Mary Kendall, a deputy inspector general, wrote a letter that was attached to the report. In it, Kendall explained that the National Park Service mobilized and remediated the outbreak in order to prevent anything from happening in the future.

Delaware North Companies Parks and Resorts spokeswoman Lisa Cesaro said in the statement that they have worked closely with the National Park Service and public health officials to resolve the issue.

"The Signature Tent Cabins have been removed from Curry Village," she said. "We are following the recommendations by the National Park Service, which were developed in consultation with the California Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."

Even so, the report also found that the policy did not require park officials to approve certain design changes to the "Signature tent cabins," which is where several of the victims fell ill. According to reports, deer mice, which can carry the illness, nested inside the double walls of the new tents.

A strong business continuity plan is designed to keep a company running smoothly, even if an unexpected situation occurs. For organizations that must care for the well-being of their customers, it is well-advised to work with business continuity consultants. These professionals can help create an emergency plan that can account for situations such as a virus outbreak.

Seeking out shelter was the only option for many residents of Moore, Oklahoma, a town near Oklahoma City. On Monday afternoon, an EF-5 tornado blew threw the area, destroying homes, businesses and schools that were in its path. According to current reports, 24 people were killed.

At one point, the storm was measured with a width of 1.3 miles and it left behind a 20-mile damage trail. According to Governor Mary Fallin, the town will rebuild and maintain its strength.

"It was hard to look at so much debris on the ground," she told the Los Angeles Times. "In many places, homes have been taken away. It is just sticks and bricks. Street signs are gone."

CNN reported that city officials were working hard to print new street signs, so rescue efforts could be helped and residents would know where to search for belongings and loved ones. The news source added that Texas sent an 80-member, elite search team to assist and the American Red Cross sent 25 emergency response vehicles.

No town can predict how a storm will affect it, which is why having comprehensive continuity of operations planning is essential. Conducting tabletop exercises is also beneficial, as first responders can practice moving to appropriate areas and residents can make sure they are able to find their way to a safe area.

Interim Executive Director Thomas Prendergast explained to the Associated Press that it is not necessary to have elaborate items to help prevent another drastic flooding of New York's Subway System.

"We don't have to wait for space age solutions or rocket science solutions," Prendergast said.

Specifically, he explained that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is investigating options that include removable panels being placed over ventilation grates and stairwells. Installing an inflatable plug that would prevent water from flowing freely was also suggested.

According to the AP, during last October's superstorm, eight MTA underwater tunnels flooded. Prendergast said that May 30 will be the first time in six months that the "A" train service to the Rockaways will resume. 

The goal is for a new preventative flooding mechanism to be in place by the end of the 2013 hurricane season if not by the beginning of the 2014 season. Until then, Prendergast said that New York will use sandbags and plywood to build barriers designed to keep water out of the MTA.

A current continuity of operations plan is necessary for towns and cities of all sizes. Even if there is not a public transportation system involved, all residents and emergency officials must understand what they need to do in a disaster situation. That way, all parties can keep themselves safe as well as those who are around them.

Strong communication measures are crucial to relaying information, especially to a large audience. Systems should remain up to date to guarantee that all intended recipients are given a complete and accurate message.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) is taking a similar approach to how it notifies riders of service delays, disruptions and any other planned and unplanned changes. According to a company press release, the new "T-Alerts" system will debut on June 4. Subscribers to the current notification system – 50,000 – will need to register with the new one.

"Service alerts and notifications will be clearer and more detailed with additional information regarding specific trip times, service schedule changes, and distinct directional, branch, and station communications," the statement said.

The MBTA website will reportedly have more visual-friendly displays that are easier to read. Additionally, the text and email services will have more "reliable delivery times."

Depending on the specific needs of a town or city, working with a consultant who specializes in continuity of operations planning can assist in finding the best communication methods possible. That way, residents will know what they must do to receive emergency messaging services and officials can rest assured that their directions will be read.

One town in New Jersey wants to use its portion of grant money from the state to create a better evacuation plan for its elementary school.

"These grants enable municipalities to stretch their resources and advance important roadway projects and other safety and quality-of-life improvements that benefit all who share the road, including pedestrians and bicyclists," Department of Transportation commissioner James Simpson said in a press release. 

Long Hill officials plan to use their portion of the grant – $40,000 – to improve a walkway that will allow elementary school students to safely evacuate from the building in an emergency situation. Currently, there is not an ideal option for the children and administrators to migrate from one location to another.

According to The New Jersey Hills, town officials want to update a trail that runs through the woods between the Long Hill Senior Center and the soccer fields at Riverside Park, adjacent to Town Hall – the chosen destination for safety.

After a route has been planned, it is important for town officials to keep two-way communication open with residents. That way, if hot sites are chosen, or other important details are specified, all members of the community can make an effort to react calmly and rationally when an emergency does occur.

For one Massachusetts area though, residents are concerned about the possibility of an accident occurring. The actual evacuation plan is not yet in question, but individuals are concerned that their lives are in danger because of certain materials being transported near them. In situations like this, having current continuity of operations planning can put minds at ease.

