Continuity of Operations for Your Farm

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Continuity of Operationsfor Your Farm

• Pamela B. King- Extension Agent
• Gilbert O. Buddy Bowling- MD Department of
  Agriculture
• Center for Agrosecurity and Emergency Management
• University of Maryland Cooperative Extension

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COOP

• Continuity of Operations

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• Survival

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Why Plan?

• Declared major disasters more than doubled in
  recent years
• About 25 of businesses do not reopen following a
  major emergency.
• (Source Institute for Business and Home Safety)

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Why Plan?

• Who is at Risk?
• Small to medium-sized businesses are often most
  susceptible to the long term affects of an
  emergency
• Small businesses are a vital part of the U.S.
  economy
• 99 of all employers
• 75 of all net new jobs
• 97 of all U.S. exporters

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Why Plan?

• Preparedness enhances recovery from
• Business disruption
• Financial losses
• Loss of market share
• Damages to assets, equipment or inventory
• Preparedness bolsters
• Business security
• Creditability with customers, vendors, supply
  chain and the community

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Why Plan?

• Indirect Affect
• A business can be hurt indirectly when an
  emergency occurs with your customer base, vendor,
  supply chain or distributor

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Why Plan?

• Constraints of Preparedness
• Often businesses believe they do not have the
  time, workforce or money to prepare their
  business
• Too much emphasis is placed on dramatic,
  worst-case scenarios as if these were the only
  possible disasters which may occur

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• What would be an
• emergency to your business?

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COOP Three Steps

• PLAN to stay in business
• TALK with your people
• PROTECT your investment

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Plan to Stay in Business

• Know the potential emergencies
• Think about how your company functions
• Protect your employees -- your most important and
  valuable asset
• Think first about the basics (water, shelter,
  clean air, warmth)
• Provide for sheltering-in-place or evacuation
  measures
• Fire is the most common business emergency
• Prepare for medical emergencies, encourage basic
  first aid and CPR training

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Talk to Your People

• Include people from all levels in emergency
  planning
• Use drills and exercises
• Encourage your family, as well as your
• employees and their families to
• Get an emergency supply kit
• Make a a family emergency plan and
• Be informed of the potential emergencies that
  can happen in their area

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Talk to Your People

• Decide how you will be in contact with employees,
  customers and others
• Plan for persons who will require special
  assistance during an emergency
• Understand that people who have experienced a
  disaster may have special recovery needs

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Protect Your Investment

• Meet with your insurance provider to fully
  understand your coverage
• Prepare for utility outages and disruptions
• Evaluate and strengthen farm security
• Protect computers

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What are the Costs?

• NO COST SOLUTIONS
• Meet insurance provider to review current
  coverage.
• Create evacuate and shelter-in-place plans.
• Practice your emergency plan frequently.
• Talk with your people about the companys
  disaster plans.

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• MORE NO COST SOLUTIONS
• Create an emergency contact list.
• Create a list of critical suppliers
• Know what kinds of emergencies might affect you

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• MORE NO COST SOLUTIONS
• Decide what you will do if your buildings are
  unusable.
• Create a list of inventory and equipment
• Plan for utility service alternatives
• Promote family and individual preparedness

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What are the Costs?

• COSTS UNDER 500
• Buy a fire extinguisher and smoke alarm.
• Decide which emergency supplies you should
  provide
• Set up a system to communicate with family and
  employees
• Encourage everyone to take first aid, CPR and
  CERT training

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• COSTS UNDER 500
• Use and update computer anti-virus software and
  firewalls.
• Back up your records and critical data. Keep a
  copy offsite.
• Secure and stabilize tools and equipment
• Elevate valuable inventory and electric machinery
  off the floor
• Provide employees with first aid, CPR, CERT and
  other emergency training.

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• COSTS OVER 500
• Consider additional insurance such as business
  interruption, flood or earthquake.
• Purchase and install a generator where
  essential.
• Install automatic sprinkler systems, fire hoses,
  and fire-resistant construction.
• Make sure your buildings meets standards and
  codes. Evaluate the wind and fire resistance of
  your buildings.

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• What resources in your community can assist with
  emergency planning?

