Business Continuity & Emergency Preparedness
Workshop 1: Foundations of Continuity Planning & Developing Your Continuity Plan
Wednesday, October 16, 2024 – 3pm to 5:30pm
This workshop introduces the basics of business continuity planning, including the fundamental concepts and importance of developing a continuity plan. It aims to help business owners understand the need for planning, having appropriate insurance and the potential consequences of not being prepared.
Learning Outcomes:
- Participants will conduct a detailed analysis to identify and document specific threats their business may face, such as fires, floods, or other critical disruptions.
- Participants will critically assess their existing insurance coverage to ensure it aligns with the risks identified in the threat analysis.
- Participants will create an initial draft of a business continuity plan, integrating insights from their threat analysis and insurance evaluations.
Workshop 2: Emergency Preparedness: Ready Your Business
Wednesday, December 4, 2024 – 3pm to 5:30pm
Description: This workshop empowers participants to proactively prepare for potential emergencies by equipping them with the knowledge and tools needed to safeguard their operations, employees, and assets. Participants will learn to identify risks, create actionable emergency plans, gather essential supplies, and engage with the local community for coordinated response efforts.
Learning Outcomes:
- Participants will be able to identify specific emergencies relevant to their business and locale.
- Participants will understand how to assess and prioritize risks to develop focused preparation strategies.
- Participants will develop a comprehensive emergency response plan tailored to their business needs.
- Participants will run through real life scenarios to see how prepared they are (e.g. earthquake and they have 10 employees at the office)
- Participants will compile a list of necessary items for a business emergency kit.
Jennifer Houtby-Ferguson
Jenn Houtby-Ferguson is passionate about emergency preparedness and risk communication. A recreation and tourism professor at Vancouver Island University, Jenn speaks regularly to organizations about crisis communications, reputation risk management, business continuity planning, and emergency readiness. She is also an international delegate for the Canadian Red Cross. Jenn holds a Master’s Degree in Tourism Management and is pursuing a doctoral degree with a focus on disaster risk communications. Calling beautiful Snuneymuxw Territory home, Jenn spends her spare time driving the #SynchroMomShuttle.
