NFPA awarded contract to update FEMA’s Ready Business web content

June 23, 2011 – The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has been awarded a contract by FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) to update the web-based content of Ready Business, part of the Ready.gov website. This effort will bring the content of Ready Business into alignment with the current (2010) edition of NFPA 1600, Standard on Disaster/ Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs.

The Ready Business website is designed to assist small and mid-size businesses in preparing for emergencies such as natural occurrences, technology failures, and accidental or intentional human-caused incidents. It addresses the concepts of business continuity and crisis management. The current Ready Business content was designed around the requirements of an earlier edition of NFPA 1600.

NFPA president James Shannon said: “We are pleased that FEMA has again chosen to use NFPA 1600 as the basis for the content in Ready Business. It is a unique preparedness standard as it addresses both business continuity and protection of employees – businesses’ and communities’ most valuable resource.”

NFPA 1600 has been recognized in the 9/11 Commission Report as well as the Homeland Security Act and its subsequent amendments, as a national standard for preparedness programs to protect enterprises and people. The FEMA Private Sector Preparedness Program, PS Prep, recognizes NFPA 1600 as a standard to which preparedness plans should be structured and measured. NFPA 1600 is available as a free PDF download or as a mobile app.