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Does your business really have a Disaster Recovery Plan?

6/24/2019

Featured blog post sent in by: T3 Technologies

There is a certain percentage of businesses who say they have a Disaster Recovery Plan, (about 95%). There are far fewer businesses who have tested their Disaster Recovery Plan, (about 72%). And there a fewer still that would be able to recover from a disaster using their Disaster Recovery Plan, (no one knows for sure!).

If there was ever an example of a false sense of security, it can be found in the topic of Business Continuity Planning. So here are some points which I don’t think anyone will challenge:

1. Disasters or traumatic business interruptions can, and have, put companies out of business permanently.

2. Having a Disaster Recovery Plan or Business Continuity Plan without having it properly tested, is only slightly better than not having one at all.

3. Testing your organization’s plan internally, or with the same company who wrote the plan can be disastrous.

4. Failures almost always happen in scenarios that weren’t foreseen or were taken for granted.

The moral of this story: “Have your company’s DR/BC Plan audited and tested by an independent 3rd party!” If it is important enough to create, it must be validated.

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Innovation for the future: Battery project and more

6/19/2019

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Featured guest blog post by Carol Obando-Derstine, regional affairs director, PPL Electric Utilities

The power grid of today is changing right along with the energy landscape and PPL Electric Utilities is keeping pace by using new technology to help keep the grid reliable for everyone.

One example is our new battery project in the Harrisburg region. In a distribution line right of way in Perry County, we’ve taken the concept of battery backup and meshed it with the grid of the future.

The result? A 50-kilowatt battery will soon be operating on a power line serving a small number of customers who have experienced prior outages. In the event of an outage on the line serving their homes, the battery can automatically provide up to six hours of power to the customers on the line. It also can help regulate line voltage, another plus for reliability.

It’s the first of its kind on our grid and we’re exploring other locations to use this same system.

In addition to the battery project, I can tell you we’re also working on ways to allow more and more customers to install renewable energy like solar panels and to better manage that power when it comes onto the grid. These kinds of energy sources, also called distributed energy resources (DER), are gaining in popularity as they grow more affordable and efficient.

There are more than 8,000 customer owned or third-party DER systems currently connected to our grid, the vast majority of them solar. And we typically get 1,000-1,500 new applications a year.

Lastly, we’ve implemented a system that alerts our grid operators to downed power lines and gives us the ability to cut power to those downed lines. That’s a big plus for safety. We still want customers to report downed wires, to stay away and always treat any downed line as energized.

We’re doing all this because we know that if you wait to see what the future holds, it’ll pass you by. These advancements show we’re ready for a future that uses technology like never before to keep the grid reliable, resilient and safe. We’re working toward industry-leading solutions that work for the long term.

Millions of people in central and eastern Pennsylvania depend on us every day and we’re proud to power their lives.

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Reopening Your Business After A Disaster

6/18/2019

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Featured guest blog post by Sara Chaparro, ServiceMaster of Bethlehem

A disaster can happen at any time and affect your business operations. Do you know what to do if you experience an emergency and need to close?

According to a study by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), up to 40% of small businesses never reopen after a natural disaster strikes. Take steps now to prepare your business to reopen in the event a disaster strikes.

Create a Natural Disaster Plan

Include locations for evacuation, employee emergency contact information, and protection of vital business records. Print and complete the Emergency Contact Sheet from ServiceMaster of Bethlehem (Link: http://smofbethlehem.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Emergency-Contact-ListB.pdf)

Keep Lines of Communication Open

Stay in contact with customers and employees about what is happening with the business, and when you will re-open.

Check Your Insurance

Make sure you are covered for any type of natural disaster that could occur in your region.

Steps to Recovery

Develop a plan to recover after a disaster. Prepare now and list steps to rebuild before a disaster strikes.

Contact ServiceMaster of Bethlehem to secure a pre-loss plan for emergency response. Count on our experts to assist throughout the recovery process, and get your doors open. Call us today at 800-253-7366.

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GREATER LEHIGH VALLEY CHAMBER BLOG

Does your business really have a Disaster Recovery Plan?

Innovation for the future: Battery project and more

Reopening Your Business After A Disaster

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