The importance of being FIT

May 1, 2000 12:00 PM, Lou Fiore

The theme of this year's Central Station Alarm Association mid-year meeting was "Disaster Planning and Recovery." It addressed some issues that apply to all central stations. Per UL 827, all UL listed central stations are required to have a disaster plan in existence.

The prime motivation of the UL requirements is to help the central station survive possible natural and man-made disaster threats that might affect its operation.They only tangentially cover the human or business aspects of such occurrences. The lessons of the meeting are applicable to all types of businesses from UL-listed central stations, alarm dealers, integrators and distributors to consultant.

Every presentation at the meeting covered steps required to have a plan in place. What I derived from all this were three basic steps that I can sum up as "FIT":

* Formulate a plan

* Implement the plan

* Test the plan and revise it as required. Be sure you consider the operating side of your business, and also the accounting and human aspects. The goals are to provide service to your customers with little or no interruption and to have your business survive with little or no monetary loss or human hardship to your employees.

Regardless of your type of business, there are outside threats that could disrupt your daily activity. A central station needs to continue monitoring and responding to its customers' alarms. At the other end of the spectrum are businesses that function without the immediacy of minute-to-minute alarm traffic, such as distributors and consultants.

Important elements to consider in a plan are the facility, electrical power, communications and people. The types of disaster you need to plan for vary by location. Earthquakes are localized to fault areas; hurricanes to coastal areas. However, whether or not you believe in global warming, you cannot deny that tornadoes and severe thunderstorms are becomingmore prevalent. Draw up your own list of what natural disaster might befall your location.

Here is a list of natural and man-made disasters. Many you will recognize; some might surprised you: earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, fire (including brush and forest fires), flood, telephone cable cuts, chemical spills, gas leaks, explosions, strikes, riots, partner dies, owner dies, plane crash, train crash, computer crash (keep backups off site!), computer hacking, lightning strikes, building collapse, termite infestation, snowstorms, infectious disease requiring quarantine, and water and sewer emergency.

What would you do if a local authority says no one can enter your building?

A consultant probably has the easiest job dealing with emergences. As long as sensitive records are safe and computers backed up, a business can quickly survive from an alternate location. The larger the business, the more complicated become planning and recovery.

The outline given in UL 827 is a good guide for everyone. First the plan asks you to foresee disasters. Next it addresses emergency name lists - who to notify and how - for all customers and relevant employees. Be sure to include the welfare of those employees asked to work longer hours.

Establish contacts with municipal agencies such as fire and police departments and have emergency telephone numbers readily available. Have 24-hour telephone and FAX numbers and contact names for equipment vendors and maintenance contractors, and utility and telephone companies servicing your locations.

All of your supervisory personnel and certain designated employees should be familiar with the plan, and they should practice executing the plan at least once a year.

If you operate a UL-listed central station, you probably have a plan in place. If you are a business operator other than a UL-listed central station, I recommend you follow UL's example and protect your business accordingly.

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