A recent survey revealed that approximately 70 percent of small businesses do not expect to experience a disaster, and half of those surveyed do not have an emergency response plan in place. According to the American Red Cross and FedEx, sponsors of the survey, surviving any kind disaster requires preparation. Unfortunately, many businesses and facility managers fail to put an emergency plan in place.

In the off chance that a disaster does strike, managers don’t want to find themselves unprepared. To ensure the survival of the business/department, here are several helpful disaster preparedness tips to follow:

1. Start with a hazard vulnerability assessment
A hazard vulnerability assessment involves researching potential emergencies or types of disasters that  are most likely to occur in the region and could impact facilities. Local emergency management agencies will offer businesses a hazard vulnerability assessment that is geospecific and will bring to light the hazards your company is most vulnerable to.

2. Create a good emergency response plan
A good emergency response plan describes the steps your business will take to protect the office and employees before, during and after an emergency. Select a planning committee that will develop and implement this plan. This committee should develop a written plan that offers information on how the business will respond when a medical emergency or disaster occurs.

3. Purchase important safety equipment
Safety equipment necessary for disaster preparedness includes smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, defibrillators and first-aid kits. Depending on the business, certain industry-specific supplies may be useful for industry-specific disaster safety as well. All equipment should be easily accessible, and employees should be trained to use these tools.

4. Plan for emergency communications
If an emergency or disaster occurs, the ability to communicate with emergency officials, customers, employees, vendors and suppliers is essential for businesses and facility managers. A few useful communication tools include text message alerts, a calling tree and implementing an emergency number.

5. Back up important data
Many businesses fail to back up important data until after a disaster has occurred. While protecting life and limb is essential, to plan for business continuation, backing up important business data is also crucial to the health of the company. Take time to identify documents and records necessary for the basic function of the business, and then use data backup tools to store that information securely.

6. Practice the emergency response plan
Simply having an emergency response plan in place is not enough - practicing that plan is just as important. Implement emergency drills to practice and test the plan that's in place. Practicing will also help bring to light any updates that need to be made to make the plan more efficient.

7. Take the Red Cross Ready Rating Assessment
The Red Cross offers a Ready Rating program that is designed to help business and organizations better prepare themselves for disasters and emergencies. Businesses can join for free and take the Red Cross Ready Rating Assessment, which evaluates their current ability to withstand emergencies, protect lives and maintain their operations. This assessment also provides important information that will help businesses pinpoint any obstacles in their current plan and make improvements to their disaster preparation plan.