Bringing Businesses Together to Help Respond to Disasters

The U.S. private sector, which owns and operates nearly 85 percent of the nation’s critical infrastructure, has myriad resources to aid disaster response and recovery. These range from basic necessities, such as food and safe drinking water, to communications and energy networks, and organizational and technical expertise.

The availability of these resources can dramatically affect relief efforts. But often, there is confusion about what disaster survivors need and how companies can contribute most effectively. An unplanned response can result in non-critical donations clogging transportation networks, which delays the arrival of essential supplies and diverts the attention of emergency workers.

Business Roundtable, a membership organization of nearly 160 CEOs from leading U.S. companies, launched the Partnership for Disaster Response in 2005, following the Asian tsunami. Our goal is to expand corporate commitment to disaster response beyond financial contributions.

The Partnership for Disaster Response works to:
• Enhance the efficiency of the private sector’s disaster response
• Foster public-private collaborations to prepare for the health, social and economic burdens that disasters can create
• Ensure that the business community’s response efforts address the most critical needs
• Mobilize the technologies and resources of Business Roundtable’s member companies

The Partnership for Disaster Response helps businesses develop plans and identify deployable resources for the three key phases of disaster response:
• Prepare – Establish business continuity plans, employee assistance and volunteer programs and communications channels that can be activated when a disaster strikes.
• Respond – Mitigate the impact of a disaster by immediately identifying and providing needed supplies and technology as well as appropriately directing cash contributions.
• Recover – Deploy volunteers, support affected employees and set priorities for helping communities.

Fostering Public-Private Partnerships

Collaborations

The Partnership for Disaster Response works closely with U.S. and international relief agencies to galvanize the business community to help accelerate the organization’s on-the-ground relief and recovery activities after major disasters. The Partnership has developed an emergency protocol that outlines how the business community will communicate with the American Red Cross and the federal government immediately following a U.S. disaster.

We have also developed an emergency protocol with the Interagency Working Group on how global relief agencies will work with the business community to communicate urgent needs on the ground following a disaster. Members of the Interagency Working Group include CARE, Catholic Relief Services, International Rescue Committee, Mercy Corps, Oxfam, Save the Children and World Vision.

The Partnership for Disaster Response has worked with its partners to respond to numerous national and international disasters, including the Asian tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, South Asia earthquake, California wildfires, Myanmar cyclones, China earthquake and Hurricanes Ike and Gustav.

Business Roundtable companies supported recovery efforts by contributing financial and in-kind resources including:
• Replacement medicines and medical supplies
• Information technology and communications equipment
• Cars, trucks and fuel cards
• Mortgage relief and deferred vehicle financing
• Temporary housing
• Pre-cooked food
• Personal care products
• School supplies
• Employee volunteers