Regardless of how sound the continuity of operations plan appears on paper, it is of vital importance for municipalities to test the plan under controlled circumstances to check that it will be effective in reality.

Healthcare officials in Vermont recently announced an innovative emergency medical planning solution, unveiling a mobile 20-bed hospital structure that can be effectively deployed when disaster conditions render a primary site unusable.

Both 2010 and 2011 were record years for natural disasters, and it would be shortsighted for a municipality not to consider a viable continuity of operations plan should 2012 follow suit.

When engaging in business continuity planning, it would be wise for a company’s decision makers to factor in pandemic preparedness in addition to disaster recovery.

Municipalities that are prone to disastrous conditions need to be prepared with a strategic continuity of operations plan that can seamlessly address catastrophic circumstances.

Companies that are looking to improve their business continuity planning with the addition of an external recovery site need to first assess a number of factors, including their recovery time objectives and budgets.

Business owners may not be inclined to put additional stress on the company by allocating funds toward business continuity planning, despite the fact that this measure could help them recover when their operations are disrupted by a catastrophe.

While business owners may feel like developing emergency planning initiatives is a process that can only happen internally, this type of readiness can sometimes be best developed when a number of interconnected organizations are willing to work together.

In the wake of two record years in disaster causation, an event like the Wallow fire indicates that small businesses need to be ready with emergency plans should a natural disaster stand in the way of normal business operations.

A recent arrest highlights the need for all companies to engage in strategic business continuity planning dictating a specific course of action should an employee act on their intentions to harm co-workers or employers.