Hurricane Preparedness Week

From May 23 to May 29th, it's Hurricane Preparedness Week.

Go to http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

From June through November it's hurricane season on the Atlantic coast.  This advice is true, though, for all parts of the US.

Do you have a disaster plan?

Start simple.  How would you communicate with your employees in an emergency?  Do you have a list of employees, phone numbers, email addresses, mobile phones?  Why not?

You can start simply with a Google Docs form.  Here is a sample.

Build your own form and have employees visit the site.  Each inputs their name, phone numbers, and other contact info.  They build the list for you.  Set up a new form every year so you are sure to be up to date.

Communications is vital to any disaster plan.  Set up a website where employees can go for info on emergencies.  Build a phone tree where employees call other employees to provide info.  Use Twitter or Facebook.  There are proprietary communications systems too.

Some companies set up a phone hotline that employees can call for updates.  Some use automated phone dialer systems to get info to employees.

With so many options there is, frankly no excuse for a lack of a communications plan.