MRC3 Media recommends the 5 "Ps" to have before a pandemic occurs:

Preparation of Continuity of Business Operations During a Declared Pandemic

Getting caught unaware and acting on last-minute knee-jerk decisions can only lead to a breakdown of your business operations when a pandemic is declared in your area. The following are basic tips to help you decide on what is most important to consider for your business operations to continue when there are limited resources as well as interrupted-to-zero communication lines open to the public during a pandemic. MRC3 Media recommends the 5 Ps to have before a pandemic occurs.

  1st P: PREPARE PERSONNEL STRUCTURE TO ESTABLISH MAIN POINT OF CONTACT

Create an organizational chart listing all employees, title, function and their contact information. Identify primary, secondary and third person in line to facilitate decision making.

  2nd P: PLAN ON OVERALL PROTOCOL PROCEDURES

Using the organizational chart, color code in the diagram, which department is responsible to be considered as the “business first responders” when a pandemic happens. Then, break it down to each department’s protocol showing how they want their tasks to be handled during a declared pandemic.

  3rd P: PRINT AND POST FINAL POLICY

Whatever you and your organization decide, finalize your decisions and put it down on paper. Print instructions, point of contact information and any other relevant information, including posting information with a password protect in your company’s website. If there is no website available, ensure this information is distributed to all employees for a copy in their residence and another accessible to them from their desks.

  4th P: PROTECT BUSINESS PROPERTY

Check on archived materials that are properly burned in discs or copied and secured in a confidential but accessible location, including company records, financial plans, insurance papers, etc. Then, check your insurance policies with the company that provides security for your building and physical infrastructure, equipment, etc. If you have none in place, communicate your concerns to the local police department on how they can respond to your needs when there is a breach in security measures like a break in or cases of theft.

  5th P: PRACTICE

It will be clear to you and for the entire organization how procedures are handled. Use this time to tweak and improve protocols that are more realistic.

PREPARATION IS KEY. ACT NOW. TAKE AWAY FEARS IN HANDLING YOUR BUSINESS UPON A DECLARED PANDEMIC.

For more information and to set up a preparedness guidance instruction for your organization, please contact Margaret Lacson-Ecarma at margaret@mrc3media.com or mrc3media@yahoo.com.

Margaret served as the Public Information Officer for Pandemic Influenza at the Fairfax County Health Department and worked on a CDC grant preparing the county, its stakeholders, businesses and residents for a pandemic.