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Disaster preparedness takes on a new look at SDMI
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Published with the October 1, 2013 Baton Rouge Business Report. Copyright © 2013 Louisiana Business Inc. Special Advertising Section.
LSU’S BUSINESS EDUCATION Complex, a 156,000-square-foot learning and research environment, has advanced the architecture, learning environment and business mission of LSU’s campus. In addition to housing LSU’s business programs, the facility is home to the Stephenson Disaster Management Institute (SDMI), which in turn houses the Louisiana Business Emergency Operations Center (LABEOC) and the Center for Business Preparedness (CBP).
The CBP’s mission is to bridge the gap between academic research and business preparedness and continuity. It is dedicated to creating a cultural shift in the value of preparedness and is developing a portal which will be a cen- tral point of collaboration for research, knowledge sharing and outreach for small businesses.
“It’s not just large-magnitude events, such as hurricanes, that can put some- one out of business,” notes Lexie An- drews, manager for the CBP. “There are issues businesses face every day that can interrupt operations. For instance, if a waterline bursts in the business locat- ed above yours—it’s not your business’s problem; however, it impacts your busi- ness operations. Business owners need to prepare for any disruption scenario and should have plans for managing issues that go along with a disruption: operating with fewer personnel, data retrieval, loss of vendors, etc.”
“Being shut down for even a day or two can put a brake on being able to pay your employees, rent, vendors—every- thing needed for day-to-day business operations,” adds Lauren Bourg, manag- er of external relations for SDMI. “Many companies don’t include circumstances of business interruption and continuity of operations in their plans.”
The mission of the LABEOC, mean- while, is to support disaster manage- ment in the state by improving disaster preparedness and response, reducing reliance on FEMA and other federal as- sistance, maximizing business, industry and economic stabilization, and return- ing the business environment to normal operations quickly.
Its efforts focus on establishing a unique public-private partnership by seating up to 40 business leaders, in- dustry trade associations and resource organizations. When activated dur- ing a disaster, the stakeholders of the LABEOC make recommendations to Louisiana Economic Development, the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness and the Unified Command Group.
Businesses that sign up through the LABEOC website (labeoc.org ), will have access to information being funneled through the LABEOC by the stakehold- ers during an activation. Such information may include resource necessities such as food, water and other emergency services that registered businesses could help provide if needed. The LABEOC has the ability to provide information about which services and resources are available where—such as which super- markets are open or have ice.
“During an emergency activation, response and recovery work is often contracted out to other states,” Andrews adds. The LABEOC allows these efforts to remain localized. “By utilizing the resources we have in Louisiana, we can keep the money in the state. It’s a way for small and medium businesses in Louisiana to have a hand in recovery and a way to keep business local.”
“It’s extremely important for our businesses in Louisiana to be resilient. Through this we are giving them the tools and resources they need to protect themselves after a disaster.”
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YEAR FOUNDED: 2006
INDUSTRY: Disaster management, business continuity planning
SERVICES: Business continuity planning, Business Emergency Operations Center, geographic information systems (GIS) surge modeling and analysis, and data collection, management, and analysis
KEY INNOVATION: The Louisiana Business Emergency Operations Center (LABEOC). The LABEOC’s mission is to return disaster-affected communities to normal operations as soon as possible. The LABEOC has been recognized by FEMA as a best-practice model in public-private partnerships.
TOP EXECUTIVES: Joseph Booth, Executive Director Brant Mitchell, Director of Research& Operations; Pat Santos, Director of Business Development
BUZZ: “SDMI is uniquely suited to bring together intel- lectual and operational perspectives on disaster management, response, and recovery. LSU of- fers global academic reach and the Gulf Coast regional setting gives SDMI unquestionable on- the-ground credibility. The result is an institution that is poised to serve as a national, ultimately global, leader in tackling these complex prob- lems.”
—Rick “Ozzie” Nelson, SDMI Senior Fellow and Senior Associate of the Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Program Center for Strategic and International Studies