According to The Boston Globe, residents in and near Chelsea, Massachusetts are nervous that Global Partners LP announced that it would be moving ethanol to its storage facility in Revere by Commuter Rail lines.

John Walkey, is a member of the Chelsea Creek Action Group, a coalition formed to prevent the move from happening. Walkey explained to the news source that "it's a disaster movie type of scenario."

"It's going to be going past two of the sites they're proposing for casinos," Walkey said. "All the different schools have been consolidated in Chelsea, and you've got all these brand-new schools that are right along these rail tracks."

Other residents cited the trains as being an easy target for terrorists, as they could cause a major explosion by hitting one of the ethanol tanks.

Regardless of what the Massachusetts government decides to do, towns across the country could benefit from working with a business continuity consultant who specializes in residential areas. When people know there is a current evacuation plan, it could reassure them that they will be safe through numerous events.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced in a press release this week that it had developed something similar to minimize the risk of internal contamination in food plants. The FDA created a software program to help owners and operators. Called The Food Defense Plan Builder, the program can benefit companies in the manufacturing, production, retail and transportation areas of food.

"The FDA is committed to providing best practices and resources to support industry as we pursue our shared goal of protecting our food supply," FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine Michael Taylor said in a statement. "We strongly encourage companies to take full advantage of the Food Defense Plan Builder."

Currently, the FDA does not require companies to implement plans to safeguard their products, but the press release said that many will voluntarily do so on their own. The FDA's new guide though, helps facilities create a vulnerability assessment, mitigation strategies and an action plan.

Even companies that do not handle food can create similar continuity plans that properly educate employees on how best to keep the company running. Everything from computer security to proper client etiquette can ensure that a business will have long-term success. 

Working with business continuity consultants can help managers create a program that is suited to their organizational needs and is able to be implemented into employees' daily routines.

For example, the Washington state Administrative Office of the Courts experienced a data breach when hackers broke through its computer system and possibly gained access to as many as 160,000 Social Security numbers. Additionally, up to 1 million driver's license numbers could have been obtained.

Mike Keeling, the courts' information technology operations and maintenance manager, told the Associated Press that an East Coast business first notified his organization of a possible breach. The company's officials recognized the court's information in its breach logs, he said. Even so, Keeling did not think that the Washington courts were a specific target.

"The hackers were probably opportunistic," he said. "They were more than likely just fishing for data."

Keeling added that extra security measures have since been put in place, including new encryption rules and adding extra code to try and keep hackers out of certain parts of the computer server.

The AP reported that the data breach occurred sometime between last fall and February of this year. While officials said that the investigation has concluded, no one has been blamed yet.

Whether a business is a government agency or not, keeping customer information protected is of the utmost importance. Disaster recovery planning can include employee training and best practices to avoid online phishing scams. To determine which courses of action are best suited for a particular company, leaders are well-advised to contact business continuity consultants.

Hurricane Sandy is one example of when New York City tried to implement such evacuation orders. However, The Associated Press reported that state officials released updated plans last Friday, which are designed to be more detailed and more effective for future emergencies.

Part of the new plans include more ways of announcing evacuation orders, such as implementing digital billboards. Additionally, the city is expanding its evacuation zones and creating more of them in order to create better plans that account for individual storm dynamics.

Deputy Mayor Caswell Holloway said at a briefing that the main reasoning behind the updated evacuation plans is to only dislocate residents when it is necessary, keep them informed and ensure they remain calm. After Hurricane Sandy, officials saw that not enough New Yorkers took the evacuation orders seriously.

The Associated Press cited some the report's findings, including that a survey of 509 Zone A residents – New Yorkers who live in the area of the city most vulnerable to storms - found that 63 percent stayed home. While three-quarters of those individuals said they received evacuation orders, they remained for various reasons. 

"People need to believe, first of all, what you're telling them: that the situation is serious," Holloway said. "But people need to believe, also, that if they leave, there's somewhere for them to go that's safe and what they leave behind will be safe. And we're going to continue to push those messages."

With warm climates and areas suffering from drought, California is seeing an increase in residents suffering from valley fever, according to the Associated Press. Specifically, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that between 1998 and 2011, the number of valley fever cases rose by 850 percent. The disease is contracted by breathing in fungus-laced spores that have been disturbed by wind or human and animal activity, explained the news source. 

"Valley fever is a very common problem here, and it devastates people's lives," Dr. Royce Johnson, professor of medicine at UCLA and chief of infectious diseases at Kern Medical Center, told the news source. "But many patients don't know about it, and some physicians are only vaguely aware of it because half of our physicians come from out of state."

Dr. Gil Chavez, Deputy Director of the Center for Infectious Diseases at the California Department of Public Health, explained that the state has trained county health departments about the fungus and the dangers it brings. California health officials said they are working to better educate the public, while also helping doctors to recognize the illness.

In situations like this, a continuity of operations plan is necessary. While an evacuation might not be the answer, it is crucial for all residents to understand what they must do to keep themselves and others safe.

To that same extent, companies in the area need to prepare for a sudden increase of employees taking sick days. A business continuity plan that accounts for pandemics will ensure that the organization can keep running, even if team members are out sick, or are caring for ill family members.