Summer is upon us and while we’ve had quite a bit of rain here in California, the drought is most certainly not over yet. With the upcoming fire season (one that seems to occur in yearly in our state) and the ever-present danger of earthquakes, it got me thinking about emergency preparedness for small business.

What are small businesses doing in our communities doing to keep themselves, employees and customers safe? Is social media an effective resource for a business should an emergency occur?

We’re very familiar with Facebook and Twitter users reporting their status in times of distress, including during natural disasters and other unfortunate situations.

As a business owner, I feel that it’s never a bad idea to inform the public of any situation that puts your business or your employees at risk of harm. Fires, earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes – we see it all too often. Everyone wants to know where their loved ones are when natural disasters occur.

The first thing I insist upon having is an emergency preparedness plan. Just as many of us have in our home with our families, it’s important to have one in the workplace. It is one of the first things every new employee at ARTÉMIA learns about.

Here are four things I recommend your emergency plan include:

• – Procedures to respond to various emergency situations, from fires to natural disasters, and everything in between
• – Securing adequate supplies during an catastrophic event
• – Methods and means of maintaining business continuity
• – Regular employee training to go over and update the plan as needed

You can use social media to your advantage to connect with local neighborhood associations, fire and police departments. In the case that something should happen, many departments have first responders via social media that can respond and send help on the chance that making a phone call is not an option.

To further aid your emergency preparedness for small business, here are some excellent resources:

• – FEMA – Plan and Prepare
• – Red Cross – Prepare for Emergencies
• – CDC – Emergency Preparedness and Response
• – OSHA – Emergency Preparedness and Response
• – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Emergency Preparedness & Continuity of Operations

Stay safe and enjoy the summer!