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Make a Plan

• PLAN to Stay in Business
• Secure your farm
• Identify alternate business locations
• Identify your backup
• Create emergency contact information
• Develop emergency procedures

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• PLAN TO COORDINATE WITH OTHERS
• Farm organizations
• Government
• Local emergency managers
• Others
• INVENTORY CRITICAL OPERATIONS
• Create a prioritized list of
• critical operations
• staff
• procedures
• Create an action plan

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• CONSIDER SUPPLIERS AND VENDORS
• Primary where you usually get supplies
• Secondary where you might get supplies
• List Emergency information for each including
• Company Name
• Address
• Telephone
• Fax
• E-mail
• Contact Name
• Account number
• Materials/Service provided

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• Emergency Supply Kits
• Decide what emergency supplies need to be
  maintained
• 3 day supply (Human Animals)
• Water
• Food
• Radio and batteries
• Flashlight and batteries
• First Aid Kit
• Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
• Sanitary supplies, plastic bags
• Important documents/money
• Clothing/blankets
• Special items

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• MAKE AN EVACUATION PLAN
• Talk with other farms
• Post evacuation routes
• Clearly mark exits
• Exercise your plan
• Is there a warning system?
• Where is the assembly site?
• Who will shut down?
• What about the animals?

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• MAKE A SHELTER IN PLACE PLAN
• Establish shelter in place procedure to include
  the following
• Creating a warning system.
• Where is Shelter in place location?
• Where will you go in a Seal the Room situation?
  
• How will you handle your animals?

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• CONSIDER COMMUNICATIONS
• How will you communicate your emergency plans
  with family and employees?
• In the event of a disaster, how will you
  communicate with family and employees?
• Do you have a list of emergency numbers of all of
  your family members and employees? Is this
  located off-site?

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• ANNUAL REVIEW
• Mark a date each year you review and update your
  emergency plan
• Exercise the plan several times a year.
• Encourage your family and employees to take steps
  to prepare themselves and their families for an
  emergency by getting a home emergency supply kit
  and creating a family emergency plan.

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Protect Your Investment

• CYBER SECURITY
• If your computer system is destroyed, will you be
  able to use back ups at an alternate location?

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• RECORDS BACK-UP
• Who is responsible for backing up critical
  records, including payroll and accounting
  systems?
• Are back-up records including a copy of this
  plan, site maps, insurance policies, bank account
  records and computer back ups are stored onsite
  and at an offsite location?

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• Insurance Coverage
• What type of insurance do you have?
• Record the policy numbers
• Know what your deductibles are
• Know your policy limits
• Frequently review your coverage
• Does it cover floods and/or earthquakes?
• Will you require additional insurance keep
  yourself in business in the event of an emergency

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Get Prepared Involved

• Additional information- Visit the of
  www.ready.gov -Ready Business section- for
  materials to help prepare your family, employees,
  operations and assets for an emergency
• Share your business continuity plan and emergency
  procedures with your family, employees, customers
  and others encourage them to prepare their own
  operations
• Spread the word among your industry, vendors,
  supply chain, professional associations and
  customers

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• A unique partnership in agriculture between
  University of Maryland Cooperative Extension, the
  Maryland Department of Agriculture and the
  agricultural community creating a network for
  emergency communication, education, and outreach
• To provide education and training for community
  preparation, response and recovery from man-made
  and natural disasters
• To coordinate Agricultural Local Emergency
  Response Team (ALERT) members and State Animal
  Response Team (M-SART) volunteers

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Maryland State Animal Response Team (MD SART)

• MDSART is a private organization designed to
  address all types of animal emergency issues,
  involving natural disasters, disease outbreaks or
  intentional acts of terror, serving companion
  animals, livestock and wildlife.
• These teams will be first responders to all
  types of animal related incidents.
• Volunteer for your local County Animal Response
  Team
• (www.mdsart.org)

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• The State of Maryland is a major hub for world
  travel and its close proximity to Washington, DC
  makes it a potential target for acts that
  threaten agro-security. And natural disasters are
  a fact of life. Our communities must be able to
  identify potential threats and act appropriately
  to eliminate them, as well as be prepared to
  respond to and recover from all types of hazards.
• Vigilance is our best protection.

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Because its not a question of if,Its a
question ofwhen
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• Pamela B. King
• Co-Coordinator and Extension Agent, University of
  Maryland Cooperative Extension
• 9375 Chesapeake Street 119
• La Plata, MD 20646
• 301-934-5403
• pking_at_umd.edu

• Gilbert Buddy Bowling
• Co-Coordinator and Special Assistant to the
  Secretary, Maryland Department of Agriculture
• 50 Harry S. Truman Pkwy.
• Annapolis, MD 21401
• 410-841-5891
• bowlingo_at_mda.state.md.us