1. Organizational Relationships in Disaster Recovery
Chapter 6

2. You Will Learn How To…
Identify organizations to work with during a disaster
Develop procedures for working with public service providers
Create procedures for working with insurance companies
Develop procedures for working with private service providers
Create procedures for working with the business arena
Communicate with the media
Communicate with stakeholders

3. Identifying Organizations to Work with During a Disaster
Members of the disaster response and communications teams must contact numerous people and organizations in a disaster
The disaster recovery planning team needs to develop lists and procedures for establishing these communications
Required contacts vary by organization, and depend on the disaster’s severity and specific disaster recovery needs

4. Identifying Organizations to Work with During a Disaster
Local emergency services
Local law enforcement
Insurance companies
Disaster recovery service providers
Telecommunications service providers
IT service providers
Public utilities
IT equipment providers and software companies
Business partners
Suppliers
Customers
Stakeholders
Organizations in the local community

5. Disaster Response Contact Sheet
The disaster response team must
Quickly determine the extent of the disaster, and the expected duration of system downtime or facility closure
Develop contact instructions for
the preceding organizations
alternate telephone and fax numbers
the names of disaster recovery liaisons
other information to assist in recovery
Determines which organizations to contact, and then includes this information in the disaster recovery plan

6. Disaster Response Contact Sheet
Trained teams of disaster response workers are responsible for making contacts
The response team should report all communications with other organizations in a disaster response activity log
The team should also complete a disaster response contact sheet for each contact it makes
Disaster response contact sheets can be useful for evaluating the response of service organizations, as well as the effectiveness of the disaster recovery plan and procedures

7. Disaster Response Contact Sheet

8. Working with Public Service Providers
An organization works with several local agencies during disaster response and recovery, including
Emergency services
Utilities
Public works organizations
One of the first series of necessary contacts is with local emergency services and law enforcement agencies
The disaster recovery planning team must develop thorough procedures for contacting the proper organizations and agencies quickly

9. Emergency Response Organizations
Ambulance and emergency medical services
Fire and police departments
Hazardous material response teams
Regional and local disaster agencies
Vehicle removal and debris removal services
Building maintenance and construction contractors

10. Developing Procedures for Working with Emergency Services
The need for emergency service varies based on the disaster
The possibility of physical injury and death requires ambulances and emergency medical services
The scope and intensity of a disaster may require a wide range of emergency response, including
Firefighters
Police
Contractors to remove debris or damaged vehicles
To effectively use emergency services, contact procedures that enable rapid response must be developed

11. Checklist for Emergency Service Contact Procedures

12. Procedures for Working with Public Utilities and Departments
Disaster recovery often requires working with public utilities
To temporarily cut off services for safety reasons
To restore them for normal operations
Public utilities are generally well-equipped and experienced when it comes to dealing with disasters

13. Procedures for Working with Public Utilities and Departments
An organization may need recovery assistance from public utilities or Public Works departments in the following areas:
Electric and gas power
Water and sewer services
Telephone lines
Steam service
Waste removal
Road and highway maintenance and repair
Forestry services
Recycling services
Environmental protection services
Flood control services
Animal control and protection
Building inspection services
Occupancy and use permits

14. Checklist for Working with Public Utilities and Departments

15. Creating Procedures for Working with Insurance Companies
Once disaster response begins the organization must contact its insurance companies
The insurance and damage assessment team assembles information to provide to insurance carriers
The speed with which an organization initiates insurance claims makes a large difference in its ability to recover from a disaster
Some insurance policies may cover an emergency operations center or temporary facilities if needed
Insurance may cover debris removal or emergency construction services
It is important to consult with insurance companies while developing recovery plans and procedures to ensure successful insurance claims

16. Checklist for Insurance Company Contact Procedures

17. Procedures for Working with Private Service Providers
An organization works with many types of private service companies and equipment vendors during disaster response and recovery
Some of these companies can provide specialized recovery services
Services are needed from a variety of contractors, telecommunications providers, IT service organizations, IT equipment suppliers, and software companies

