilities and make suggestions for ways to prevent problems.

Make sure contracts with hotels, conference centers, and caterers include appropriate language regarding substitution of facilities and cancellations that protect your agency’s interests.

WHEN DISASTER AFFECTS FINANCES

• Plan and arrange how you would obtain short-term emergency cash if most revenue were to cease for a time. The source might be a line of credit at a bank, a standby grant from a local foundation, or assurances from a couple of your wealthier board members that they will help out in a crisis.

• As part of the annual budgetary preparation process, develop and have approved a prioritized list of activities or programs that will be cut (a contingency budget) in case certain revenue levels are not met or unanticipated expenses are incurred. This will permit the agency to react quickly should the need arise.

• Designate a primary (and backup, in case the primary is unavailable) person to communicate with the public via the media regarding publicity. Be sure that all others know they are not to make any public statements, rather, they are to refer all inquiries to the responsible spokesperson.

• Establish, communicate, and update organizational policies regarding such things as discrimination, harassment, theft of agency property, misuse of agency assets, libel and slander, and improper financial arrangements with suppliers, clients, and other personnel.

• Make it clear to all staff and volunteers that the above things will not be tolerated and that sanctions will be imposed if such activities are discovered – even once.

• Consider periodic staff training regarding such matters.

• Develop and disseminate procedures for confidential reporting of acts of discrimination, harassment, theft, kickbacks, or other illegal activities. There should be at least two designated channels for such reporting in case one is the subject of the complaint.

• Have internal accounting controls in place to reduce the chance that you will be the victim of fraud.
  
  
• Do thorough background checks on staff and volunteers who have direct contact with vulnerable individuals (be careful – there are legal and privacy issues here; consult your attorney about what is acceptable under state and federal law).

• Your CPA does some review of your internal accounting controls routinely as part of every annual audit and will make recommendations for improvement if warranted; pay attention to these and implement them. Discuss where a full review of your internal controls may be warranted.

• The main rule of thumb is to be concerned about people first and property second.

• If the incident threatens bodily harm, get your staff, volunteers, and clients to safety; then worry about saving things.

• If you have taken the important preventive and preparatory steps, you do not have to worry about the office equipment. It is insured; you have a backup plan for getting operations restarted; copies of important data are stored off-site.

• If the disaster involves negative publicity about your organization, one person – presumably the board chair or chief executive – and only one person should handle all communications regarding the matter, and then only after consultation with counsel and public relations experts. This includes contacts with the media, donors, the public, the police, your volunteers, and your staff. Until sufficient information is available, no public comments should be made at all, except to acknowledge obvious facts and to state that no comments will be made until more facts are available. An immediate top-level meeting is essential to plan the agency’s response.

• Implement the operational plans you have for getting your organization functioning again.

• Deal with issues of staff and volunteer morale.

• Notify clients, staff, board members, volunteers, suppliers, and other where and when activities will resume.

• If the disaster is one affecting a wide area, and if your agency’s programs or resources include the ability to assist others in need, consider what you can most readily do to help others most affected.

• Arrange for mail, telephone, fax, and E-mail service to be restored or rerouted to the new temporary location.

• Get the backup copies of your computer files to the backup facility you have arranged, and immediately make new backup copies.

• If some of your staff (or volunteers) or their families have immediate extraordinary needs for medical care, counseling, financial support, insurance claims, etc., after the disaster, do what is feasible to help.

• Obtain the replacement supplies and equipment that you need.

• If the office or other facility needs repairs and cleaning up, get this under way. This will need to be coordinated with insurance companies and your landlord.

• Notify appropriate insurance agents or companies so claims can be filed.

• If additional losses after a disaster result from looting or vandalism, also notify police.

• Implement plans for recovering financially; a special "disaster recovery" fund-raising drive might be appropriate. Perhaps, some local foundations, the United Way, or your local government will help. Even if grants are not in prospect, low-interest loans might be.