After talking to a number of agents, I've learned that only 10% of agencies are truly prepared for a catastrophe! Surviving a disaster entails:
- Making sure you have a plan that is written and customized to suit your agency's needs
- Having management to review all procedures carefully-and staff to air and document concerns
- Establishing a 'reminder listing' as a check mechanism
Knowing you have a plan and that your agency is prepared in the event of a disaster will give you great peace of mind. Although no plan is foolproof, your plan allow you to rest assured that your agency is as ready as it can be.
If you may have a plan in your mind-or perhaps have purchased a catastrophe plan outlining the areas that need to be attended to in the event of a disaster-it's extremely important that your plan be customized to suit your agency's unique needs. Your agency's procedures on how to back up the computer system or process a claim must be written down. These procedures need to focus on how things are done instead of what needs to be done, to enable anyone inside or outside of the agency to complete the task. (After Hurricane Andrew, many agents lost staff, and had to train new employees, and for them it was vitally important for all procedures to be written down step by step.) A written, customized plan can save your agency unnecessary stress after a catastrophe.
A good review of the plan by both management and staff will go a long way toward making it complete. Many good ideas for protecting the agency in case of a disaster can come from your employees, since they have vital information on day-to-day procedures. Some staff ideas I've heard include handling incoming faxes on a priority basis during the last hours of preparedness, including a personal checklist for employees to review when they're home, communicating with out-of-state relatives, and using a radio station to communicate with staff or insureds. Your staff will bring up concerns of which management may be unaware.
One of the most important areas to be included when preparing your agency for a potential disaster is a reminder listing. This should list all areas of responsibility, along with the name of the person responsible for each one, and the point in time that each duty needs to be done. A index of page numbers for all responsibilities is very helpful when completing tasks 48 hours before a catastrophe, since it allows for quick reference. The reminder listing will save valuable time.
In summary, you'll have greater peace of mind if your agency has a written, customized plan, reviewed by management and staff, as well as a reminder listing.