12-Feb-10 1:00 PM EST
Firestorm Newsletter 12-Feb-10
|
Disaster Due Diligence February 12, 2010
Public Law 110-53, Title IX
The Department of Homeland Security is implementing a certification program for the private sector. This program, labeled PS-Prep, is defined in Public Law 110-53, Section 524. Failure to comply with these regulations may have serious consequences for you and your company.
More information about Public Law 110-53 Title IX
Campus safety
HEADLINE: Changes to Clery Act impact emergency plans, require drills
SUMMARY: Regulations set to take effect in July will require institutions of higher learning to change the way they develop and publish their emergency plans, as well as how they report incidents. Schools will now be required to have an official, written emergency plan disclosed in their annual security report, including the procedures used to notify the campus community during an emergency. The new regulations also mandate that schools conduct at least one yearly drill designed to assess and evaluate their emergency response and evacuation procedures.
STORY LINK:http://www.securitydirectornews.com/?p=article&id=sd201002BecFru
ANALYSIS: After the shootings at Virginia Tech, many schools purchased text messaging systems. There was much discussion about active shooters; unfortunately, only lip service has been given to increase safety, emergency preparedness and continuity of operations at schools and colleges.
There has been little education (training) of students, faculty and administration, little to no testing of plans, and no evidenced commitment of boards and leadership to having executable plans in place.
Unfortunately, we will continue to have emergencies and tragic events on campuses across the country. The restructuring of the Clery Act is a good idea. Just providing statistics will no longer suffice; clear reporting on the level of preparedness will be required. Firestorm’s Preaction Index establishes a standard rating score to enable organizations to assess and compare their level of preparedness.
Do you know where your school ranks?
--Jim Satterfield, Firestorm President/COO
Communicable illness
HEADLINE: Swine flu still spreading, though at a reduced rate
SUMMARY: The likelihood of a third wave of pandemic H1N1 influenza seems to be declining, but authorities are concerned that the virus is still spreading rather than disappearing, federal officials said. "My sense is that we are not at all out of the woods because the virus continues to circulate," said Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. The statistic of most concern is the number of deaths from pneumonia and influenza, which has remained above normal for the third consecutive week, particularly among the elderly.
HEADLINE: Haiti hospital’s fight against TB falls to one man
SUMMARY: Even before last month’s devastating earthquake, Haiti suffered the worst tuberculosis rate in the Americas. Some health officials are worried that the lack of consistent availability of medication could lead to a drug-resistant form of the disease, which relief workers traveling in and out of the country might spread to other parts of the world.
ANALYSIS: At first glance, two stories addressing the relative inactivity of H1N1 domestically and the potential for an outbreak of TB in Haiti have little in common. In reality, they are two points not far apart along the same continuum. The fact that H1N1 appears to be in decline effectively removes it from the American psyche. It is "old news." The problem is, it has not gone away. This outbreak has been mercifully mild, while still killing more than 11,000 Americans. There is no guarantee that the current downward trend will continue. It is illustrative to note that the devastating 1918-19 pandemic ran an 18-month course. We are barely past the halfway mark in that scenario.
At the same time, several media outlets have focused on the duress of the only TB sanitarium in Haiti, a facility that is largely destroyed and overrun with patients in the wake of the earthquake. Haiti sees 30,000 new tuberculosis cases a year. Treatable under normal circumstances, tuberculosis can be easily spread among populations living and working in crowded conditions – the very conditions faced by displaced persons and aid workers in Haiti. There is also the possibility that people whose homes were destroyed may have prematurely stopped taking their medications, which opens the door to the emergence of drug-resistant TB.
The link between the two stories is the need for planning -- planning for an event that is neither immediate nor obvious. Swine flu is out of the news, so why get immunized? Or have a workplace contingency plan? Earthquakes rarely happen in Haiti, or Illinois for that matter; except for the "Chicago Earthquake" of Feb. 10, 2010 (magnitude 3.8), one on April 18, 2008 (5.4), and multiple others reported over the years. Will you be prepared if H1N1 makes a dramatic and deadly resurgence?
