Preparing for the Unexpected

When people think of Fire Services the first thing that comes to mind is usually a large fire truck with sirens blaring, heading towards black smoke, yet there is so much more to Fire Protection than just red trucks, fire hoses and black smoke billowing from a burning building.

This episode of Preparing for the Unexpected will focus on all areas of Fire Protection and Fire Services and how we can prepare our offices and our homes when a fire breaks out. We’ll be speaking with guest Mr. Tony Sabatini, Chief Fire Prevention Officer for the city of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

We’ll talk about evacuation plans, pet safety, hazardous material storage and communicating with 1st responders. It proves to be a very informative show.

One of the key components of any organization, which includes a core component of any Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery Program, is Risk Management. Risk Management is a process that is one of the first components of creating a successful, fit-for-purpose BCM/DR Program. We'll talk to Alvaro Orrantia, Sr. Director of Global Disaster Recovery, who is also a certified Risk Professional with ISACA and discover exactly what Risk Management is and how it benefits and organization. We'll touch on the Risk Cycle - from Planning to Monitoring - to the various risk mitigation types and how we can leverage them to strengthen our BCM/DR programs -- and our organizations.

When people talk of Business Continuity or Disaster Recovery, many think of getting their key processes up and running or restoring their IT services, but what if what you do is a matter of life and death? East Bay Municipal Utility District provides water to approximately 1.3 million people in the Oakland and Berkeley, California area and is considered an essential service so it's BCM Program has to be strong, robust, current and able to meet the immediate needs of people during disasters. We speak with Julia Halsne and Nelsy Rodriguez from EBMUD and learn how the program evolved over the years and how it has become part of the corporate culture, including strong Board and Sr. Management support!! Every listener will learn some new tips and ideas to consider for their own programs from two guests who obviously have a strong passion for all things Business Continuity.

For this episode we talk about community programs and 1st aid training with former St. John Ambulance regional representative, Brian Pittana. St. John Ambulance is known for helping train the community with 1st aid training programs and being there to help individuals in needs when 1st responders aren't immediately available. Brian talks about the various programs that St. John Ambulance offers from Therapy Dogs to Search & Rescue operations. Brian is also a Funeral Director and gives us some insight into what services we can expect when dealing with Funeral Homes and Funeral Directors when our heads are turned upside down due to the loss of a loved one.

The Disaster Recovery Institute Canada (DRIC) is an esteemed organization when it comes to training and certification for Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery professionals. This episode we are honoured to have with us the new President of DRIC, John Yamniuk. John has many years experience in the world of Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity. We touch base on the future of DRIC and its many initiatives currently in flight, as well as the plans for the future. We'll also talk about the various certifications offered by DRIC and how they draw upon DRIC's 10 Professional Practices. Leveraging his years of experience, we'll hear about real-life experiences that can help any organization build strong training and awareness programs. It's a discussion that's not to be missed.

Resiliency; a term very misunderstood and communicated in the BCM/DR industry. Some believe it's a product you buy off a shelf while others think they can hire someone to come in for a short time and suddenly their organizations become resilient. But that's not the case. Resiliency is much deeper than that.

This week's guest, Ken Simpson, a driving and pioneering expert on what resiliency really is, will discuss the topic in detail to help remove the misguided beliefs held by many BCM/DR professionals and by corporate leaders.

We'll talk about Lessons Observed, rather than Lessons Learned, Black Swans and defining resiliency in its clearest terms.

Creating a resilient organization is something many organization strive for but many fall short in their goals. This week we'll speak with Scott Teel from Agility Recovery who'll provide some great insight on what Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planners need to consider - and do - when turning their organization into a resilient organization. Leveraging his extensive background and using real-world examples, including some personal examples, Scott discusses some of the key aspects that help create resiliency. Some of these examples may surprise you. Scott will also provide some tips for listeners that they can start auctioning right way, putting their organization on the road to resiliency.

In this week's episode we talk about one of the most critical aspects of any Business Continuity / Disaster Recovery program - communications!

Communication is highly misunderstood and many individuals, organizations and communities don't quite get it right; from idea inception to planning to execution.

When communications are managed exceptionally well, amazing things can result but when communications are mismanaged or not managed at all, it can have dire consequences.

We'll talk to Communications expert Janine Sakatch, who'll help us understand what communications and communications management really is. We'll hear tips to help us improve our own communications; why some might be working and why some aren't; determining the best delivery channel for communications and how we can improve the communication processes we utilize during times of disaster.

This episode will focus on the Ontario Association of Emergency Management (OAEM). We'll talk with the president of the OAEM, Mr. Mike O'Brien and how he and his OAEM colleagues are building a central community for Emergency Managers. We'll discuss topics such as; the OAEM conference (October 2018), the organizations goals and objectives, what sets Emergency Management apart from Business Continuity professionals, necessary skills for good Emergency Manager and tips for how current Emergency Managers can become more effective in their current role. It guarantees to be an informative show with a very informed guest.

One of the most important aspects of building a Business Continuity or Disaster Recovery Program is ensuring the quality of planning and execution of a Business Impact Analysis (BIA). The BIA is the foundation upon which a strong program is build. Leveraging information contained within his book Business Impact Analysis: Building the Foundation for a Strong Business Continuity Program, Alex Fullick will take us through some of the trips and slips that many BCM/DR practitioners encounter when performing a BIA and what the impact of these slips have on the program. Alex will share not just the problems encountered but solutions to help strengthen you BIA.