NCJ Number
215319
Journal
Homeland Protection Professional Volume: 5 Issue: 5 Dated: June 2006 Pages: 24-29
Date Published
June 2006
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article describes how the Wells Fargo Insurance Company helps to prevent and mitigate harms to clients from disasters while serving the financial interests of the company.
Abstract
The company focuses on ensuring the safety of company team members and customers while protecting the continuity of the business. This is done through uniform procedures for all team members; the use of Site Management Teams in key facilities; and the operation of the Enterprise Incident Management Team, a group of experts who guide emergency managers (EMs) through incidents. Every Wells Fargo office is trained in uniform emergency procedures for each type of disaster. In each of the company's 10 regions, a full-time regional EM supports approximately 25 site-based teams and plans. Regional EM's professional development includes ongoing education in emergency management, team facilitation, communication, decisionmaking and problemsolving, and leadership, supplemented by activities outside the company that include working as volunteers with the Red Cross and other emergency response organizations. The Enterprise Incident Management Team is the nucleus of Wells Fargo's incident response. The team's 20-25 members are based throughout the country, so a specific incident cannot involve more than a small number of team members at once. Team members are experts in five core areas: physical security, human resources, property management, communications, and business continuity planning. Of primary importance in the company operations is partnership among entities in the private and public sector in order to improve the resiliency and preparedness of the Nation's infrastructure in the face of terrorist attacks and other hazards. Information Sharing and Analysis Centers (ISACs) have been created in order to share infrastructure protection information and coordinate preparedness activities. The success of ISACs depends on their flexibility, consistency, regional scope, focus on critical infrastructure, clear participant requirements, and communication protocols.