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... lesson we learned after losing our hard drive will be helpful to others who face the same possibility. We encourage every agency to take the following precautions: 1. Back up faithfully every day! 2. Take your latest backup and daily transaction log off premises. 3. Store all other backup tapes and floppy disks in a locked fireproof safe designed for data storage. (If you have a fire, it is entirely possible that this safe could be knocked over by those fighting the fire. If it's unlocked, the door might come open and your disks and tapes will be damaged. 4. Know how your hard disk is partitioned and set up. Know how your networking program is scheduled. Screen print' the commands and keep these printouts in a safe place. 5. Be ... had a current backup. Doing a daily backup is somewhat like purchasing a snake-bite kit: You sincerely hope you will never have to use it; but in case of need, you're more than happy to have it. This was true with us. However, as careful as we had always been about daily backups, we discovered that we were not prepared for what needed to be done to restore our system completely. A new hard drive must be configured the same as the hard drive it replaces, so that all programs you restore will operate as they were originally set up. Do you know how your agency's hard drive and network program are set up? I did not. As a result, it took many phone calls and a great deal of time working with the original installer ...

.... Earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, fires, and other disruptive events represen...ned to expedite the rebuilding and restoration process. One of the most misund...

...ction guides (Example: evacuation, fire, earthquake, flood, utility failure, e...ery plan assignments Finalize restoration activities Capitalize on p...

...S ALLIANCES Where do your local fire department, utility planners, and muni...

...elephone, and water; Schedule fire drills; Coordinate with insurance...Tornadoes or hurricanes; Alarms: Fire and security; and. Bomb threat and fire procedures: Report, evacuation rout...

... First aid medical emergencies Fire, smoke detection and/or explosion ...s Operations Recovery Plan Restoration Tasks Loss assessment N...

... . Using the ASP, each office will be able to input from their own location. We also took the opportunity to visit the ASP's data center. That, as much as anything else, helped convince us that this was the right decision. A major concern was business continuity in the event of a catastrophe. It was an impressive facility, with built-in redundancies in case of power outage, fire, and flood. We also learned that the ASP had a secondary facility in another location as an extra precaution against catastrophe. BMG: Surely you must've had some reservations or second thoughts? Grady: First of all, we had to deal with human nature. With an ASP, we're losing a certain element of control. That made us a bit uncomfortable at first, but we feel ... create emergency preparedness plans, they usually focus on the risk of losing their customer data and the equipment that supports it. Agencies can back up their data, but if their physical plant were destroyed, they'd need to replace equipment quickly and find an alternative location in which to operate. With an ASP, an agency doesn't have to be concerned with maintaining backups of data in a safe site or restoring it if a server is damaged or the agency's physical facility is destroyed. As long as an agency has access to an Internet connection, it can access the system and process transactions. LOWER UPDATING AND MAINTENANCE COSTS With an ASP, no regular software updates are needed on the server operating system; the ASP takes care of them. Nor does the server need to be replaced periodically, as ...

... . Using the ASP, each office will be able to input from their own location. We also took the opportunity to visit the ASP's data center. That, as much as anything else, helped convince us that this was the right decision. A major concern was business continuity in the event of a catastrophe. It was an impressive facility, with built-in redundancies in case of power outage, fire, and flood. We also learned that the ASP had a secondary facility in another location as an extra precaution against catastrophe. BMG: Surely you must've had some reservations or second thoughts? Grady: First of all, we had to deal with human nature. With an ASP, we're losing a certain element of control. That made us a bit uncomfortable at first, but we feel ... create emergency preparedness plans, they usually focus on the risk of losing their customer data and the equipment that supports it. Agencies can back up their data, but if their physical plant were destroyed, they'd need to replace equipment quickly and find an alternative location in which to operate. With an ASP, an agency doesn't have to be concerned with maintaining backups of data in a safe site or restoring it if a server is damaged or the agency's physical facility is destroyed. As long as an agency has access to an Internet connection, it can access the system and process transactions. LOWER UPDATING AND MAINTENANCE COSTS With an ASP, no regular software updates are needed on the server operating system; the ASP takes care of them. Nor does the server need to be replaced periodically, as ...

... . Using the ASP, each office will be able to input from their own location. We also took the opportunity to visit the ASP's data center. That, as much as anything else, helped convince us that this was the right decision. A major concern was business continuity in the event of a catastrophe. It was an impressive facility, with built-in redundancies in case of power outage, fire, and flood. We also learned that the ASP had a secondary facility in another location as an extra precaution against catastrophe. BMG: Surely you must've had some reservations or second thoughts? Grady: First of all, we had to deal with human nature. With an ASP, we're losing a certain element of control. That made us a bit uncomfortable at first, but we feel ... create emergency preparedness plans, they usually focus on the risk of losing their customer data and the equipment that supports it. Agencies can back up their data, but if their physical plant were destroyed, they'd need to replace equipment quickly and find an alternative location in which to operate. With an ASP, an agency doesn't have to be concerned with maintaining backups of data in a safe site or restoring it if a server is damaged or the agency's physical facility is destroyed. As long as an agency has access to an Internet connection, it can access the system and process transactions. LOWER UPDATING AND MAINTENANCE COSTS With an ASP, no regular software updates are needed on the server operating system; the ASP takes care of them. Nor does the server need to be replaced periodically, as ...

... to nondiscrimination requirements in Section 11© of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, the Secretary has given OSHA responsibility for investigating these complaints. The Section 405 provisions set forth a longer time period for filing complaints, permit immediate reinstatement of discharged employees, and authorize compensatory damages and attorney's fees for aggrieved employees whose complaints are substantiated. STAA DISCRIMINATION PROTECTIONS Section 405 prohibits an employer from firing, demoting, or in any other way discriminating against an employee who: refuses to operate a vehicle which fails to meet safety regulations.  reports violations of vehicle safety requirements.  alleges that he or she has been exposed to significant hazards.  or testifies or otherwise participates in safety related proceedings. COMPLAINT PROCESS Employee files discrimination complaint with OSHA within 180 ... have merit, OSHA investigates it within 60 days. This includes providing the employer with the substance of the complaint and permitting an opportunity for rebuttal as well as interviewing witnesses. At the end of the investigation, OSHA issues a finding. If investigation confirms the merit of the complaint, OSHA issues a preliminary order requiring the employer to abate the violation and reinstate the employee. The complaint must be restored in the terms, conditions and privileges of the former position. Further, the employee may be awarded back pay and compensatory damages. Within 30 days after OSHA issues a finding, either the complainant or the company may file an objection with OSHA to the finding and/or the preliminary order and may request a hearing. A U.S. Department of Labor administrative law judge presides over the hearings ...