MIR3, ImpactWeather Partner to Help Companies Prepare for Hurricane Season

In advance of the 2011 hurricane season — which begins June 1 — ImpactWeather, Inc., an organization that helps businesses worldwide fulfill their safety, security, operational and risk management missions, with sponsorship support from MIR3, the innovator of real-time Intelligent Notification™ and response technology, will present The 22nd Annual Hurricane Seminar for Business and Industry: Innovation, New Techniques and What to Expect in 2011. Taking place Tuesday, May 24, at the Hilton Houston Hobby Airport from 7:45 a.m. until noon, this year’s lineup will educate business and industry leaders on how to get, and stay, prepared for the hurricane season.

Seminar topics will include:

• Hurricane Models – Which One is Best to Use?
• Benefits from Improved Triggers in Your Hurricane Response Plans
• Perfecting Emergency Response Within a Corporation
• Unmanned Air Vehicles – The Future of Hurricane Research and Reconnaissance
• Observed Hurricane Development/Impact Trends versus Expectations from Global Warming
• Forecast for the 2011 Hurricane Season
• Loop Currents: What They Are and How They Affect Offshore Operations

Confirmed speakers include experts from the Department of Atmospheric Science; ImpactWeather; Horizon Marine, Inc.; U.S. National Hurricane Center; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association; Continuity Housing, LLC; and Verizon Wireless.

“Our research on the 2011 hurricane season indicates that it will be busy,” notes Chris Hebert, TropicsWatch manager, ImpactWeather. “Early projections suggest the Bermuda High pressure system may be stronger than in 2010, and this could prevent most of the hurricanes from curving north and well east of the U.S., as was the case in 2010, increasing the landfall risk to the Caribbean islands and the U.S.” 

In addition to sponsoring the seminar, MIR3 is urging employers to review their current business continuity and disaster recovery (BC/DR) plans to keep employees safe and operations running in the event of a hurricane or tropical storm.

Employers with staff along the eastern and Gulf coasts must prepare for risks associated with these storms that can negatively impact business operations including mass power outages, property damage and potential harm to employees.

New advancements, like sophisticated mass notification systems, provide organizations a means to communicate with employees, partners, and customers during operational interruptions due to natural disasters like hurricanes. Participants will learn more at this year’s seminar.

“In an effort to reduce the impact of natural disasters in the workplace, we’re offering businesses and employers access to an engaging forum that will increase their awareness around the available measures they can take and corresponding disaster plans,” stated Amir Moussavian, president and CEO, MIR3. “Because we can’t predict with certainty exactly where and when a hurricane will hit, it’s important for businesses to implement best practices to safeguard their operations before disaster strikes.”

The following are tips for enterprises to follow when examining BC/DR plans:

• Understand BC/DR needs — In the wake of an emergency, it becomes imperative for companies to maintain clear and effective channels of communication in order to quickly assess damages and coordinate recovery efforts. Because essential business operations can be affected by any stage of interruption, companies must realize the importance of investing in important message delivery systems to deliver essential communication to employees and first responders.
• Choose notification systems that offer a range of choices — When selecting a notification system, research its capabilities and consider systems that allow two-way communication over a variety of channels, including land line, fax, mobile, Short Message Service (SMS), Blackberry PIN-to-PIN, email, and more. These advanced features become very useful in the delivery of important and urgent information when communication infrastructure is compromised.
• Ensure contact data are up-to-date — Companies should regularly check their recipient lists to ensure that all contact information is up-to-date so when a disaster occurs, employers are confident that notifications are being delivered to the right person on the correct device.
• Create escalation plans — Crisis situations demand that the proper people are contacted about a situation that needs immediate attention. Intelligent notification systems include integrated mechanisms that support a call escalation process. If the first person contacted is not the correct individual for the situation, the notification system automatically contacts the next appropriate person according to pre-determined processes.
• Train personnel and test systems — When creating BC/DR plans, it is essential to properly train personnel on how to use notification systems so they are able to monitor the entire alert process. Studies show that companies who educate their employees correctly achieve significantly greater response rates. Also, be sure to test alert systems during normal business hours and address any glitches to be certain notification deliveries are successful when needed. As a guideline, at least two system tests per year is recommended.
• Incentivize all employees to sign-up for notifications — When a notification system is installed, it is critical that all user contact information is saved within the system’s database so that staff can be alerted immediately during an urgent situation. Various incentive methods may be used — such as drawings, prizes and awards — to persuade all required personnel to register. This ensures the reliable and speedy delivery of important messages at the right time, to the right person, and on the right device.
• Establish reactive steps to follow after the disaster — When proactive measures fail, business continuity management programs must specify reactive procedures. These reactive measures will enable organizations to return to normal operations as quickly as possible and will help them better prepare for future crises.

For more information and to register to attend this year’s seminar, visit: HurricaneSeminar.com.

ABOUT IMPACTWEATHER

ImpactWeather, Inc. helps their clients worldwide operate safely, effectively and efficiently in all weather conditions.  The company functions as the full-time weather department for hundreds of manufacturing, retail, offshore/marine, construction, petrochemical, government, military, transportation, public safety and educational entities worldwide. Based in Houston, ImpactWeather is staffed by meteorologists 24/7 to help organizations make better decisions by providing them with proprietary graphics and text, regional threat assessments and direct notification services (phone, email, wireless device) and customized severe weather and online video forecasts.  ImpactWeather also supplies clients with ImpactReady Business Continuity Planning expertise and crisis management and employee preparedness training.

ABOUT MIR3

MIR3, Inc. is the leading developer of Intelligent Notification™ and response software, which helps organizations enhance communication abilities, protect assets, and increase operational efficiency. MIR3 technology enables advanced rapid, two-way mass communication for IT, business continuity, and enterprise operations for many of the Global FORTUNE 100 companies, as well as government entities, universities, and companies of all sizes in more than 130 countries. For more information, visit www.mir3.com. Follow MIR3 on Twitter: @MIR3.