08:06:56 PM Amy Sebring:Welcome to tonight's edition of the Round Table. 08:07:08 PM Amy Sebring:Our topic this evening is business preparedness, and we have a founding member of the Memphis area Business Emergency Preparedness Council (BEPC) to introduce the subject. 08:07:20 PM Amy Sebring:Our format for this evening is about a ten minute or so introduction to the BEPC by our guest, and then we will open it up to general discussion, questions and comments. 08:07:32 PM Amy Sebring:Now, it is my pleasure to introduce Millie Workman, Risk Manager for Mueller Industries, Inc. and co-founder of the BEPC. 08:07:41 PM Amy Sebring:Millie, welcome and thank you for being with us tonight. 08:07:57 PM Millie Workman:Thanks for the opportunity of telling you about the Business Emergency Preparedness Council... 08:08:11 PM Millie Workman:The Business Emergency Preparedness Council (BEPC) is a coalition of business and government dedicated to promoting business recovery planning and preparedness... 08:08:22 PM Millie Workman:BEPC is committed to reducing the potential effects of natural, technological and man-made hazards on the economic well-being and productivity of businesses in Memphis and Shelby County, TN... 08:08:34 PM Millie Workman:through educating the business community... 08:08:42 PM Millie Workman:providing preparedness and recovery resources and... 08:08:51 PM Millie Workman:serving as a liaison between business and government agencies to coordinate recovery and resumption activities... 08:08:59 PM Millie Workman:BEPC was founded in 1989... 08:09:10 PM Millie Workman:Following Loma Prieta, some of the risk managers in Memphis, being aware of our proximity to the New Madrid fault... 08:09:19 PM Millie Workman:became concerned because our businesses did not have recovery plans. We were looking for help and resources... 08:09:35 PM Millie Workman:The mayor of the City of Memphis had visited the area immediately following the earthquake and was concerned about business recovery in Memphis should a similar event occur... 08:09:48 PM Millie Workman:He charged his Director of Emergency Management with getting the business community involved... 08:10:00 PM Millie Workman:We found each other, almost accidentally, and found we had the same goals and BEPC was born... 08:10:15 PM Millie Workman:There was no model, we just brainstormed until we had a framework. We later learned there were a couple of similar groups in CA but the membership was not necessarily similar... 08:10:24 PM Millie Workman:More than 100 companies, representing over 200,000 employees, joined in the effort to increase disaster preparedness in the community... 08:10:41 PM Millie Workman:Companies are eligible for membership. While most members are from the Memphis area, membership is not limited to a geographic area... 08:10:52 PM Millie Workman:Dues are based on the number of employees and range from $50 to $300 annually... 08:11:02 PM Millie Workman:A sampling of members includes International Paper, Harrah~ 08:11:38 PM Millie Workman:A sampling of members includes International Paper, Harrah~ 08:12:20 PM Millie Workman:Union Planters Bank, First Tennessee Bank, BellSouth Telecommunications... 08:12:37 PM Millie Workman:Federal Express, Perkins Restaurants, Methodist Hospital, St. Jude Children~ 08:13:13 PM Millie Workman:MAPCO, YMCA, Calvary Episcopal Church... 08:13:23 PM Millie Workman:As you can see a wide variety of both business types and business sizes... 08:13:31 PM Millie Workman:The privileges of membership include... 08:13:40 PM Millie Workman:Educational meetings, conference and workshops... 08:13:49 PM Millie Workman:Interaction with key agencies for planning and recovery including the city, county, state governments and local utility and communication providers... 08:14:00 PM Millie Workman:Access to critical information on community preparedness and response plans... 