Last week’s brush with Hurricane Joaquin raises questions concerning emergency preparedness and business continuity planning. While we don’t see many hurricanes in Southern California, we have experienced our share of natural disasters here in the form of earthquakes, wildfires and mudslides. Businesses need to be ready for these events, and others such as pandemics or terrorist acts, by creating preparedness and continuity plans.
Emergency Preparedness Planning
Emergency preparedness and business continuity plans simply state the details of how a company will react if a disaster hits, and how it will continue to carry out its functions. Ready.gov has tools to help any business create a plan.
At American Security Force, we take the possibility of an emergency seriously. We know how bad behavior can escalate during a disaster and we understand that the need for security and protection services increases at that time, as well. To that end, we have developed an emergency plan that ensures our ability to supply security to our customers, no matter what the event might be.
Here are a few elements of our plan.
Key Component Availability
We’ve examined our operations and have identified key components necessary to supplying security services. Then we built in redundancies for those components. Doing so ensures that we will be able to provide reliable protection services despite the disaster, even if it is a power outage.
Our Cloud Advantage
Being a cloud-based business means American Security Force will still be able to provide protection for our clients, no matter what form the disaster takes. Working remotely and through the cloud, we can continue to manage our business and on-site security personnel from any of our branch offices. An added bonus for our clients is that their data is stored in the cloud and is always backed-up and protected. There’s no risk of confidential information being lost.
Power Redundancy
American Security Force has double-redundancies and back-ups when it comes to our power. If there is power outage, we have solar powered batteries that will immediately go online to provide days of useable energy. When that power is nearly depleted, our back-up generator automatically starts. Assuming that the natural gas lines are in tact, they will provide fuel for the generator allowing us to stay operational indefinitely. If the gas lines are damaged, then we can use propane and gasoline that is stored locally.
Having the ability to stay powered means we can continue to optimally serve our security customers.
Internet Redundancy
Because American Security Force is a cloud-based business, our backup and fail-safe plans include redundant connectivity to the internet. We maintain separate internet connections through different providers to ensure our ability to stay connected. Those providers include AT&T, Time Warner, and various cellular networks. When our system detects a disruption in service, it seamlessly switches to an alternate network, ensuring that our customers never experience a drop in service.
Communication Redundancy
In the event of an emergency, it is essential that we maintain open lines of communication with our clients and with our on-site post commanders. That’s why we are one of the only security companies to provide clients with a two-way radio supported by local and wide range repeaters. This back-up communication system gives us the ability to coordinate emergency response measures to those clients that need it, while also providing uninterrupted safety and security services to others. During critical moments, we remain focused on protection, not technology.
For American Security Force, being prepared for emergencies means that our operations must continue, because it is a time when our services are needed most. Therefore, we have to be there with our full capabilities. Our emergency plan and built-in redundancies ensure that we will b able to provide security and protection to our customers no matter what the disaster might be.
To learn more about how American Security Force is ready to serve and protect you and your property, call us today at 877-722-8585.
