How Can You Use CEAS to Benefit Your Business Continuity/Recovery Plan?

FULTON, N.Y., Nov. 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- An issue that arises after nearly every major disaster is that of post-event reentry. How can you overcome the obstacles of getting critical, private sector personnel into an area that has been evacuated and restricted?

The Corporate Emergency Access System (CEAS) was developed to help governments and businesses create an organized process around the chaos of post-disaster reentry and to speed the recovery of affected communities. The system provides for the limited distribution of CEAS access credentials to area businesses on a pre-enrollment basis. Following an event, the CEAS card offers a form of positive identification to law enforcement, ensuring that the holder is an essential, private sector employee.

Integrating CEAS into Your Business Continuity/Recovery Plan

Risk Assessment/Hazard Analysis

At the highest level of business continuity planning (BCP), a risk analysis evaluates internal and external hazards and quantifies the impact of those risks to critical business processes. Any incident that causes a threat to life or interrupts your business should be given the highest consideration. If a disruption occurs, does the potential exist for an area evacuation, access restrictions to your facility, or the imposition of a travel ban? If so, evaluating the economic injury potential should help determine if CEAS might be added to your BCP toolkit.

Defining Critical Business Processes

Critical business processes affect the viability and upset the delivery of company products or services. A business continuity/recovery plan describes means and methodologies to protect and recover these processes. Once identified, they should be prioritized, keeping in mind that most require people to make them happen. Even automated processes usually require an individual behind their functionality.

Who Should Have a CEAS Card?

If your company elects to participate in CEAS, internal assessments should help you with defining your CEAS card candidates. With many employees able to perform their jobs remotely today, your final decisions should come down to two main factors: the priority of restoring a business process or the need to travel and be physically onsite at a facility.

Selecting CEAS Staff

Below are some general functions that are vital to most companies. They might not be business functions specific to the delivery of a product or service but are indirectly responsible for your ability to deliver them.

For example: If you operate within a large manufacturing facility, there are certain building-related functions that are essential to recovery: heat, AC, water, and fire suppression. Without them, you will not be able to occupy your facility.

In most instances, facilities personnel will be part of your company's contingent of cardholders. Getting your facility in condition to operate is typically an essential business recovery operation.

Some of the most common functions that organizations include in their CEAS card assignments are discussed below.

• Facilities Staff: Facilities employees are necessary to make your building safe and habitable for business. They assess any damage to building infrastructure and correct it. Those responsible for your building operations should always be considered in your CEAS card allotments.
  Note: If you do not own and operate your own facility, your property management company should be part of the CEAS program or have sufficient plans for building reentry after an emergency.
• Security/Safety Staff: Many companies employ or subcontract staff security/safety personnel. Security is often a corporate first responder. Securing facilities and company assets is a priority for business facilities that have been affected by a disaster. For these reasons, company security and safety personnel should be considered in your CEAS card allotments. If you contract security services, they should be encouraged to participate in CEAS.
• Information Technology Staff: Today, almost every business relies on information technology. With cloud computing, IT professionals can often perform essential functions remotely. If, however, your business has data centers or local servers, access will be crucial. Being able to have a team of IT professionals to respond to your facility will be a priority.
• Essential Service Providers: Companies increasingly outsource day-to-day operations. If your business cannot function or recover without these service providers, they must be added to your CEAS card assignments. Alternatively, you can make your contractors aware of CEAS and encourage them to enroll. Contractors should be required to provide business continuity/recovery plans to ensure their ability to maintain services during and after a disaster. Consider requiring CEAS participation as a prerequisite for all essential service provider contracts.

Sign-up now for our free 2020 post-event reentry webinars. 

For more information about Corporate Emergency Access System (CEAS) or Business Network of Emergency Service, Inc. (BNET), phone CEAS Support at 888-353-2638 or use the contact form at https://www.ceas.com/bnet/contact-us/

Contact: Peter Picarillo, Exec. Director, Business Network of Emergency Resources, 117 Cayuga Street, Fulton NY 13069 (888) 353-2638, ext. 1002, [email protected]. BNET is a 501(c)3, New York State not-for-profit chartered organization since 1999.

SOURCE Corporate Emergency Access System