BY ROBERT MAZZARELLA
We”™re still in the midst of hurricane season. In fact, it was almost two years ago that Superstorm Sandy hit our region and just three years since Hurricane Irene. Those storms crippled communications for many Westchester County businesses. We don”™t know when another big storm will hit, but there are steps that any business can take right now to help keep the lines of communication open when it comes time to face the next major weather event.
In our experience supporting communications contingency plans for medium and large businesses, advanced preparation pays off. It can help ensure the right people in your organization have access to the tools and information that they need to continue supporting customers. It can also make working remotely seamless. Essentially, it helps protect your business operations from grinding to a halt.
Make a plan
To begin, create an “event” communications plan that outlines critical personnel and their roles during a crisis. Can these team members do what they need to remotely? If so, determine what files and software they”™ll need access to and whether you are able to provide this access from remote locations.
Your plan should prepare for a scenario that finds your office completely inaccessible or even destroyed. To this end, identify in advance a potential alternative work location site that you can quickly transition to should the need arise.
Periodically update the plan to include your latest employee, vendor and telecommunications service provider contact information, and store copies off-site and offline for immediate access when needed.
Know your numbers
Next, identify the key business phone numbers that are needed to operate your business and the alternate numbers you”™ll want to use during an event. This could include a secondary work location, cellphone and employee home phone numbers. Share this information proactively with your service provider, noting which lines would be forwarded to which alternate numbers. If your service provider has this information on file, you need only give the word when the time comes to ensure your phones keep ringing.
If your service provider doesn”™t reach out to you proactively in advance of a storm, contact them to set a time to review your plan together. They will potentially be able to suggest technologies that can further support you. These may include cloud-based data backup, automatic call redirect or services for delivering pre-recorded messages to large numbers of employees or customers.
Don”™t get left in the dark
One of the largest causes of communication loss during storms is power outages. Understand whether your critical data servers and network equipment can be connected to a permanent or temporary generator for power backup. Even if most staff can”™t make it into the office, if this equipment stays up and running, there is an improved chance that they”™ll be able to access it remotely. If your equipment is not currently connected to backup power and you choose to install commercial power backup, don”™t forget to contact your service provider to schedule a time when key communications components can be connected to backup power. Also, if flooding is a potential issue, consider relocating this equipment from basement or ground floor levels, if possible.
Big storms and other crisis events will always bring the unexpected. By controlling what you can and putting a plan in place now, you will stand the best chance of weathering even the worst scenarios.
Robert Mazzarella is vice president of network operations for Lightpath, a division of Cablevision Systems Corp. He works with the business telecommunications company”™s customers on network support and strategies for maintaining business continuity in the event of a crisis. He can be reached in Lightpath”™s Jericho office at 888-561-0877.
