CFO GALLAGHER ON SCRIPPS FLORIDA

Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher helped Scripps Florida, a state-of-the-art biomedical research institute, move one step closer to becoming a reality. As a member of the Florida Cabinet, Gallagher approved putting Scripps Florida on the Jupiter campus of Florida Atlantic University (FAU).

“Scripps Florida is a monumental step toward diversifying our state’s economy and creating high-wage, high-tech jobs,” said Gallagher. “Now we need to concentrate our efforts on graduating Florida students who are qualified and ready to take advantage of the opportunities that Scripps Florida has to offer.”

The governor and Cabinet approved a new 99-year lease for FAU and 99-year sublease to establish Scripps Florida on the FAU campus, which is state-owned land. The governor and Cabinet serve as trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund, which holds title to the 30 acres on which Scripps Florida will operate.

In November 2003, Florida approved an investment of $310 million from federal economic development stimulus dollars to facilitate the start-up and operation of Scripps Florida to enhance biomedical education, research and technology, and to promote economic development and diversity in Florida.

2. Do we have a disaster plan in place to help ensure the safety of each staff person until help can arrive?

3. Are we prepared to stay open for business if our suppliers cannot deliver, our markets are inaccessible, or basic needs (e.g. water, sewer, electricity, transportation) are not available?

In creating your business self-assessment questionnaire, talk to your company's financial institution, insurance company and local public officials about continuation of operations planning.

After completing and analyzing your self-assessment, you will be better prepared to create a plan that will allow you to resume essential business operations as soon as possible. You should consider three subjects in building your business continuity plan:

1. Human resources

2. Physical resources

3. Business continuity

Here are several ideas to help you start your plan.

Employee contacts

• An employee list, including yourself. Include information such as phone numbers, address and person to contact in case of an emergency.

• Communication setup: Create a company phone list and give it to key members of your staff

• If you have a voice mail system, designate one remote number on which you can record messages for your employees. Then provide this number to all employees.

• Employee transportation — after the disaster, how will they get to you? Is there public transportation available?

• Employee payroll — how will you get their pay to them?

• Where can employees find help for housing? food? medical services?

• Child care for employee's children.

Suppliers and vendors

This list will be needed to contact your suppliers and vendors with post-disaster information. You should know and have a commitment from alternate suppliers in case your main suppliers are affected as well.

Administration function

• This list includes your banks, creditors, insurance companies and accountant.
• Emergency phone numbers, such as police, fire and rescue, and utilities.

• A list of government agencies and their phone numbers that can help you, such as the Department of Financial Services, county Economic Development Office, FEMA and Red Cross, to name a few.

• List time-sensitive functions — bills due, insurance claims filing and follow-up, state and federal assistance plans, payroll.

Business function

As owner, you need to decide which parts of your business function are critical to your survival and outline the details of each function. You will need to prioritize these functions into high, medium or low. Example: If the holder of office keys and alarm codes cannot get to the company, is there a backup person with this information?
Recovery Location

Who will make the decision to move to a prearranged site, such as another branch office, pre-contracted location. Who is in charge of the setup process? Do they have funds available to purchase supplies and equipment as needed?

Conclusion

This is not a comprehensive list. Communication and computers, for instance, were not addressed due to space constraints.

Every business, like your home, requires a disaster toolbox for stocking items that will be needed in an emergency. These should include a NOAA Weather alert radio, AM/FM radio, first-aid kits, flashlights, bottled water, nonperishable food, paper supplies, blankets, camera(s) and cash.

Once you have completed your plan, remember to store it in a safe environment.

The Florida Department of Financial Services provides hurricane information on our Web site, www.MyFloridaCFO.com.

Whenever a tropical storm or hurricane takes aim at our state, Florida's chief financial officer, Tom Gallagher, activates a special consumer help line through which you can seek assistance on any insurance matter. The number is 1-800-22-STORM (1-800-227-8676).