08:14:08 PM Millie Workman:Access to a mobile EOC... 08:14:16 PM Millie Workman:"Deputized" by the EMA to facilitate access following a disaster... 08:14:31 PM Millie Workman:BEPC has luncheon meetings every other month with guest speakers addressing timely topics... 08:14:53 PM Millie Workman:For example, the meeting next week will feature the risk manager from Gaylord Entertainment (Opryland)... 08:14:59 PM Millie Workman:who will discuss the Nashville tornadoes, how Gaylord was affected, and their on-going recovery efforts... 08:15:18 PM Millie Workman:Another program featured a panel of telecommunication providers discussing the diversity of telecommunications... 08:15:26 PM Millie Workman:and how that diversity can be used to help perpare for and cope with a disaster... 08:15:37 PM Millie Workman:Another featured the director of International Paper's Y2k project discussing their efforts to address this problem... 08:15:49 PM Millie Workman:We will visit the local utility and the airport later this year for updates on their plans... 08:15:59 PM Millie Workman:Let me tell you about some of BEPC's successful projects... 08:16:10 PM Millie Workman:International Conferences entitled "Mission Possible": over 325 attendees... 08:16:23 PM Millie Workman:Speakers have included New Zealand's Minister of Civil Defence, the TEMA director, Gale Anderson, M.D., and the Manager of Contingency Planning for Texas Instruments... 08:16:36 PM Millie Workman:A series of half day workshops on how to develop a plan... 08:16:57 PM Millie Workman:Duck, Cover and Hold: Earthquake preparedenss information was distributed to all schools in Shelby County... 08:17:08 PM Millie Workman:Information distributed included a "rap" song and video provided by private sources and teacher training material... 08:17:23 PM Millie Workman:HELP/OK Poster: 315,000 were distributed to every household in Shelby County... 08:17:31 PM Millie Workman:A great example of business and government working together, it was paid for by private funds and distributed by government... 08:17:47 PM Millie Workman:Mobile EOC: BEPC assisted in funding and equipming mobile disaster preparedness unit... 08:17:56 PM Millie Workman:which is housed at the Memphis International Airport, available for use by BEPC members... 08:18:14 PM Millie Workman:In January 1997 BEPC adopted a Disaster Recovery Business Alliance Initiative... 08:18:23 PM Millie Workman:to take advantage of a $50,000 matching grant from TVA that would enable us to hire a part-time director and undertake major projects... 08:18:34 PM Millie Workman:Several of the BEPC members made contributions of $2500 or $5000 as founders of the initiative... 08:18:49 PM Millie Workman:The director is Jeff Crenshaw who was the city's emergency manager director and co-founder of BEPC... 08:18:57 PM Millie Workman:Today he is principal of a disaster recovery planning consulting business... 08:19:31 PM Millie Workman:The initial projects being funded by this include a post-disaster business communication network... 08:19:48 PM Millie Workman:and county-wide vulnerability analysis... 08:20:01 PM Millie Workman:As you can tell, I could go on and on. But how about questions? 08:20:12 PM Amy Sebring:Thanks Millie... 08:20:24 PM Amy Sebring:let's open it up to all. 08:20:40 PM Amy Sebring:We have a small enough group that you do not need to wait to be recognized... 08:20:52 PM Amy Sebring:just try not to tromp on each other! 08:21:13 PM Isabel Mccurdy:Can you elaborate on your framework? 08:21:20 PM Amy Sebring:Let me break the ice by asking about the communication network Millie... 08:21:27 PM Amy Sebring:oops I tromped. 08:21:37 PM Amy Sebring:Please address Isabel's question Millie. 08:22:00 PM Millie Workman:We tried to make it flexible because we didn't know everyone's needs... 