The issue is not to be prepared for absolutely everything that could ever happen, but to have practiced plans to deal with emergencies as they occur. This process starts with a risk assessment. Do you have plans in place if one-third of your staff were to fall ill or be unable to report to work? Does your family know what to do and where to go in the event of a tornado, terrorist attack or other calamity? There are hundreds of volunteers doing tremendous work in Haiti. Are plans in place to test them for TB upon their return to the U.S. or elsewhere? Prudent planning can be the difference between recovery and collapse. As Ben Franklin famously said, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
--Don Donahue, Director, Firestorm Healthcare Response Team
Data security
HEADLINE: How to limit Twitter risks
SUMMARY: Twitter is now used by more than 350 million people worldwide, so cybercriminals see it and other social networking sites as a huge opportunity to make money through fraud. Although spammers, scammers and malware creators are the root of the problem, end-users of the service are equally dangerous because, ultimately, it is what they do with Twitter that counts. As usual, humans are the weakest link in the security chain.
STORY LINK: http://www.securitypark.co.uk/security_article264318.html
ANALYSIS: Twitter has become a roaring success, but like many Internet companies, that success attracts the attention of those looking to exploit unsuspecting users. It is interesting that this article points out that the risks associated with the use of Twitter has as much to do with social engineering and careless use of posted information as it does with the technology itself.
The same rules regarding all social networking sites apply here – don’t post anything you wouldn’t want your grandma to see. If you do not know who you are talking to, do not share information. And if you don’t like the company you work for, take out your frustrations in the gym, not with posts on the Internet.
--Ted Hansen, Director, Firestorm Expert Council
Economic crisis
HEADLINE: Desolate malls, empty offices may come soon
SUMMARY: A report by the Congressional Oversight Panel warns that defaults on commercial real estate loans could cost banks up to $300 billion in losses and litter cities with vacant stores and office complexes. The report says the defaults could lead to reduced lending and cause the eviction of families from rental properties. Bank failures also could contribute to job losses and hurt the economic recovery.
ANALYSIS: When Firestorm talks about the five most common failures of business in a crisis, the control of critical supply chain is first. That usually brings to mind a prime supplier of raw material for a manufacturer, but money and credit are equally as critical. In fact, our news is filled daily with stories of small businesses unable to get loans from their bankers and the impact on their businesses. This article is all about a supply chain breakdown. There is a direct impact on the commercial real estate market for both borrowers and lenders, and indirectly for the customers of the banks that may not survive if the bank collapses.
Bank relationships are often forged over many years, but like marriages they sometimes end in divorce. Do all you can to save the marriage in the short-term. Access to credit for a business is critical, and while this is the worst of times to be looking hard at your banker, you must, especially if they are heavily involved in the real estate market. Many smaller banks that have financial difficulty are taken over by larger banks, but that does not mean you will like your new lender, or that they will like your business.
You will note that the most successful U.S. automaker at present is Ford. Anticipating the problems in the auto market, Ford leveraged up significantly to create a cash hoard to weather the storm. They are not beholden to the government like GM and Chrysler, and therefore control their own destiny. In that example is a very important lesson – Predict. Plan. Perform™
As we like to say, if you had to respond today (in this case, to a severe credit crunch) are you ready?
--Ted Hansen, Director, Firestorm Expert Council
Preparedness groups
Join Firestorm’s LinkedIn groups and help build a Culture of Preparedness for your family and organization:
WORKPLACE VIOLENCE: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1898572&trk=myg_ugrp_ovr
COMMUNICABLE ILLNESS: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1899278&trk=myg_ugrp_ovr
SWINE FLU: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1921222&trk=myg_ugrp_ovr
Rating: 0.00 / 5.00
-
0 ratings
•
del.icio.us
digg
facebook
For additional information on this Newsletter article, please contact:
Kerry Coxworth
(770) 643-1114
Source: Mike Pennetti
http://www.firestorm.com
Related Documents:
Content Tags: newsletter •
