On Thursday, September 23, the Department of Homeland Security in partnership with the Advertising Council and a variety of business organizations, launched the Ready Business campaign during an event at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, DC. Ready Business is an extension of the DHS Ready campaign, designed to help owners and managers of small to medium-sized businesses prepare their employees, operations and assets for emergencies.
"The terrorist attacks of 9-11 and more recently hurricanes Charley, Frances and Ivan showed that disastrous events can paralyze business operations," said Tom Ridge, Secretary of Homeland Security. "Ready Business was created to help encourage every business to develop an emergency plan, thereby making our nation and our economy more secure."
Ready Business outlines commonsense measures business owners and managers can take to help businesses plan to stay in business after a terrorist attack or other emergency, providing practical steps, easy-to-use templates, and several useful documents available for download at http://www.ready.gov/business. A new brochure titled “Every Business Needs a Plan” includes recommendations that reflect the Emergency Preparedness and Business Continuity Standard (NFPA 1600) developed by the National Fire Protection Association, approved and recommended by the American National Standards Institute, and endorsed by DHS.
In his remarks during the launch event, the Honorable Lee Hamilton, vice chairman of the 9-11 Commission, recognized ANSI, NFPA and DHS and thanked the organizations for their efforts to promote emergency preparedness in the private sector.
Ready Business debuts during National Preparedness Month, a collaborative effort between DHS and more than 80 other organizations to highlight the importance of emergency preparedness.
ANSI sponsored a number of workshops on emergency preparedness and business continuity earlier this year when the ANSI-HSSP responded to a request from the 9-11 Commission to deliver a recommendation on an emergency preparedness for the private sector. ANSI convened safety, security, and business continuity experts from a wide range of industries and associations, as well as from federal, state, and local government stakeholders, to develop the recommendation, which was then endorsed in the Commission’s final report to Congress and the President.
The Ready campaign is a national public service advertising campaign produced by the Ad Council in partnership with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Ready is designed to educate and empower American citizens to prepare for and respond to potential terrorist attacks and other emergencies. Citizens interested in receiving a "Get Ready Now" brochure may call 1-800-BE-READY or visit www.Ready.gov for more information.