During Hurricane season, I hear the terms “Emergency Response Planning” and “Business Continuity” a lot more often. These terms are usually used interchangeably, but did you know that they don’t mean the same thing?
In a nutshell, “Emergency Response Planning” concentrates on the procedures and actions that are taken immediately after a crisis occurs; while “Business Continuity” focuses on continuing the operations of the business until it can return back to normal.
Even though the two are sometimes lumped together, in the ideal corporate set-up, Emergency Response Planning and Business Continuity personnel would be completely separate with their own teams to do the following:
• The Emergency Response Planning team would direct people and resources away from danger, hold emergency drills and training sessions, evacuate facilities, and work with first responders to ensure you get through a crisis safe and sound.
• The Business Continuity team would be responsible for protecting the business’ reputation online, establishing and maintaining support teams, restoring IT systems, and making sure employees are able to return to work following the emergency.
Despite the differences between Emergency Response Planning and Business Continuity, the end objective is the same: to help ensure the success of the business.
Businesses that have both Emergency Response Planning and Business Continuity departments are already a step ahead, but even if they are lumped together as one, having written plans can make or break the success of a company after a disaster.
Melody Cobbe is happy to evaluate the existing departments of your business and help prepare your team for emergency preparedness in the future.
Cobbe Law is dedicated to helping start-ups and small businesses maximize profitability while minimizing legal exposure. Melody, the owner of Cobbe Law, is passionate about supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses through business growth and providing big vision strategies.