By Sue Parris
Resiliency: “The ability to cope with adversity and grow stronger as a result.”
As we’ve seen in many
natural disasters, nonprofits play a vital role in a community’s response and
recovery.
The Community Foundation for Monterey County recently hosted a
workshop, co-sponsored by NAMC, United Way, CERV and others and facilitated by
Dick Bower and Sherrie Collins of Monterey County Office of Emergency Services.
A capacity crowd grappled with the important question: Could your nonprofit
continue to operate following a fire, flood or other disaster?
OES staff walked
us through the elements of a sound disaster preparedness/business continuity
plan, including risk assessment, critical organizational functions, information
technology and security.
There is a lot to consider.
How would your staff and/or volunteers communicate during an
emergency? How would you connect with the community you serve? What would you
take with you if you had to evacuate your facility? How would you recover
critical data and records? Probably a good idea to review and update your
insurance coverage, too.
Although it can seem overwhelming, we are fortunate to
have the Office of Emergency Services to help us prepare.
An excellent and
comprehensive Planning Workbook is available from OES to make planning
manageable. There is even an awards program to help motivate you to complete
the plan!
The OES is available to offer training to groups. Other resources
suggested include: www.myhazardscalifornia (lists flood, earthquake and other
hazards related to specific addresses) and www.Ready.gov for tool kits for
families; CERV Monterey Peninsula http://cerv501c3.org/, a volunteer
organization.
For more information on OES programs, contact Dick Bower,
Emergency Planner, at 831-796-1902 or BowerD@co.monterey.ca.us
Photo by nbcnews.com
Photo by nbcnews.com
