Because Greater Washington is the home to the federal government, the implications for business disruptions are significant.  The Greater Washington Board of Trade is advancing emergency preparedness and business continuity efforts in the region by addressing critical issues like the potential for an H1N1 virus outbreak or the growing threat of a cybersecurity attack.

The Board of Trade is working to improve the region’s preparedness by developing programs and policies that integrate the private sector into regional emergency response planning.  In addition, we are increasing awareness of business continuity issues; educating business leaders on our region’s pressing issues; and improving public-private partnerships between government, nonprofit and business leaders.  Through its emergency preparedness and business continuity efforts, the Board of Trade continues to:

• Educate organizations on the necessity of being prepared in the event of an emergency
• Examine common weaknesses in business continuity plans and ensuring that businesses can communicate with their workforces during the event
• Bring the private sector and regional governments together to plan how to work together in the event of an emergency
• Advocate for better emergency preparedness and business continuity policy.

Hurricane Irene

Hurricane Irene could cause significant disruption to business and property throughout Greater Washington. Severe flooding, strong winds and widespread outages may make for difficult days ahead. Transportation issues may affect commuter routes, bridges, tunnels, airports, METRO and AMTRAK. Access to workplaces, technology limitations and communication links may all be restricted. To assist area businesses in preparing for a wide spread disruption, the Greater Washington Board of Trade recommends the following considerations: Business Preparation Guidelines for Hurricane Irene

In an effort to assemble a “situation awareness” update, the Greater Washington Board of Trade is convening a special emergency conference call on Friday afternoon, August 26, at 2:00 p.m.  We will receive status updates and outlooks from PEPCO's senior management, Metro's CEO and General Manager, Airports Authority, Safeway's CEO, American Red Cross' CEO, the Council of Governments' Executive Vice President and several other key leaders. This call will last one hour and begin sharply at 2:00p.m. 

Conference Call Agenda & Speakers

There is no cost for this special conference call, but we ask that you assemble teams of people off one line, rather than using multiple lines in one company.

Conference Call: (866) 576-7975
Access Code: 144556
 

Cybersecurity

Because the Greater Washington region is home to the federal government, the World Bank, numerous company headquarters and other high-target establishments, the Board of Trade is proactively addressing the cybersecurity threat in our area.  We raise awareness of cybersecurity threats within the business community and monitor issues with public and private sector leaders, including the FBI, DC government, Accenture, Pepco Holdings and James Lee Witt Associates.