Corporate self-sufficiency during disasters

Abstract

In the aftermath of a major disaster, whether natural or man-made, corporations cannot depend on the assistance of outside emergency services. Yet, while the case for corporate self-sufficiency has never been more apparent, most companies are ill-prepared for disaster. To address this problem, this article is designed to help senior executives ask the difficult questions in order to identify whether their company is truly ‘response ready’. To this end, the article describes the many aspects of self-sufficiency. While it gives specific examples of the various tasks that must be performed, such as ensuring the key personnel tasked with emergency response, crisis management and business continuity are properly trained and tested, it also stresses the need to understand the human impact. This factor is an essential consideration, as by failing to consider the emotional impact on personnel, executives are setting up their disaster response for failure. This paper will discuss the human factor, along with other differences between operational theory and operational reality. The key takeaway is the importance of managing corporate expectations during a major disaster.