What Chicago Businesses Need to Know during the May 2012 NATO Summit

As the May 2012 NATO summit plans for Chicago approach, fundamental best practices in security, emergency management, and response and recovery for business operations become even more critical.

3.8.12 - CBS News
Hillard Heintze Hired as Official Advisor to the NATO Summit in Chicago, Arnette Heintze Interviewed

If you are a senior executive and decision maker for a Chicago business, you need to have confidence that you have evaluated your assets, operations and exposure and have adequately asked and answered critical questions related to the following:

Strategic and Tactical Security Operations: These include (1) identifying the "short list" of risks, threats and vulnerabilities facing your business; (2) defining a concise, effective and actionable strategy to mitigate these; (3) planning for supplemental security staffing and enhanced perimeter security; (4) reviewing your credentialing plan for employees, contractors and visitors; (5) ensuring mail screening for suspicious packages; (6) figuring out how to stay informed and obtain relevant business intelligence; (7) monitoring social media, across Twitter, Facebook and dozens of other platforms; (8) implementing select countersurveillance tactics to know what's developing near your business; (9) preparing to interpret potential threats to executives or unusual directions of interest; and (10) establishing procedures for handling threatening or suspicious phone calls, among many others.

Emergency Management and Preparedness: These include (1) creating, updating and testing your business's Emergency Preparedness Plan; (2) anticipating the full range of emergencies that could confront your business; (3) planning for potential hazards and their impact on your business and stakeholders; (4) taking the preventive and preparatory best practice measures to ensure resiliency; (5) preparing a current building, office or complex Evacuation Plan; (6) defining a Shelter-in-Place Plan, in the event that evacuation is inadvisable; (7) reviewing and documenting transportation plans and evacuation routes; (8) ensuring that the appropriate supplies are stockpiled and on hand for emergencies; (9) sharing your plans, expectations and key assignments with your team; and (10) aligning your plans with federal, state and local law enforcement authorities, among many others.

Response and Recovery Plans to Continue Business Operations: These include (1) determining how long your employees can be separated from your facilities before their absence starts to place a financial burden on your organization; (2) establishing the ability to continue operations from a secondary location; (3) crafting a backup communications plan – with call trees, satellite phones, texting and Tweeting; (4) defining the vital steps you'll need to take to repair mission-critical infrastructure; (5) assembling the technical plans and blueprints needed to repair damaged or destroyed property; (6) establishing backup and redundancy capabilities to protect your network and critical data; (7) aligning your Security, Emergency Management and Business Response and Recovery plans; (8) tasking and training the key executives and managers charged with executing these plans; (9) negotiating emergency-triggered changes to Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with suppliers; and (1) finalizing Memorandums of Agreement (MOUs) with key partners and first responders, among many others.