The emergence of the H1N1 virus and several severe weather-related events have shifted disaster recovery planning emphasis away from IT and data security threats toward pandemic planning and disaster recovery efforts, according to an annual study conducted by Varolii Corporation, a provider of on-demand business continuity communications.

Continue reading Study: Disaster Recovery Plans Shift Away from IT and Data Security

Tags: Disaster Recovery, study, survey

Why would any organization choose during these critical times to implement a Business Continuity (BC) or Continuity of Operations (COOP) program?

Continue reading What can your BCM Tool do for you?

Tags: budget, costs, justification, software, TCO, Tools, total cost of ownership

The high cost of disaster recovery solutions is often justified by the cost of “not doing business.”

Continue reading Overcoming Escalating Disaster Recovery Costs

Tags: budget, cost, expenditures, expense, justification

The UK-based Chartered Management Institute has published Disruption & Resilience: The 2010 Business Continuity Management Survey.

Continue reading Disruption & Resilience: The 2010 Business Continuity Management Survey

Tags: BS25999, Chartered Management Institute, Civil Contingencies Secretariat, National Risk Register, survey, United Kingdom

The New York Insurance Department has put out an advisory warning consumers that some scientists believe there is a greater earthquake risk for New York City than previously believed.

Continue reading New York Regulator Warns Of N.Y.C. Quake Danger

Tags: earthquake, insurance, New York City, NYC, risk

A distance-learning MSc in health incident command at ­Manchester Metropolitan University (UK) is the first degree-level course specifically for those in the health services who will necessarily during their career find themselves in ultimate charge of decisions that affect how many people live and how many die

Though there is basic training for all emergency services staff in how to deal with the initial stages of a disaster on the ground, the subsequent hours of decision-making in the strategic and tactical management of catastrophes that erupt, by definition, out of nowhere, can make an enormous difference to the scale of the tragedy that ensues.

The course has been designed so academic rigor is informed by students’ personal experience. “We’re looking to tease out the reasoning behind people’s decision-making, both in preparing for a major incident and when one hits,” says Dave Whitmore, tutor on this new program.

Decisions made at the scene can greatly affect the scale of a tragedy. Photograph: Jaime Turner /Rex

See MSc launched in how to take command in a major emergency, by Louise Tickle for The Guardian.

Tags: degree program, education, emergency management, Training

There have been quite a few workplace violence events in the media lately. It is a good time to remind people that workplace violence doesn’t usually “just happen.”

In certain workplaces the threat of violence from external parties is more prevalent that other places. Environments like hospitals, convenience stores, banks are more subject to threats from outside its employees. But other types of workplace violence such as employee violence often have precursor events that in hindsight make the threat very plain to see.

Continue reading Workplace Violence: You can’t address it if you don’t hear about it

Tags: EAP, employee Assistance Program, threat assessment, wokrplace violence

One of the many vestiges of the recently departed decade was the conclusion that emergency plans had little value. Although it was not a new concept, this perspective came into particular vogue in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Continue reading 5 key qualities of good emergency planning

Tags: emergency planning

The new Good Practices Guidelines (GPG), compiled by an international Working Party of Business Continuity Institute (BCI) members, is now available

Continue reading Good Practice Guidelines: 2010 Global Edition

Tags: best practices, Business Continuity Institute, good practice guidelines, gpg, Standards

Business Continuity Training DVDs

from The Business Continuity Institute (BCI):

Practice Makes Perfect: Exercising Made Easy -

A Comprehensive Guide to Exercising Business Continuity Plans

and

Understanding Your Business: How to do a Business Impact Analysis.

Both videos and accompanying CDs have been structured around the BCI Good Practice Guidelines and the BS25999 standard.

TO PURCHASE: Just click through the heading of this email and use the “Add to Cart” buttons to access our secure checkout - or, contact Rothstein Associates at info@rothstein.com, 203.740.7444 or 888.ROTHSTEin (888.768.4783).

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Understanding Your Business:

How to do a Business Impact Analysis – Training DVD + CD

This 20 minute original film, complemented by a data CD, takes the viewer through the essential elements of a BIA: what it is; how to get management “buy in” and how to conduct a BIA.

The training film – based in a hotel – takes the viewer on an information gathering journey through the eyes of Ed, the lead character. We see Ed conducting his BIA in this familiar setting, providing the viewer with a clear and usable analogy.

The CD that accompanies the film contains a comprehensive questionnaire with a set of templates and guidance notes together with expert industry advice.

CD Contents:

• A word booklet containing a step by step guide to undertaking a Business Impact Analysis (BIA) including:
  • Understanding your business as part of the BCM lifecycle
  • What is a BIA?
  • The purpose of a BIA
  • The motivation for BCM and the sponsor
  • Establishing the scope
  • Methods and Techniques for Collecting Data
  • Determining how results will be used
  • Gathering and verifying your results
  • Identifying Respondents
• BIA questionnaire template with notes
• Sign and Review template
• FAQs
• Risk Assessments and the BIA with template

Only $60.00! TO PURCHASE: Just click through the heading of this email and use the “Add to Cart” buttons to access our secure checkout – or, contact Rothstein Associates at info@rothstein.com, 203.740.7444 or 888.ROTHSTEin (888.768.4783).

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Practice Makes Perfect: Exercising Made Easy – A Comprehensive Guide to Exercising Business Continuity Plans – Training DVD + CD

Using a theatrical analogy, this clear, concise, and visually interesting 20 minute film demonstrates how performance (BC plan) is rehearsed – from simple desk top exercising through to more complex scenarios. The film is engaging and achieves a robust mix of practical training and engaging drama viewed through the eyes of a BCM Practitioner.

The accompanying CD contains a 2,700 word booklet detailing a step-by-step guide to exercising with templates; a guide to creating exercise scenarios; role-play scripts and debrief notes.

CD Contents:

• Annex A Main Event List
• BCI Booklet
• Creating Your Own Scenario
• Debrief Template
• Exercise Invitation Template
• Exercise Manager’s Notes
• Fire Scenario
• Glossary
• Injects Template for Role‐Players
• Scripts Flood
• BSI Folder
• BS 25999 Product Sheet
• BS 25999 A4 Advertisement for BSIDVD
• BS 25999 Global Product Guide
• BS 25999 Part 2 and Certification for BCI Continuity Magazine
• BSI Management Systems profile for BCIDVD
• About BCI
• About Ear Productions BC

Only $60.00! TO PURCHASE: Just click through the heading of this email and use the “Add to Cart” buttons to access our secure checkout.

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SPECIAL OFFER! “Practice Makes Perfect” DVD, PLUS the groundbreaking book, Disaster Recovery Testing: Exercising Your Contingency Plan. Save $20.00 if purchased together – only $119.00 for the Practice Makes Perfect DVD plus the book, Disaster Recovery Testing!

TO PURCHASE: Just click through the heading of this email and use the “Add to Cart” buttons to access our secure checkout – or, contact Rothstein Associates at info@rothstein.com, 203.740.7444 or 888.ROTHSTEin (888.768.4783).

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Tags: bci, BIA, BS25999, Business Continuity Institute, business impact assessment, dvds, exercise, good practice guidelines, gpg, Testing, Training, videos

Will your business keep running if the lights go out? Implementing contingent controls is an important but sometimes overlooked aspect of ensuring business continuity and disaster recovery.

Continue reading Contingent controls complement business continuity, disaster recovery

Tags: contingent controls