18. Disaster Recovery Service Providers
Plumbing contractors
Heating and air conditioning contractors
Roofing contractors
Electrical contractors
General construction contractors
Water removal specialists
Hazardous material specialists
Tree removal contractors
Waste removal services
Records restoration specialists

19. Setting Priorities The disaster recovery planning team determines
The necessity for restoring particular facilities to operable conditions
The priority in which they should be restored
After setting these priorities, the planning team develops disaster recovery procedures to restore the facilities accordingly

20. Checklist for Contacting Disaster Recovery Providers

21. Working with Telecommunications Service Providers
A disaster could affect the following types of telecommunications:
Voice services
Call center services
Fax lines
Data communications lines
Electronic data interchange (EDI) systems
Internet connections
Web-based services and Web sites
Toll-free customer service lines
Voice mail
services
Access for remote workers, field staff, and regional offices

22. Working with Telecommunications Service Providers
To maintain critical telecommunications services during a disaster, an organization should develop recovery procedures to
Ensure that services can be restored as quickly as possible, or
Rerouted to an alternate location if a facility is unusable
The priorities set by the disaster recovery planning team dictate which communications systems are most important to the organization’s key business processes
Individual recovery procedures are required for each telecommunications service that an organization uses

23. Working with Telecommunication Service Providers

24. Developing Procedures for Working with IT Service Providers
Most organizations cannot operate for very long without access to their computer systems
The disaster recovery planning team
Decides which systems are most critical to support business operations
Determines what recovery procedures are required to restore these systems as quickly as possible in a disaster

25. Types of Computer Systems Affected in a Disaster
Enterprise systems that support business operations
Servers that provide specialized business or manufacturing functions
Servers that support supply-chain applications
Workstations used in research and development
Desktop systems that support office workers
Web servers that support e-commerce applications

26. Developing Procedures for Working with IT Service Providers
Some systems might be supported by IT service providers or set up for restoration through a hot site
A hot site provides replicated computing environments
Procedures are necessary for activating backup computer facilities and emergency computer services
A variety of hot site services are available
The basic service is usually a replicated environment in a data center
This allows organizations to bring their computer systems back online quickly at a safe location

27. Checklist for IT Service Recovery Procedures

28. IT Equipment Providers and Software Companies
When developing procedures to restore computer systems and services, organizations must address the following concerns:
The processes to move computer services to hot sites
The staff needed to report to hot sites and maintain operations
How a disaster may affect the need for equipment maintenance services
How a disaster may affect the scope of software license use
How using a hot site for computer support affects the cost of software licenses
How IT equipment providers and software companies can assist in recovery

29. IT Equipment Providers and Software Companies

30. Creating Procedures for Working with the Business Arena
An organization has many business relationships that it must address during disaster response and recovery
Organizations must also develop strategies for contacting and working with the many suppliers and service providers that make business operations possible
Above all, organizations must communicate with customers and assure them that transactions, deliveries, and relationships will continue to run smoothly
Contemporary business etiquette dictates that organizations maintain good relationships with business partners, suppliers, and customers by keeping in touch during a disaster

31. Developing Procedures for Working with Business Partners
Organizations can have important economic relationships with a variety of business partners
A disaster can affect the operations of these partners, which include
Value-added resellers (VARs)
Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)
Distributors
Licensed resellers
Franchised operations
The planning team needs to develop recovery procedures for contacting and working with business partners to help mitigate the impact of a disaster

32. Checklist for Contacting and Working with Business Partners

33. Working with Suppliers and Business Service Providers
Organizations depend on their relationships with suppliers and service providers
Suppliers include organizations that provide raw materials, parts used in manufacturing, and consumable items that support business operations
Service providers include assembly contractors, testing contractors, logistics organizations, building cleaning services, and exterior maintenance services
A disaster can damage supplier operations and result in a surfeit of materials arriving at an unusable facility

