2004 Hurricane Season - predicted to be more active in '04

The 2004 hurricane season has begun and it is predicted to be one of the worst weather seasons in years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Between 12 and 15 tropical storms are expected to form, with six to eight of them becoming hurricanes.
Hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30 and typically affects areas along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts in the United States. Now is the time to take stock and prepare your business for possible effects of a strong hurricane season. Whether you’re located in hurricane prone areas or deal with businesses that are, preparations need to be made.
Establish an emergency preparedness plan, designate team leaders and prepare your facility and surrounding areas. Have backup plans ready and test your plan periodically. The most important steps are to be aware and stay prepared.

Sign up for a schedule that suits your needs. Whether you are new to the industry or an advanced planner, you will find a variety of sessions. Choose from workshops, advanced tracks, best practices sessions, interactive simulations and more.

Sign up today or browse the entire brochure

1. Become a member of a subject area sub-committee by contacting Lori Yelland at Lori_J_Yelland@comerica.com. Please specify the subject area to which you can best contribute and whether you would be interested in assisting in writing the draft Best Practices or reviewing them. Meetings via teleconference will begin in August, 2004.
2. Complete a Best Practice submittal form by pressing on this link to access the Best Practice submittal form.

The Best Practice subject areas align with the ten DRII Professional Practices:

1. Project Initiation and Management
2. Risk Evaluation and Control
3. Business Impact Analysis
4. Developing Business Continuity Strategies
5. Emergency Response and Operations
6. Developing and Implementing Business Continuity Plans
7. Awareness and Training Programs
8. Maintaining and Exercising Business Continuity Plans
9. Public Relations and Crisis Coordination
10. Coordination with Public Authorities

The Professional Practices tell you what you need to do and the BC Best Practices will tell you how to do it.

The DRJ has also partnered with the following organizations to assist in the creation of Business Continuity Best Practices:

• Association of Records Management Administration (ARMA)
• Business Continuity Institute (BCI)
• DRI International (DRII)
• Financial Services Technology Consortium (FSTC)
• International Security Systems Certification Consortium (ISC2)
• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

Please consider assisting in this effort. As an industry we need to create universally accepted best practices to be recognized as a discipline and an established profession.

If you would like to submit a Best Practice to the Best Practices Committee please click here to access the Best Practice submittal form.

Summer 2004 - Cover Article

Traceability

Managing Loads of Retrievable Data, New Programs May Impact Planners

By DR. THOMAS D. PHELAN

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. expects their top 100 suppliers to require radio frequency identification (RFID) technology on all products delivered to its stores by January of 2005. While most experts believe Wal-Mart might be a bit forgiving of this deadline, suppliers of food animals and military items have been feeling the pressure to identify every side of beef or shell casing back to its source for quite a while.
Diseases like Mad Cow and recent terrorist acts have sparked traceability programs around the world. But what are the implications for data storage and retrieval of all of this traceable information? And when the data is collected, what are the implications for business continuity and disaster recovery planners when disasters are declared in the technological arena or in the areas of disease outbreaks, consumer alerts, product safety and reliability?
Many major retailers, beef and pork producers, and the military have already entered into traceability programs. In many industrial settings, grocery and retail organizations, pharmaceuticals, and organic farming, the use of bar coding and the data processing to support it is well established due, in many cases, to regulations and the principles and practices of “just in time” inventory. The material handling, warehousing, package delivery, and transportation industries have been involved in tracking and traceability for some years.

Click here to read the entire article

Additional Articles Found in Summer 2004

• The Business Value of Data
• Business Continuity Planning After Sept. 11

• Study Surveys Businesses Affected By WTC Attacks
• Blind Date with a Vendor

• Ready for Section 404?
• The BCP Role
• Tracking the Storm: One County’s Story
• Weathering the Storm
• Sports Teams Take Second Look at Crisis Preparedness
• Simulating Disaster Scenarios
• Simple Tactics to Avoid the Pitfalls
• Volunteer to Expand Your Knowledge
• Six Lessons Learned by a New BC Professional
• A Model to Mirror Large Files on Internet
• Apologetic Anemia in the Business Continuity Industry
• You Can Never Go Home Again
• Traditional Business Continuity Views Have Changed
• Building a Business Case for Disaster Recovery Planning
• Mass Exodus: The Movement of Data Off Site
• The Key to Disaster Response

• 2004 Alternate Site Survey (PDF Format)

"Where the Industry Meets Every Wednesday"

Brought to you by the publishers of the annual Disaster Resource GUIDE. The Continuity e-GUIDE provides a concise seven-day snapshot of our industry from around the world right down to the local level. Based on the philosophy of “working together”, the e-GUIDE integrates, consolidates, and communicates resources from leaders in business continuity, information security, crisis/risk management, emergency response, and disaster recovery.

SIGN UP TODAY. IT'S FREE! Do you have a U.S. or Canada mailing address? If yes, you can also sign up for a free copy of the 2004 Disaster Resource GUIDE to be published in March, 2004. www.disaster-resource.com/cgi-bin/freeguide.cgi

DRJ eXpress is published by Disaster Recovery Journal. We have added this exciting publication to our family to better update our readers on current events and happenings.

In the fast-paced world of business continuity, having current information is key to staying ahead of the challenges that can occur so quickly. This monthly eZine will contain a wealth of tips, statistics and technology updates. In addition, you can find information on local continuity events, meetings and more.

Get the information you need – quickly and easily with DRJ eXpress! Staying informed is essential – and we are here to help.

Copyright (c) 2004 Disaster Recovery Journal. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without the express written permission of Disaster Recovery Journal is prohibited.