March 16, 2013 – What’s the saying – expect the
unexpected? As a librarian, I don’t
necessarily expect to find everything that comes across my desk
interesting. That’s hardly the point, is
it: the point is that because someone will find it interesting, it belongs in
the library. Some items have broad
appeal, others far less. In my opinion, The Journal of Accountancy falls into
the second group. To be honest, just
reading the title almost puts me to sleep.
Even so, the current issue features an article with great relevance for
virtually all of us. The article? “Preparing for Disaster.”
While that title may strike some as unnecessarily
apocalyptic, I would ask that you try to see it differently. It has been written with an eye toward
learning from the experiences of others – in this case, three CPA firms in very
different locations: the Jersey shore, New Orleans, and Joplin, Mo. The firm in New Jersey struggled to remain up
and running in spite of nine of its 14 offices sustaining damage during Superstorm
Sandy. The company in Joplin has
constructed a tornado shelter, partly in response to its employees’
psychological needs. The third firm
continues to deal with the fallout resulting from Hurricane Katrina.
What were the challenges?
It is entirely possible that one day, any one of us might find ourselves
in similar situations. For Withum Smith
+ Brown, losing nine offices was only the beginning. SS Sandy also knocked out 25% of cellphone
towers in a 10-state area. While
WSB had put in place a post-disaster communication strategy, it had not allowed
for this contingency. Forced – as we all
are, from time to time – to think on their feet, IT came up with these
solutions: 1) converting the firm’s internal website into a bulletin board
where employees could find critical information; and 2) reliance upon texting
to raise awareness about the internal website.
Bourgeois Bennett took a different approach. With floodwaters rising to rooftop level in
80% of New Orleans, cellphone towers again took a hit. BB decided that an externally hosted bulletin
board (i.e., one outside Hurricane Katrina’s reach) would be most helpful. Later, during recovery mode, water was found
to have seeped into their office building, causing mold. The company was forced to temporarily
relocate to a site in Houma, La., an hour away from New Orleans. Might they have been better prepared? No mention is made of a disaster recovery
plan. These days, every company, every
community, and every family needs one.
Not only that – it needs to be regularly updated, as well.
At Hardy, Wrestler and Assoc., one of the biggest problems
has been psychological. It’s not
surprising that employees of the Joplin, Mo. firm retain a heightened fear of
high winds and storms, precursors to tornadoes.
For this reason, the company elected to build a tornado shelter as part
of their new building. The shelter is
stocked with emergency supplies like water, flashlights and first aid
kits. Bourgeois Bennett introduced
additional mental health care options.
Sixteen of its employees lost everything they owned in the hurricane,
something from which it is not easy to recover.
There is a need for them to feel that they’re not facing an uncertain
future all by themselves.
We’re all in that boat, aren’t we?
With thanks to the Journal
of Accountancy.
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