CEMA and the Calgary Chamber partner in business resiliency program

The City of Calgary and the Calgary Chamber of Commerce (the Chamber) are teaming up to help local businesses prepare for emergencies and disasters.

This summer, Calgary Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) staff will be visiting local businesses with information about how they can make their businesses more resilient. CEMA will distribute its brochure “Is your business prepared?” with supplemental information from the Chamber.

“To support business resiliency in our city, CEMA and the Calgary Chamber have collaborated to create a program that really helps businesses, especially small businesses, be better prepared. This summer we’ll be going door to door to share tools and resources, ” says Chief Tom Sampson, Calgary Emergency Management Agency.

Visits will first focus on areas that were affected by the 2013 flood and move to other areas including those with a high density of small businesses.

The business continuity brochure and supporting online tools help businesses understand the risks that they face, and develop strategies and plans to ensure continued operation during and after a disruption. Businesses are encouraged to sign up for the Chamber’s Emergency Business Contact database, which, in partnership with CEMA, facilitates timely communication with businesses about emergencies that could impact their operations.

“Whether it was the floods of 2013, the ‘Snowtember’ tree event, or the downtown power outage of this past year, it has become clear that all Calgary businesses need to be prepared to be resilient in case of business interruptions or disasters,” said Adam Legge, President and CEO of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce.

CEMA and the Chamber were both recently recognized internationally for their work on business continuity. CEMA’s brochure “Is your business prepared?” won second place in the Best Brochure Category from the National Association of Government Communicators (NAGC). The Chamber won the Best Unconventional Project Award in the World Chambers competition for their post-flood work on recovery and business continuity.

More information about business preparedness is available online at calgary.ca/cema and calgarychamber.com.