34. Working with Suppliers and Business Service Providers

35. Developing Procedures for Working with Customers
Organizations rely heavily on their relationships with customers

36. Communicating with the Media
A disaster often results in extensive media coverage
An organization’s dealings with the media during a disaster can reflect its management philosophy, and open communication is often interpreted as a mark of good citizenship
The disaster recovery plan should
Include procedures for the organization’s external communications
Designate an official media spokesperson to disseminate management-approved information
All media inquiries should be referred to the spokesperson

37. Communicating with the Media
All statements to the media must be consistent
Shareholders, investors, employees, and their families will see television and newspaper reports about the disaster, and everyone will have private concerns
Consistent statements help to ease these worries
Inconsistent information supplied by executives, media spokespersons, and employees can only heighten concerns and intensify uncertainty
The official spokesperson should have a background in working with the media
Before top executives make statements to the media, they should seek assistance from the public relations staff

38. Checklist for Media Relations Procedures

39. Communicating with Stakeholders
An organization has a wide variety of stakeholders
A stakeholder is any person or organization that faces risks when disaster strikes a facility
Stakeholders include investors, employees and their families, and the surrounding community, all of whom depend on the facility in some way
The disaster recovery plan should include procedures for working with all stakeholders

40. Stockholder and Investor Relations
Stockholders and investors naturally become concerned when one of their investments is affected by a disaster
An organization must respond quickly
To inform stockholders and investors about any damages
To assure them that steps are being taken to minimize the damage and restore normal operations
The primary goal of stockholder and investor relations during a disaster is maintaining their confidence
Angry stockholders and investors can do considerable damage to an organization’s reputation if they publicly question or criticize how the disaster response team is handling recovery
The Investor Relations Department should be the primary contacts for stockholder and investor inquiries

41. Checklist of Procedures for Stockholder and Investor Relations

42. Communicating with Employees
If a facility must be evacuated, employees need to know what to do next
If employees do not work on the disaster response team, they may not need to report at all for a period of time
Communicating such information to employees makes disaster recovery efforts run more smoothly
Employees can also face great stress after the disaster
Because they may be uncertain of their future or
Concern about co-workers who were affected by the disaster
Employees deserve definitive and honest answers as quickly as possible

43. Checklist for Employee Communications Procedures

44. Communicating with Families of Employees
An organization needs to communicate with families of employees and support them during a crisis
When disasters strike, families become frightened, and sometimes they even panic
Employees want to know that family members are kept informed of their health and safety
The stress can hinder employees from focusing on recovery efforts

45. Communicating with Families of Employees
If a crisis-counseling program is established for families of employees, it must be staffed with qualified and experienced counselors
Department managers and supervisors
Need to be sensitive and sympathetic to the needs of families during a disaster
They should not attempt to provide counseling themselves

46. Procedures for Communicating with Families of Employees

47. Working with the Local Community
All organizations have a complex set of relationships with their surrounding communities
Local businesses have economic dependencies on a facility
Disasters can create concerns about the future of their community
An organization must be sympathetic in its relationships with businesses, institutions, schools, civic organizations, and the community at large

48. Checklist of Procedures for Working with the Local Community

49. Chapter Summary
Members of the disaster response and communications teams must contact numerous people and organizations in a disaster
When a disaster occurs, one of the first series of necessary contacts is with local emergency services and law enforcement agencies
Once disaster response begins and dangerous circumstances have been addressed, the organization must contact its insurance companies
To maintain critical telecommunications services during a disaster,
An organization should develop recovery procedures to ensure that services can be restored as quickly as possible, or
Rerouted to an alternate location if a facility is unusable

50. Chapter Summary
An organization has many important economic relationships that it must address during disaster response and recovery
The disaster recovery plan should include procedures for the organization’s external communications and designate an official media spokesperson
A stakeholder is any person or organization that faces risks when disaster strikes a facility