The best tips for disaster contingency planning are to analyze and prepare for the worst case scenario through organization and teamwork. It will often take many different departments in a business to adequately prepare for specific situations. Although disasters such as a bad earthquake or power outage may not occur, the goal of contingency planning is to be prepared in case something does happen. One of the most helpful tips in disaster contingency planning for businesses is for the person coordinating the project to create a committee.
Having employee volunteers as part of a contingency disaster planning committee helps get workers involved and brings attention to the importance of the project. Assigning employee volunteers to head sub-groups such as water, emergency food and safety supplies can help create an efficient team. Regular meetings with reports from the sub-heads must be included for the disaster planning to be ongoing and effective. The project coordinator should be able to give clear directions to the committee members as well as monitor their progress and make adjustments if needed.
In order for disaster contingency planning to have maximum benefits, every conceivable crisis situation should be anticipated. Keep specific situations in mind to make the supplies and actions much more focused and effective. For example, if the group is preparing for a power outage in winter, warm blankets will need to be collected as emergency supplies for when the electric heat is off. For a power outage in summer, those same blankets can be used as seating or to block sun from the windows.
Reports from the disaster contingency planning committee meetings could then be circulated to the different departments of a corporation or other business. The leader will have to ensure that department heads are aware of their role in disaster contingency planning, such as who will handle any insurance claims. Making sure that the insurance amount is enough to cover employee compensation, property damage and time interruption of the business are other departmental or senior management issues that should be resolved when planning for contingency disasters. Brochures and other information from governmental agencies may also be helpful for disaster contingency planners.