Disaster control

1. Roles & Responsibilities

IT Team

• IT Disaster Recovery Manager
  • Develop and maintain the Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP).
  • Ensure backups, failover systems, and cloud recovery are tested regularly.
• Network & Systems Admin
  • Implement redundancy (dual ISP, load balancers).
  • Monitor critical systems for early warning signs.
• Security Officer
  • Ensure cybersecurity during disaster (prevent data breaches during chaos).
• Helpdesk
  • Communicate status updates and assist users during recovery.

Facilities Team

• Facility Manager
  • Maintain Business Continuity Plan (BCP) for physical infrastructure.
  • Coordinate evacuation and safety drills.
• Safety Officer
  • Ensure compliance with fire safety, emergency exits, and first-aid readiness.
• Vendor Coordinator
  • Activate emergency contracts for power, HVAC, security, and repairs.

Leadership

• Approve DRP & BCP.
• Communicate with stakeholders and clients during disaster events.

2. How to Control Disaster (Step-by-Step)

A. Prevention

• IT:
  • Regular backups (on-site + cloud).
  • Redundant network links and power (UPS + generators).
  • Patch management and security hardening.
• Facilities:
  • Fire suppression systems.
  • CCTV and access control audits.
  • Preventive maintenance for HVAC, electrical systems.

B. Preparedness

• Create Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) for IT and Business Continuity Plan (BCP) for facilities.
• Conduct mock drills (fire, earthquake, cyberattack).
• Maintain emergency kits (power banks, first aid, spare hardware).
• Vendor SLAs for emergency response.

C. Response

• Activate Incident Response Team.
• Switch to backup systems (cloud failover, secondary ISP).
• Evacuate staff if physical risk exists.
• Communicate via predefined channels (email, SMS, Teams).

D. Recovery

• Restore systems from backups.
• Validate data integrity.
• Resume operations in priority order (critical apps first).
• Post-mortem analysis and update DRP/BCP.

3. Key Components

• Risk Assessment: Identify potential disasters (fire, flood, cyberattack, power outage).
• Disaster Recovery Sites: Hot site (instant), Warm site (partial), Cold site (basic).
• Communication Plan: Who informs whom, escalation matrix.
• Vendor Readiness: ISP, AV, NW, CCTV, security, co-working partners.

4. Best Practices

• Implement ISO 22301 (Business Continuity Management).
• Regular DR drills and BCP audits.
• Maintain insurance coverage for IT and physical assets.
• Keep contact lists updated for emergency vendors and staff.