08:22:21 PM Millie Workman:and we wanted to try to attract a wide range of businesses... 08:22:38 PM Millie Workman:So we left it pretty unstructured... 08:22:57 PM Millie Workman:Companies can join and have 2 designated representatives... 08:23:07 PM Millie Workman:Each company has one vote... 08:23:30 PM Millie Workman:but we do not restrict the number of people from a company who can attend meetings... 08:23:38 PM Millie Workman:even the board meetings... 08:24:03 PM Millie Workman:In fact, we don't restrict our educational meetings to members... 08:24:23 PM Millie Workman:We have a chair, a vice chair, a secretary and a treasurer... 08:24:51 PM Millie Workman:and a few standing committees such as membership and education... 08:25:18 PM Millie Workman:Otherwise, we use teams to deal with specific projects or issues... 08:25:27 PM Millie Workman:Does that give you some idea? 08:25:41 PM Isabel Mccurdy:Yes, it does. 08:25:44 PM Jim Cook:Is there/was there a Contigency Planners organization already established in your area perhaps among the larger businesses? 08:26:14 PM Millie Workman:At the time we started this, no... 08:26:31 PM Millie Workman:and there still isn't anything like ACP... 08:26:55 PM Millie Workman:but there is are some groups that some of our members belong to... 08:27:09 PM Jim Cook:Just was curious about interaction with them - if any. 08:27:40 PM Millie Workman:Where we are aware of a group, we do try to interact... 08:28:04 PM Millie Workman:for example, SEBRE had a meeting here recently and some of us attended and made presentations. 08:28:16 PM Jim Cook:Thanks. 08:28:23 PM Amy Sebring:Have you had any disasters since 1989 Millie? 08:28:25 PM Isabel Mccurdy:SEBRE? 08:29:01 PM Millie Workman:Not regional disasters... 08:29:23 PM Millie Workman:But being a risk manager I have dealt with some losses that were disasters to us... 08:30:09 PM Millie Workman:SEBRE is Southeast Business Recovery E.....I can never remember... 08:30:29 PM Amy Sebring:Isabel, I think Avagene went also. 08:30:38 PM Millie Workman:members are banks, International Paper, etc. 08:31:10 PM Amy Sebring:Sounds like you had a public/private partnership going before that was the buzz word Millie... 08:31:24 PM Millie Workman:Amy, you're right. That's where she "found" us. 08:31:28 PM Amy Sebring:I take it you have had good cooperation from public sector... 08:31:45 PM Amy Sebring:has SBA (Small Business Administration) been involved at all? 08:31:46 PM Millie Workman:We did have the partnership long before it was a buzz word... 08:31:59 PM Millie Workman:it's great to see others taking the steps now... 08:32:17 PM Millie Workman:We did have good cooperation from public sector... 08:32:49 PM Millie Workman:it certainly made it much easier to accomplish quite a bit quickly... 08:33:12 PM Millie Workman:We still have that support, but when the City administration changed... 08:33:31 PM Millie Workman:and Jeff was no longer director of EMA, we did struggle a little... 08:33:49 PM Millie Workman:business recovery was not high on the new administration's agenda... 08:34:21 PM Millie Workman:so the EMA was without a permanent director for several years... 08:34:43 PM Millie Workman:The mayor finally appointed a director, but he lasted only about 1 year... 08:35:09 PM Millie Workman:so we are back to an acting director again. As you can imagine, we aren't getting a lot there now... 08:35:30 PM Amy Sebring:hmmm...do they have a job opening posted? 08:35:30 PM Millie Workman:but we still have strong relationships and cooperation through TEMA and FEMA... 08:36:16 PM Millie Workman:I believe so. Last I heard it was still open... 08:36:21 PM Jim Cook:How long has BEPC been established? 08:36:24 PM Millie Workman:want me to check/ 08:36:36 PM Amy Sebring:that's ok, can check myself Millie thanks 08:36:52 PM Millie Workman:9 years. Since 1989. 