NEW ORLEANS BUSINESS CONTINUITY GUIDE
Communicating during or immediately after a
major disaster can be almost impossible, as
thousands of people attempt to reach friends and
families to confirm their safety or to report on their
own situation. While cellular communications are
often the most reliable during a power or weather
emergency, the huge call volume can strain the
cellular network, making calls difficult.
To overcome this obstacle, a business’ crisis
communication plan should include multiple means
of reaching key stakeholders, such as text
messaging, emails, a business telephone hotline
with recorded messages (as well as the capability
of allowing the caller to leave messages), social
media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.), a
business’ website or intranet site, or a third-party
emergency notification system.
How to Use a Phone Tree
A phone tree is a communication process that starts
with the communications coordinator or a
designated administrator who shares urgent
messages with pre-identified key employees.
These employees in turn contact another list of pre-
identified staff, and so forth, until all employees
are reached. For a post-disaster phone tree to be
effective, it should include up-to-date contact
information, and as many contact methods as
possible for each employee (e.g., landline and
mobile phone numbers, business and personal
email addresses, social media account usernames,
and emergency out-of-state contacts).
Phone trees are most efficient when they work
both ways. Employees should be instructed not to
just wait to be contacted; they should also know
who to contact at the business (and how) to report
on their safety and to receive any urgent
messages.
Additional information is available in IBHS’s
article: https://disastersafety.org/ibhs/crisis-
communication-is-a-key-business-continuity-
component/
“Know Your Employees” (p. 8, OFB-EZ)
Using Today’s Technology for
Tomorrow’s Disaster
Mobile technology and social media are
everywhere—in our pockets and purses, on our
wrists, and in our cars—and they are changing the
way businesses function on a daily basis and how
they respond to and recover from a disaster. Just
as technology improves efficiencies in everyday
business operations, it also can be incorporated
into a business continuity plan to facilitate both
work processes and communications if normal
systems are damaged or disrupted.
Social Media as a Communication Tool
Over the past decade, more and more emergency
management officials are using social media to
warn communities about approaching weather
conditions, including how to prepare and what to
do after an emergency or disaster. In addition,
more and more small businesses are also taking
advantage of social media to communicate with
employees, customers and business partners. This
allows them to communicate more quickly, more
widely, and more accurately, leading to more
efficient response and recovery efforts and
controlling misinformation and rumors. The social
media platforms listed on the next page can all
be used to provide important information to
employees such as updates on an organization’s
status. Importantly, the information is shared in real
time on platforms employees already use and can
access on their devices.