Business Continuity Why Does a

Business Continuity Why does a company need continuity regarding emergency communications? During an emergency situation, it is critical that all branches of an organization become informed of the existence of the event and the nature of the event, so they can put the standard operating procedures of coping with the emergency into immediate effect.

First of all, to ensure a speedy response on the part of all personnel, it is vital that the message that there is an emergency must be easily transmitted in a swift fashion through a variety of communication channels.

This may mean that in a large company, if salespeople in the field are more likely to be connected to their cell phones, while other staff members are more likely to be in hearing distance of an intercom or logged into their computer system, that a clear step-by-step procedure exists to spread the message through a variety of media. One of the most important aspects of emergency training is that the response system should be clearly functional before an emergency occurs.

"The employer must explain to each employee the means for reporting emergencies, such as manual pull box alarms, public address systems, or telephones" ("Section 10: Emergency Preparedness," 2006, Occupational Safety & Health Administration). To comply with federal Occupational Safety & Health Administration guidelines, any emergency action plans are must be in writing for firms with ten or more employees.

Emergency response training and drills should be part of every new employee's orientation, emergency response manuals should be easily accessible, and there should also be drills that include how to access updated emergency communication information, as well as simply the logistics of a plan. A consistent method of communication must alert employees to any variations to the existing plan during the emergency that may need to take place, as every emergency is different.

The absence of cellular phone or computer communication during some emergencies means that emergency communications equipment such as radio systems, public address systems, or portable radio may be necessary to notify employees of the emergency, to keep them informed, and for contacting local authorities, "such as law enforcement officials, private sector charitable groups, and the fire department" ("Section 10: Emergency Preparedness," 2006, Occupational Safety & Health Administration). The methods of should also have an auxiliary power supply if electricity is affected by the disaster.

Organizational communication is always improved when there is a clear chain of command so that employees know beforehand who has the authority for making decisions and whom to turn to for emergency update. However, the chief emergency coordinator will not always be able to be present, if the central.