08:37:11 PM Amy Sebring:I was asking about SBA involvement? 08:37:44 PM Millie Workman:SBA has not been involved... 08:37:52 PM Amy Sebring:They just seem like a natural fit for this area. 08:37:57 PM Millie Workman:we have tried, but without success... 08:38:13 PM Millie Workman:reaching small business has always been a priority... 08:38:34 PM Millie Workman:but it is much easier said than done. We don't feel we have yet really made inroads... 08:38:46 PM Millie Workman:and we've tried lots of different avenues... 08:39:06 PM Millie Workman:we have done their conferences, etc. but there are just so many issues for them... 08:39:21 PM Millie Workman:they don't seem to want to think about this. 08:39:32 PM Amy Sebring:Sounds like you should have been a good candidate for the Project Impact city/county... 08:39:54 PM Amy Sebring:but repetitive loss was the key criteria I guess. 08:40:34 PM Millie Workman:I guess. Sometimes we get frustrated because we seem to be missing things like this. 08:41:22 PM Amy Sebring:I had started out by tromping on Isabel and asking about the communications network. Can you tell us a little more? 08:42:14 PM Millie Workman:Sure. The idea is to establish a network that would link cell phones, home phones... 08:42:34 PM Millie Workman:fax machines, and other types of communications equipments... 08:42:45 PM Millie Workman:that might be operating after a disaster... 08:43:21 PM Millie Workman:Our director has established contacts with the utilities, telephone service providers, etc... 08:43:40 PM Millie Workman:to have a direct contact with them following a disaster... 08:43:58 PM Millie Workman:he would get the latest info and communicate it on to members... 08:44:52 PM Millie Workman:For example., the local utility has agreed to give him a seat ... 08:45:16 PM Millie Workman:in their EOC where he can then communicate info to members... 08:45:46 PM Millie Workman:and BellSouth has offered us a conference room at EOC location... 08:46:12 PM Millie Workman:The whole idea is to have a way to get info faster and more accurately... 08:46:33 PM Millie Workman:We are also looking into members having satellited pagers... 08:46:48 PM Millie Workman:and BEPC owning some satellite phones to use for this project... 08:47:08 PM Millie Workman:Although we have accomplished our initial plan, we are looking... 08:47:20 PM Millie Workman:at how we can expand and improve it. 08:47:32 PM Amy Sebring:We USED to think satellites were uninterruptible until recently! 08:47:57 PM Millie Workman:Yeah...we may have to rethink that! 08:47:57 PM Amy Sebring:Jim, Isabel? Don't let me be a hog. 08:48:03 PM Jim Cook:Amy, can I ask Millie if/when they allow vendors of emergency management "stuff" to participate/show in their meetings or conferences? 08:48:09 PM Isabel Mccurdy:Worst scenario. No power? No phone? What then? Satellite? They just disrupted. 08:48:46 PM Millie Workman:Isabel, smoke signals or carrier pigeons. 08:49:03 PM Millie Workman:Jim, we have let vendors participate pretty freely... 08:49:23 PM Millie Workman:They can be member companies, if they want... 08:49:40 PM Millie Workman:We found initially a lot of them joined, but they haven't really stayed around... 08:50:03 PM Millie Workman:we try to send a pretty clear message that we are focused on education... 08:50:18 PM Millie Workman:and the meeting aren't an appropriate place to sell... 08:50:40 PM Jim Cook:I was thinking more of business recovery tools. 08:50:41 PM Millie Workman:We have had exhibit areas at the conferences so they can participate... 08:50:52 PM Millie Workman:at a cost, of course... 08:51:05 PM Jim Cook:Software, those sat. phones, etc. 08:51:26 PM Millie Workman:We don't let vendors use the meetings for showing these... 08:51:36 PM Amy Sebring:Do you do a conference annually? 08:51:45 PM Millie Workman:we have in the past however had presentations to the board... 