The Stanford University Emergency Management Program’s integrated systems approach to emergency management and business continuity helps the University respond to crises and disasters and identify opportunities to mitigate risk and prevent loss. This approach aims to establish business continuity and recovery strategies for all emergency events, crises, or disasters, regardless of size or complexity.
An integrated and coordinated emergency management program provides the campus with a number of benefits, including:
- Reduced vulnerability and exposure to future crises and disasters.
- Protection of life, property, the environment, essential services, and critical facilities.
- Minimized post-disaster economic hardship for the campus and community.
- Lowered short-term and long-term recovery and reconstruction costs.
- Quicker resumption of University functions, including education, research, and business systems.
- Increased cooperation and communication within the community through planning, training, and carrying out the program.
To be successful, emergency management practices must be adequately staffed, coordinated, and integrated into current and future campus plans and policies, and the decision-making processes of the campus. The integrated approach offers a model for increased communication, coordination, and collaboration between diverse partners on campus and in the community that will help the University reduce the risk associated with all types of crises and disasters. An integrated emergency management approach is comprehensive, cost-effective, and uses resources efficiently to enhance campus safety and disaster resilience.
Stanford’s PrepareSU tool provides a standardized approach to continuity planning that is flexible enough to be used by academic departments, research units, administrative units, and other campus organizations.
An effective continuity plan outlines specific actions that should be taken to decrease the impact of an emergency event, sustain critical functions during an emergency, and speed up program restoration after an emergency. All campus organizations are expected to prepare a continuity plan using the PrepareSU tool. Plans should be updated at least once every year, and more often if organizational changes make the existing plan inadequate.
For more information, see PrepareSU.
