Disaster Planning for Insurance Agencies

The most important aspect of disaster planning is in that word – “planning.” If your agency doesn’t have a plan and an emergency strikes, your agency and your clients may be at risk. Caught flat-footed without a solid disaster plan to organize your actions, you can lose valuable data, clients and property.

This article will touch on a few basics of disaster planning, but the Big I houses excellent content on disaster planning here.

The Eight Steps in Disaster Planning

For basic disaster planning, let’s identify some steps to get you started.

1. Form a team to identify most likely hazards and the likelihood of that hazard occurring. Identify key employees and begin to write your plan, detailing who will be responsible for what in an emergency.
2. Assess your current resources and abilities. What equipiment might you need, or what partnerships can you form with other local agencies in a worst-case scenario that you must stay closed for a time?
3. Develop your emergency plan and procedures. There are many resources available on the web and from governmental agencies.
4. Integrate the plan with the community plan (i.e., emergency responders). Reach out to local fire and police administrators to see how they may be able to help in an emergency, or in preplanning.
5. Conduct training. If only managers know what to do, rethink your plan to include all employees. They’ll feel a part of the team.
   
6. Develop a public relations structure. How will you reach out if the worst happens and you’re closed? Ensure you can access all your advertising channels away from your office.
   
7. Conduct drills and exercises, tweaking your response plan as drills pinpoint problem areas.

Develop and schedule audit procedures. A manual that simply sits on your shelf will not help. Schedule an annual overview of your plan to ensure your plan remains current and that you schedule at least an annual training for all employees.

Preparing for Disaster is a Part of Continuity Planning