08:52:05 PM Millie Workman:if we were considering a project that needed some of their equipment. 08:52:55 PM Millie Workman:Amy, we haven't had a conference every year... 08:53:14 PM Millie Workman:We want to address timely topics and not be just another conference... 08:53:30 PM Millie Workman:so we offer conferences more based on need that the feeling that... 08:53:40 PM Millie Workman:we need to do a conference every year... 08:54:02 PM Millie Workman:This year we are doing a half day in November on telecommunciation issues... 08:54:18 PM Millie Workman:So we aren't doing a one or one and a half day event... 08:54:29 PM Millie Workman:But we probably will next year. 08:54:34 PM Amy Sebring:Last question - what are the top 3 things that a business needs to know about disasters? 08:55:30 PM Millie Workman:They need to know what governmental agencies are going to do... 08:55:51 PM Millie Workman:They need to understand that disasters can happen to them... 08:56:02 PM Millie Workman:and it doesn't have to be regional to be a disaster... 08:56:30 PM Millie Workman:and they need to know what the possible risks they face are... 08:56:51 PM Millie Workman:We often focus on things like hurricanes, earthquakes, and forget that... 08:57:12 PM Millie Workman:a hazmat incident on the highway can shut us down, too. 08:57:37 PM Amy Sebring:Millie, thank you so much for sharing this experience with us. 08:57:56 PM Jim Cook:Thanks Millie 08:57:58 PM Amy Sebring:I am pleased that BEPC is going to become an EIIP partner I understand. 08:58:04 PM Isabel Mccurdy:Thanks Millie. 08:58:30 PM Millie Workman:Yes. And if any of you want to be put on our mailing list, let me know. 08:58:31 PM Amy Sebring:We very much look forward to your being with us in the future. 08:58:48 PM Amy Sebring:Will need to get Avagene subscribed for sure! 08:59:04 PM Amy Sebring:Jim, Isabel, thanks for your loyalty! 08:59:12 PM Millie Workman:Ok. 08:59:13 PM Isabel Mccurdy:My pleasure. 08:59:35 PM Amy Sebring:We will have a very good transcript posted Millie. 08:59:46 PM Amy Sebring:Will let you know when it is available. 08:59:50 PM Isabel Mccurdy:Meeting new people is exciting 09:00:03 PM Millie Workman:Thanks. 09:00:06 PM Amy Sebring:I think it is great to have this opportunity to find people who care. 09:00:22 PM Isabel Mccurdy:Exactly. 09:00:42 PM Millie Workman:This has been great. I'm glad I got involved. 09:00:44 PM Amy Sebring:I think I would go nuts in my small community without being able to engage with other minds! 09:01:03 PM Amy Sebring:I told you questions would be a piece of cake for you Millie! 09:01:22 PM Amy Sebring:You are a natural at this, and it sure makes our life easy! 09:01:39 PM Isabel Mccurdy:Millie, you were super! 09:01:47 PM Millie Workman:Everyone was kind...they weren't hard questions. And it's fun! 09:02:02 PM Millie Workman:Thanks, Isabel. 09:02:02 PM Amy Sebring:Yes, keep that fun part a secret Millie! 09:02:15 PM Millie Workman:Oops! OK 09:02:20 PM Jim Cook:Good night from tornado alley (Atlanta) 09:02:24 PM Isabel Mccurdy: 09:02:32 PM Amy Sebring:Next week we are Live! from ... 09:02:43 PM Millie Workman:Bye, Jim! 09:02:50 PM Amy Sebring:the Community and Family Preparedness conference at EMI. 09:02:53 PM Isabel Mccurdy:Bye Jim. 09:02:56 PM Amy Sebring:(I think) 09:03:01 PM Amy Sebring:bye Jim thanks 09:03:27 PM Amy Sebring:Avagene is going up there, and she will be the live part. 09:03:48 PM Amy Sebring:So glad you were the sub Millie. Thanks for pitching in. 09:04:20 PM Millie Workman:Glad to do it. Thanks for all the help, Amy. 09:04:31 PM Amy Sebring:Am going to get the transcript right now Isabel. 09:04:44 PM Amy Sebring:Good night to both of you. 09:04:45 PM Isabel Mccurdy:OK Amy. 09:05:05 PM Isabel Mccurdy:Godn night too. 09:05:18 PM Millie Workman:Bye Isabel. 09:05:42 PM Isabel Mccurdy:Bye Millie, until next time.