Disaster Planning Considerations
The following are some guidelines for developing a policy to prepare for a disaster and thereby enable the law firm to protect personnel, maintain critical data and continue to represent its clients.
- Designate someone to be responsible for implementing the policy.
- Appoint and train an Emergency Response Team, including the assignment of persons to assist others who may need assistance.
- Establish a system of communications to contact staff if a disaster occurs after normal working hours.
- Identify the potential causes of a disaster, both natural and human.
- Identify the safety measures to be taken in the event of a flood, fire, earthquake, windstorm, armed intruder or other possible disaster.
- Assign priorities to various records so that important materials may be saved or protected from further damage.
- Publish evacuation and emergency response procedures in the office manual or other accessible place.
- Post appropriate safety notices including the locations of fire alarms, fire extinguishers, exits, evacuation routes and designated post-evacuation meeting area.
- Duplicate and maintain off-site personnel records.
- Maintain off-site back-up for critical records and data.
- Provide guidelines for the recovery of operations after the disaster.