2010 Press
Release: IEMA’s 12-Month Preparedness Campaign Turns Focus to
Workplace Preparedness
For immediate release
February 3, 2010
SPRINGFIELD – A 12-month campaign to encourage people to prepare
for disasters will turn its focus to workplace preparedness during
February. The campaign, sponsored by the Illinois Emergency
Management Agency (IEMA), will offer preparedness tips and guidance
for employers and workers and feature businesses that have
preparedness plans.
"Disasters can strike at any time, day or night," said IEMA
Director Andrew Velasquez III. "While many people have a disaster
plan at home, an emergency is just as likely to happen when they’re
working, shopping or visiting some other type of business.
Businesses that have preparedness plans, and regularly exercise
those plans, are better able to ensure the safety of their workers
and their customers."
Velasquez said there are several aspects to workplace
preparedness, including worker and customer safety and business
continuity of operations. He said IEMA hopes to raise awareness of
the importance of planning for disasters in the workplace through
the preparedness campaign.
"Every part of Illinois is at risk for tornadoes, severe storm
wind damage, intense winter storms, and even earthquakes," said
Chris Miller, Warning Coordination Meteorologist with the National
Weather Service (NWS) in Lincoln. "It is extremely important that
each business - no matter how big or small - have a plan in place to
effectively manage disasters before, during and after an event.
Having a plan for various incidents will help protect the greatest
assets of a business - its employees."
To help businesses begin the process of planning for natural
disasters, NWS offices in Illinois have created a web page with
links to severe weather preparation strategies and worksheets.
According to the NWS guidance, the four basic elements of
workplace preparedness are:
Plan – Assess the threats in your area, such as lightning,
tornado, or blizzard, and develop a plan that addresses each
threat as it applies to your staff. Take into consideration time
of day and different shifts.
Practice – Conduct training meetings to ensure everyone
knows the plan, then hold in-house drills to practice the plan.
Monitor – Designate a Weather Watcher who is responsible
for keeping an eye on the weather. This could include listening to
a NOAA weather radio, monitoring TV and radio reports or even
deploying local spotters.
Act – Establish criteria on when to activate your plan, how
to communicate activation to employees, where employees and
visitors should seek shelter and how to communicate an
"all-clear."
During January, IEMA’s 12-Month Preparedness Campaign focused on
home preparedness, with tips on preparing a disaster supply kit and
family communications plan. Other topics to be addressed during the
year-long campaign include earthquake preparedness, children and
preparedness, weather-related preparedness, cyber security,
preparedness for people with pets and livestock and preparedness for
people with functional needs.
Information about the 12-Month Preparedness Campaign is available
through the
Ready Illinois website and IEMA’s Facebook page.
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