There is an old saying, “Plan for the worst and expect the best”.  That is a good mantra to live by.  Many though never prepare for disasters thinking it will never happen to them or their company.  And many that do, don’t test their plans to make sure they will really work when needed.

How many different types of events do you plan for?  Are they for business or family? Between the time I started this article and the time I got back to writing it, we experienced a 5.8 earthquake on the east coast, hurricane and tropical storm rain and wind, flooding, tornado like wind and flash floods.  It was interesting to see how many people reacted with almost panic and waited until the last moment to get food and prepare.

For businesses; what would happen if you our your employees were unable to get to work?  Flooding, fire, trees down, snow and ice are some of the naturally occurring weather related events which could cause this to happen.  How about power outages?  This happens at our office several times a year.  Business must go on!

File deletion and damage to data is potential crisis for almost every every business, whether unintentional or not.  Not long ago we received a call from a client stating a senior staff member had accidentally overwritten critical files.  Fortunately we had a plan in place and were able to resolve the issue within a very short time span.

At home we could lose power or become home-bound.  Fire could break out in the middle of the night while at home or a hotel.  A gas leak could force you out of your home for an undetermined amount of time.  The possibilities are numerous and it is foolish to take the attitude “that can’t happen here or to me.”

While you may or may not have developed a specific plan to handle disasters such as an earthquake, it is possible to put one together quickly in the event of an emergency.  When the planes hit the buildings on 9/11, Mayor Giuliani didn’t have a specific plan for such a disaster, but he did have many other plans from which he and Police Commissioner Kerik pieced together to handle the terrorist attack.

Now is a good time for all of us to sit down with our families and co-workers to review possible events and what we can do to mitigate the issue. Make sure everyone knows the plans and review them on a periodic basis.  Most importantly test them before you need them.  As you find holes, make the proper adjustments.

Our personal safety, the safety of our family, and the continuity of our businesses is our responsibility, not the governments!

This article was written by The Boss of HITman Services, a computer and IT company, based in Clifton Park and serving the Albany, Troy, Schenectady and Saratoga Counties of New York.