After natural disasters like Hurricane Irene helped make 2011 the most costly year for damages recorded in U.S. history, many municipalities have wisely taken steps to ramp up their continuity of operations planning to effectively address any future emergency incidents.

Those municipalities concerned with their ability to effectively educate the community and prepare their infrastructure for disaster would likely enjoy great benefit from hiring the services of a certified disaster preparedness consultant who can perform a similar service.

Other states concerned with their ability to effectively cope with and recover from natural disasters may benefit from deploying the services of a certified business continuity consultant experienced in disaster recovery.

When one considers instances of workplace violence, law enforcement officials are likely seen as mediators providing assistance to the victims. However, it was the officers themselves who experienced a workplace violence incident last week.

While many municipalities are eligible for disaster relief funds from the federal government, the potential to receive those funds has been diminished as the Federal Emergency Management (FEMA) agency recently had its budget cut by $1.5 billion

It may be easy for some business owners to become complacent regarding violence in the workplace. However, such complacency would be misguided, with reported instances of violent employee behavior becoming more and more frequent.

Advanced planning is crucial for business owners. To successfully cope with emergency conditions when they arise, a business owner needs to have engaged in disaster recovery planning beforehand to ensure operations can get back on track with minimum time and resources lost.

With years of experience in hot site negotiation, a disaster consultant can level the playing field for a small business owner looking to equip an alternative site with the appropriate technology at a reasonable price.

Municipalities need to be sure that a widespread protocol for disaster planning is available to all local establishments so these organizations can protect citizens who are away from home during an emergency.

Companies wisely engaged in business continuity planning must factor in a protocol to address gun violence in addition to other emergency considerations.