FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Diana Ennen
Virtual Word Publishing, Inc.
(954) 971-4025
diana@virtualwordpublishing.com
Disaster
Recovery Planning -- After the events of Katrina,
it's more important than ever to prepare. First Responder,
Paulo Reyes comments on what you need to do to prepare in
case of a disaster.
Margate, FL, August 30,
2005. As Hurricane Katrina devastation continues leaving
behind catastrophic damage in several coastal states we
see the importance of planning ahead for disaster recovery.
Families are displaced, homes destroyed, and now comes the
task of trying to put the puzzle together and hopefully
reunite families with their loved ones. This task will be
enormously difficult. However, for those that did plan ahead
and prepared a disaster recovery plan, relatives and friends
should know exactly where to locate them. If you haven’t
prepared one for your family, now is the time to do so-before
the next disaster hits.
Diana Ennen, co-author of Home
Office Recovery Plan: The Disaster Preparedness Guide for
Your Home Business was hit by Katrina in South
Florida last week along with the other four hurricanes last
year. She advises, "Being prepared for a hurricane
or any natural disaster takes away the stress and anxiety.
When timing is critical, I want to focus on the safety of
my family, not on taking an inventory of my business, or
deciding where I need to go. I also need to know that my
family members will know how to find me after the disaster.”
Dr. Paulo J. Reyes, a First Responder in California and
author of the fiction thriller Sledgehammer
http://www.pauloreyes.com
has firsthand disaster recovery experience and participated
in various disaster relief efforts in California including
the Air Mexicana crash in 1986, the last major earthquake
in L.A. in 1994, and the influenza epidemic 1997-1998. He
advised, "Loss of lives can be greatly reduced if everyone
has a complete plan of action prior to the event. Not only
with the reduction of heart attacks and stress related illnesses,
but people tend to get to safety quicker if they have already
planned ahead and know what they are going to do.”
Here are some steps you can take to prepare:
Step One -- If you do not already have flood and
windstorm insurance, you should consider getting it. Keep
in mind that windstorm insurance policies are not sold when
a storm threatens, so you need to think far enough ahead.
You can find out about the National Flood Insurance Program
through your local insurance agent or emergency management
office. Homeowners polices do not cover damage from the
flooding that accompanies a hurricane.
Step Two - Identify a safe place for everyone to
meet. This pre-determined place should be discussed with
family members prior to an emergency. Depending on the type
of emergency you are planning, you might want to consider
establishing a second location in case the first is inaccessible.
Step Three - In addition to a safe place, each person
should have a list of phone numbers for your immediate neighbors
and family members not living with you. We suggest using
3X5 index cards and laminating them.
Step Four -- For businesses – You should have client
contact phone numbers and email addresses in a safe place
so that you can notify them immediately of the situation.
Also, prepare a disaster recovery plan and have someone
you trust keep a copy of it. This should include vital information
including medical information, family and friend’s names,
your complete contact information, where valuable information
such as wills and trusts and legal documents are kept, serial
numbers for equipment and names of equipment and household
and business supplies, and a disaster escape route in the
event you need to evacuate.
To prepare your home and business, stop by our site for
a sample chapter of the Home Office Recovery Plan. You can
also get tips and suggestions on how you can survive a disaster.
We encourage you to help others in need and donate at our
site to the American Red Cross. Together we can make a difference.
-30-
**
Media -- Diana Ennen and Dr. Paulo J. Reyes are both available
for media interviews by contacting Diana at
diana@virtualwordpublishing.com.
For information on the Home Office Recovery Book,
http://www.home-office-recovery-plan.com
A Fiction Thriller that you won't be able
to put down. Buy it now!! Sledgehammer