Business Community Emergency Preparedness

Have you ever thought about what you would do if your business was the victim of a fire, flood, tornado, micro-burst or active shooter event?  How long would it take to get up and running again?  Being prepared and proactive is the best way to survive and recover from the aftermath of a disaster of any kind, whether man-made or of natural causes.  At this informative roundtable the Northbrook Fire Department will educate business owners on developing their own emergency preparedness plan while discussing the emergency probabilities and needs of the community as a whole.
    Using interesting case studies to illustrate needs assessment and preparation, Fire Chief Jose Torres and his staff will review tools and resources available to help businesses take a proactive approach to planning and recovering from a significant incident.  In addition, actions that you can take during an emergency incident to protect yourself, employees, and your business will be discussed.
If a major flood, fire, or tornado damage rendered your office unusable for weeks, how long would it take you to get up and running in an alternate location?  While data backup may be a priority for you and your business, many business owners have failed to develop a plan that includes employees and customers should the workplace/physical location suddenly become unavailable.
    Attendees will gain a better understanding of the role of local safety agencies, the Cook County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the private sector.  The meeting will also serve to establish networks among local businesses to provide mutual aid (collaborative assistance) should a large scale event occur in the community.
    Attendees will also have the opportunity to tour the Northeastern Illinois Public Safety Training Academy (NIPSTA) and view active training exercises which help area Fire, Police, and Public Works personnel prepare to handle a wide scope of emergency situations and incidents.