2009 News
Southeastern Pennsylvania Regional Task Force
Chairman - Edward J. Atkins, Chester County
Vice Chair - MaryAnn E. Tierney, City of Philadelphia
Thomas Sullivan, Montgomery County
Edwin J. Truitt, Delaware County
John D. Dougherty Jr., Bucks County
Executive Director - Evalyn L. Fisher
Contact: Joan Przybylowicz, 215-260-4262
August 24, 2009
Preparing Your Business for a Disaster: A Comprehensive Business Summit Sponsored by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Regional Task Force
Fires, hazardous material spills, floods, bomb threats and pandemic flu are just some of the disasters that happen in Southeastern Pennsylvania. If these threats become realities, will your business survive when disasters strike? While the Institute for Business and Home Safety estimates that 25 percent of businesses do not reopen after a disaster, experts in the local commercial insurance industry estimate that more than 70 percent of small to medium-sized businesses in this region do not recover after an incident. Is your business ready?
Learn how to prepare for any kind of disaster at the Southeastern Pennsylvania Regional Task Force’s first annual Business Summit on September 10, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The Summit will be held at the Montgomery County Training Academy, 1175 Conshohocken Road, Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Directions to the Training County can be found at http://www.dps.montcopa.org/dps/cwp/view,A,1603,Q,52753,dpsNav,%7C35168%7C.asp. Attendance is free and lunch will be provided. Space is limited, so register before September 1 by email to srhardy@co.bucks.pa.us, call 267-880-5170 or fax 215-442-1097. (Information Sheet and Registration Form)
“Regional government emergency response experts and private sector emergency managers from southeastern Pennsylvania, the mid-Atlantic states, western and central Pennsylvania will provide a comprehensive program to help businesses get ready now before an emergency strikes,” said Evalyn L. Fisher, executive director for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Regional Task Force. “In addition to providing our businesses with tools to help them get and stay prepared for disaster, we also hope to engage them in a conversation about how the task force can be a continual asset to them.”
Officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will address private sector risks, surveillance techniques and information on the financial sector and high-profile buildings in U.S. cities, while the South Central Pennsylvania’s Task Force will discuss its Vulnerability Assessment Tool and Team.
The All Hazards Consortium will share state-to-state preparedness collaborations between its public and private partners. Guided by the states of North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and the District of Columbia, the Consortium is an important ally to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security through its efforts to create a culture of preparedness throughout this multi-state region.
In addition, the Regional Pittsburgh Business Coalition for Homeland Security will highlight programs and services available to businesses in Western Pennsylvania. After dealing with several major disasters including the Quecreek Mine collapse, 9/11 and Flight 93, a Beaver County food poisoning incident and the disastrous effects of Hurricane Ivan, the Coalition formed in 2005 thanks to the foresight of businesses, universities and organizations in the region.
Locally, the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management will offer an overview of its Business Continuity Toolkit--a step-by-step guide to developing a Business Continuity Plan, and the Corporate Emergency Access System--a pre-disaster credentialing system for Philadelphia’s business community. CEAS allows businesses to access their facilities in restricted areas due to an emergency or special event through the use of a secure identification card.
Montgomery County will share the latest success stories about Montgomery 1st, a public/private sector coalition between County agencies and private sector employers located in Montgomery County. Co-founded by Montgomery County Public Safety and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, this Community First organization is unique in that it is open to all interested public/private sector parties and its mission ensures equal representation and equal topics of interest to both sectors.
Regional Bomb Squad professionals will demonstrate the proper responses to a bomb threat and public health officials will provide essential updates on H1N1 (Swine Flu) and what businesses should do to prepare for a flu epidemic.
Business attendees will become acquainted with Ready Region -- public education programs and activities on personal and family preparedness offered in each county, and will learn about a new emergency text alert system, ReadyNotifyPA, available in Southeastern Pennsylvania.
The Philadelphia Crime Prevention Council of the Center City District will feature its emergency text alert system, Alert Philadelphia. The Districts brings together more than 260 federal, state and local law enforcement officials and corporate security professionals from the retail, office, banking, hospital, hotel and utility sectors. The Crime Prevention Council provides an opportunity to discuss current crime trends, emergency preparedness, terrorism and other matters of common concern and to develop coordinated strategies to combat crime.
Summit participants will also learn about Knowledge Center, a secure, web-based information management and communications system that integrates people and data through a “virtual collaborative environment.” Knowledge Center aids Emergency Managers to mitigate large-scale incident and planned events by providing instant access to integrated data sources such as asset lists, GIS mapping capabilities, real-time weather, streaming cameras, and more.
“If you are interested in preparing your business to survive a disaster and learning what the Southeastern Pennsylvania Regional Task Force can do for you, then you need to attend the Business Summit,” urges Evalyn Fisher.
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Regional Task Force is one of nine task forces in Pennsylvania established as a result of increased awareness to the threat of terrorism. It is comprised of Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties and the City of Philadelphia. Established in 1998, the Task Force has a history of regional cooperation and has since broadened its focus from counter-terrorism activities to preparing for, responding to and recovering from disasters of any kind, including natural disasters. The emergency management coordinators from the five counties lead the Task Force.