Earthquake Insurance Basics:

Two Simple Ways to Better Prepare Your Business for an Earthquake
Do you know how your business would react in the event of an earthquake? In addition to asking your insurance carrier about earthquake insurance and mitigation techniques, there are two steps you can take to prepare.

1. Create an official document making information accessible during an earthquake for better and faster communication. Include these earthquake protection tips in your plan:

• Assess your facility's vulnerability to earthquakes. Ask local government agencies for seismic information for your area.
• Inspect your facility for any item that could fall, spill, break or move during an earthquake. Take steps to reduce these hazards:
• Move large and heavy objects to lower shelves or the floor. Hang heavy items away from where people work.
• Secure shelves, filing cabinets, tall furniture, desktop equipment, computers, printers, copiers and light fixtures.
• Secure fixed equipment and heavy machinery to the floor. Larger equipment can be placed on casters and attached to walls with tethers.
• Add bracing to suspended ceilings, if necessary.
• Install safety glass where appropriate.
• Secure large utility and process piping.
• Keep copies of design drawings of the facility to be used in assessing the facility's safety after an earthquake.
• Establish procedures to determine whether an evacuation is necessary after an earthquake.
• Designate areas in the facility away from exterior walls and windows where occupants should gather after an earthquake if an evacuation is not necessary.
• Conduct earthquake drills.
• If indoors during an earthquake, stay there. Take cover under a sturdy piece of furniture or counter, or brace yourself against an inside wall. Protect your head and neck.
• After an earthquake, stay away from windows, skylights and items that could fall.
• Use stairways to leave the building if it is determined that a building evacuation is necessary. DON'T USE THE ELEVATORS.
• Have your facility inspected by a structural engineer. Develop and prioritize strengthening measures.
• Have disaster supplies on hand:
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Portable battery-operated radio and extra batteries
• First aid kit and manual
• Emergency food and water

2. Fill in the gaps left by most earthquake insurance policies. Even the best policies don't always cover everything. In fact, most won't keep your business operational in the event it sustains serious structural damage or loss of equipment. That creates a break in business continuity—setting you up for operational losses beyond the physical ones. How can Agility help you plug up the holes?

Agility's ReadySuite: A Complete Mobile Recovery Solution
A membership with Agility's ReadySuite ensures you have a mobile office to keep your business running, even if your physical space is completely destroyed. You're provided with emergency space and equipment, including computers, servers, and satellite telephone and internet link-ups—all within 48 hours of an emergency declaration.

Stay Connected With Customers—Before They Connect With Someone Else
If your business is destroyed, insurance will pay to rebuild it. But how do you maintain operations while rebuilding? Most customers won't wait in the interim: they'll take their business elsewhere.

ReadySuite is a simple, turn-key solution that lets you continue operations without interruption, regardless of the circumstance. Take the guesswork out of ensuring business continuity in the wake of a disaster. With ReadySuite, continuity and peace of mind can be yours. All for an affordable $200 a month.

ReadySuite Is Virtually Risk-Free
If there ever was an event, most business interruption insurance policies will cover the cost of ReadySuite. (Verify that's the case with your provider.) That makes ReadySuite a virtually risk-free way to ensure your business survival.

Call to learn why ReadySuite has a 100% success rate—and how its mobile recovery solutions can be applied to your business. Your call will be returned in one business day.

Be prepared in the event of any disaster—natural or otherwise. Learn more about Agility's ReadySuite.

Other Resources
Agility partner links.

To learn more about earthquake insurance, visit the Federal Emergency Management Administration's site at: www.fema.gov/hazards/earthquakes

For information on California earthquake insurance legislature, visit the California Earthquake Authority: www.earthquakeauthority.com

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) www.noaa.com