Disaster Planning

Ordering information for a disaster planning guide.

By Jill Andresky Fraser
 

Since the World Trade Center bombing, every CEO in the country has probably been inundated with cold calls from salespeople promising peace of mind with business-interruption insurance.

But before you spend more money on insurance coverage, invest $20 in How to Develop a Contingency Plan for a Major Disaster (National Supply Co., 800-722-0204 or 818-407-0238), a booklet with a commonsense approach to doing just that.

Admittedly, the 18-page guide sounds a bit like a pep talk from your parents. But parents have a tendency to be right, and the guide is dead-on as it urges companies to set up "plan books" that include emergency phone numbers; copies of key documents, contracts, and leases; and lists of sources for replacement of computer hardware, software, and other essential supplies. It advises CEOs to designate, in case of a catastrophe, one person who can talk to the press and other staffers who can spend money for replacement supplies and equipment up to preset limits.

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