Although a near-miss by a tornado is  as close as EFCO Corp. has come to  a major disaster, the company's  good fortune hasn't kept it from preparing  for emergencies.

EFCO has been a part of Iowa Contingency

Planners, an organization that provides emergency planning and disaster recovery educational and networking opportunities, since its formation in the early 1990s, and the company is in the process of updating its  emergency plans.

"People here have had the attitude that says nothing is ever going to happen to us in the Midwest," said Joe Solem, legacy systems manager for EFCO and secretary of Iowa Contingency Planners. "One of these days, that’s going to catch up to us."

In addition to dedicating more time and resources to disaster planning, EFCO is one of a growing number of Central Iowa companies that are joining emergency management organizations.  In recent years, these groups have focused on collaborating with the public sector, and a new group, called Safeguard Iowa Partnership, is forming this year to work directly on this effort.

A.J. Mumm, director of emergency management for Polk County, believes businesses became proactive about putting some emergency processes in place after witnessing disasters such as the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.  More recently, these businesses also have seen a greater need to collaborate with government agencies to ensure a smoother recovery during emergency.

"The biggest thing we're finding out,"Mumm said,"is that when a disaster strikes, businesses that are able to reopen sooner help the overall community recover sooner."

He added,"When the private sector owns and operates over 90 percent of the critical infrastructure we depend on, the private sector needs to be at the table with us."

Fast growth

As more businesses recognize their need for disaster planning, emergency management groups have received renewed interest.

Last year, Iowa Contingency Planners’ membership grew by about 17 percent to 105 members, who represent 49 companies and six government agencies. Metro Emergency Planners, composed of Greater Des Moines businesses, nearly dwindled away after Bob Goldhammer retired as Polk County’s emergency management director, but has rebounded to about 70 members.

Iowa Contingency Planners' mission is to learn about and discuss certain issues businesses are facing, during quarterly meetings and an annual conference.  With each member paying $100 in annual dues, Solem said the increase in membership has allowed the organization to bring in better speakers, such as Regina Phelps, an expert on pandemic planning.

"The benefit is that you're able to intermingle with peers and to keep up to date on current movements," said Tom Banse, chairman of the organization’s board of directors and assistant director of business continuity planning at Principal Financial Group Inc.

This year, Iowa Contingency Planners’ theme is "Making the Connection - Partnering for Performance," which signifies its efforts to strengthen ties with government agencies. One of its major initiatives is working with Polk County emergency management officials to update the county's emergency plans, along with the Metro Emergency Planners.

Although Polk County continually revises its plans, this is one of the first times it has worked closely with the private sector, Mumm said. However, this interaction with businesses beforehand could dispel misunderstandings about what each side will do during a disaster, he said.

"We have policies and procedures in place," said Jeff McClaran, an emergency manager with Wells Fargo & Co. and chairman of the Metro Emergency Planners."  It's important for us to make sure what we have in place is going to work well with the public responders."

Metro Emergency Planners also meets quarterly to discuss different issues, which are then worked on by various committees. The organization started just after the floods of 1993 and initially was composed of downtown businesses, but now its membership has expanded to encompass all of Greater Des Moines. Many of Iowa Contingency Planners’ members belong to the organization.

One of its main objectives in working with Polk County is to develop evacuation plans to avoid situations such as traffic jams if businesses let employees leave early because of bad weather.

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