It seems like every day we wake up to find that another natural disaster or emergency has wreaked havoc on cities, businesses and countless lives. It’s enough to keep a business owner up at night, wondering if your business could survive such a situation. What would you do if it happened to you?
It’s no secret that having a disaster recovery plan can make the difference between getting back up and running after a catastrophe and losing your business permanently. You probably have plans in place for evacuation, communication with employees and customers, power supply and data access. But there is an equally important aspect of emergency planning that many fail to consider: are your service providers prepared for disasters, and will they be able to respond when you need them most?
What to ask about your contractor’s disaster recovery plan
How can you be sure a service provider is prepared to deal with a disaster situation? Scott Berger, President of Arista Air Conditioning, a provider of world-class HVAC support to premier tri-state corporations, recommends asking each of your service providers for specific details about their disaster recovery plans.
“You need to ask the right questions, and know the kind of responses to expect from the most qualified companies,” says Berger. “If the unthinkable happens, you want to know how to communicate with the providers that service your mission-critical systems, and that they are set up to get you back up and running as quickly as possible.”
How will you communicate with employees and clients in the event of an emergency?
Your service providers must have both the technology and the methodology in place to be able to locate and communicate with employees in an emergency.
“As a service company, Arista has as many as two-thirds of our staff in the field at a given time,” says Berger, “so we have developed phone chains and call-in systems so that each employee knows what to do.”
Phone systems should be hosted off-site to prevent disruption in a local emergency. Redundancy for internet access and phones should be in place. For example, if a provider has T1 lines, cable modems, and wireless communication, ideally hosted in different physical locations, service will still be available even if one access provider goes down.
“Arista has triple-redundancy in place for phone and internet access,” explains Berger.
As a client, you should have multiple ways to contact your service providers in an emergency situation, including phone numbers, email, and social media contact information.
Can you ensure access to trucks and equipment?
Your contractors should maintain multiple storage facilities for trucks and equipment, and should have relationships with several supply houses in different locations for parts and supplies. According to Berger, Arista has access to both even outside of normal business hours.
Will you have access to my equipment and maintenance records?
In order to access the information needed to service and repair your system, your contractor needs both power and reliable access to computerized data. Generators need to be installed to provide emergency power. Data needs to be backed up and stored remotely, using either an online cloud system or using tapes or drives at a secondary location. This data should be accessible via wireless devices such as smart phones and tablet computers.
Do you have a logistical plan for managing work requests?
A good disaster plan includes training employees on what to do when an emergency arises. Employees should know where to go and whom to contact. It’s imperative that they plan alternate routes to get where they need to be. They also need protocols to follow regarding how to prioritize service requests and how to communicate expected response times.
Your provider’s plan should also include points of contact within your city for important information including road closures, power availability, and access to affected areas. Protocols for coordinating with law enforcement, fire officials and emergency responders, utility companies and other agencies can greatly improve your contractor’s response times and ability to get you back in business faster.
What emergency experiences have you had and what were the results?
This question does not have such a cut and dried answer. Berger’s advice is to look for evidence of experience, smart preparation, and good decision making.
“What you want to know is that your service provider has the expertise to foresee the likely consequences of an emergency and the ability to plan ahead,” explains Berger.
“For example, during the New York City blackout in August 2003, we knew that a surge when electricity is restored could cause thermostats to fail and compressors to burn out,” Berger remembers. “We also knew from experience that power would be restored in stages, and where it was likely to come back first. So we outfitted trucks with the parts they would need, and staged them at strategic locations throughout the city to be ready to respond immediately once the power came back on.”
However, not every situation can be planned for. On September 11, 2001 the entire city was thrown into chaos on a scale never before seen or even imagined. According to Berger, in a situation like this your contractor’s employees need the critical thinking skills to come up with solutions on the fly, and the willingness to do what is necessary to get the job done.
“In the aftermath of the September 11th attacks,” remembers Berger, “large areas of lower Manhattan were inaccessible, and reliable information was hard to come by. Gaining access to our clients’ buildings took ingenuity and perseverance. We tapped all our sources and shared information about road closures and entry points. When we heard that a permit would be required for access to the area, and that it would require the company owner’s signature, I hopped in a truck and we immediately made our way to the access point so that we could get our crews in as soon as we possibly could.”
Resources for developing your own plan
If you need assistance developing or improving your own disaster recovery plan, these resources can help:
- Disaster Recovery article in the New York Times’ Small Business Guide
- The Ready Rating service from the American Red Cross
- Facilities management industry meetings and conferences such as IFMA and BOMA
You can count on Arista
As a service provider to many Fortune 500 companies in New York City, Arista has extensive experience with developing and maintaining disaster recovery plans. As new technology becomes available and as the company learns from each experience, Arista is committed to keeping plans current. With over 60 years in the business, Arista has the experience, infrastructure and the resources to provide the highest level of service in any emergency.
If you’re considering switching to a new HVAC service provider, be sure to include questions about their disaster recovery plan in your vetting process. And, to learn more about transitioning to a new HVAC Vendor, download our white paper Contract Confidence:Transitioning to a New HVAC Service Provider.
