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  > Disaster Preparedness at Home

Disasters can occur at any time, frequently with little or no advance warning.  Yet despite repeated warnings as to what to do BEFORE disaster strikes, the vast majority of owners and managers in small to medium-sized (SMB) organizations are

When disaster strikes, it is too late to prepare.  If your organization doesn't already have a plan -- that has been created in advance and practiced several times -- it is too late to begin planning, and too late to "just hope" everything is going to be ok.  

Why Prepare for Disasters?  

Every organization has hazards.  Some are internal to the organization and can be mitigated more quickly than those external hazards outside of it.  

After launching a hazard mitigation campaign as described in Step 1, the next step is to "get ready" for the next disaster or emergency situation.  

Preparedness actually focuses on two critical issues related to your organization.  One, to prepare those in the organization to be able to help themselves and others; and two, to prepare your business to respond to and recovery from any situation that interrupts your operations.  

Disaster Preparedness:  An Individual Responsibility

Disaster preparedness is an individual responsibility, but organizations also have a need to prepare for hazards that interrupt their operations.  Hazard mitigation and preparedness are a commitment that takes away from the normal organizational focus.  Those efforts pay huge dividends when disaster strikes unexpected and suspends or completely stops operations.  

The process is the same for an organization as it is for an individual, but the number of issues faced by the organization is more broader than those faced by individuals.  Creating a comprehensive plan takes dedication and focus, while unfortunately also taking valuable time that is already in short supply and badly-needed by most SMB organizations.

Here are the basic steps to preparedness:  

• Make a plan.  Review and create a list of internal and external hazards your organization might be exposed.  Don't panic.  The solution for one type of hazard will probably apply to other types of hazards.  The important thing is to identify those hazards, both potential and realistic, and to document them in writing.  
  
  FOCUS ON SAFETY FIRST.   What do you want those in the organization to do during "business hours" if a disaster strikes unexpected.  Plan escape routes in advance.  Be sure to designate a specific location where everyone should meet to so they can be accounted for.  
    
• Practice the plan.  Young children will need to feel free to make mistakes and will take longer to practice.  So be sure and have to enough time and patience to make it a meaningful, learning experience.  (After all, their lives literally "may depend on it".) 
     
• Take a training course.  The Community Emergency Response Team program is designed specifically for "everyday citizens" and features fact-intensive presentations that are reinforced with practical application exercise to increase your confidence and proficiency. 
    
• Create a "go" box.  The box you need will be based on the plan you created.  se are individual disaster preparedness "grab and go" bags for each member in your household.  Be sure not to forget about your pets. 

There are few organizations that locations Southern California is "home" to many hazards that normally create an adverse situation that affects all of us in one way or another.  And even if we are not affected directly, there is a high probability that someone we know (or love) WILL be affected.  So, indirectly or directly, we are going to be impacted.  

Sooner or later, if you live and work in southern California, something is going to happen that will disrupt your day, wreak havoc on your schedule, and make you wish that you had prepared in advance.  

Preparedness is everyone's responsibility.  

This section of our TMQG web site features information and links to other sites that will assist you in your preparation efforts.  We'll help you get started, and do what we can to help you as you make progress.  

Preparedness Begins At Home  

While many of you reading this may be at work or away when a disaster strikes, the preparations you have made at home -- in advance -- may make it easier for you to focus on the "situation at hand" where ever it is you are at the time of the disaster.  

TMQG believes that disaster preparedness begins at home.  It begins before you walk out the door to go to work, or go shopping, to drop off/pick-up the kids and before you are able to return home.  

If you're waiting for your employer to prepare, it's a plain and simple truth that while some will, many haven't.  And if you're fortunate enough to work for one that does, that will help at work, but what if you are at home?  What if it's a week-end and you're not AT work?  

TMQG understands the critical importance of business and technology meshing together without friction.  As the pace of business moves increasingly faster, the role of technology takes on greater importance to maintain global competitiveness.  

To assist you in your efforts, TMQG provides a diverse array of services designed to meet the challenges in linking these two critical areas of business.  Each solution is "tailored" to provide a targeted solution while still being fiscally defensive. 

Our solutions are practical, focused, and realistic.  And our pricing structure is highly competitive, making your choice both wise and affordable.