Category: Disaster Recovery Weekly

Data Center   Disaster Recovery   Disaster Recovery Weekly   Latest 0 comments on 4 Key Facility Areas to Prepare for Winter Weather

4 Key Facility Areas to Prepare for Winter Weather

As January winds down, cold spells continue to march across the country.

It begs the question: Are you prepared for the late arrival of winter?

Winter weather has now arrived in full force around the Gulf Coast and Southeastern US, and some are having flashbacks to Winter Storm Uri and the subsequent freezes.

Is your facility prepared for any winter weather that comes your way?

Here are our top four concerns to be prepared for as winter rolls on.

Be prepared for whatever winter brings

While there’s no guarantees with weather — it’s best to be prepared for anything. If you haven’t already, check on these important areas of concern.

  1. The potential for severe weather as cold fronts move through. Are you prepared for severe weather to impact your power supply? What emergency plans does your facility have in place today? Make sure you’ve removed debris and secured any stored material in preparation for high winds.
  2. Back-up generator maintenance. Are your battery and charging systems ready for a 30-degree temperature swing overnight? Do you have block heaters operational to keep engines ready to start during cold weather? Are your coolant systems at appropriate mixture/levels to survive a hard freeze?
  3. Cooling and HVAC systems. Are your chillers and chilled water systems insulated and freeze protected? Make sure your humidifiers are operational and prepared to add humidity. The goal here is to prevent static electricity from low relative humidity as cold, dry air dominates. What about your rooftop systems and drain/plumbing; are they freeze protected?
  4. Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS). Are your UPS well maintained and ready to support a critical load? For example; during an unplanned utility outage or generator issue?

Plan for the worst

We get it — investing money in “precautions” and planning for the “what-ifs” sounds like a lot of dollar signs on the chance of a possibility.

But, trust us, you do not want to be on the other end, wishing that you had been prepared.

Did you know the average cost of downtime can be up to $11,600 per minute? That can really add up quickly.

In winter weather, temperatures can go from 80 degrees to 30 degrees in less than 12 hours.

At FIBERTOWN, you can be sure that we are always prepared for the worst. Our customers depend on it.

Do you have a backup plan?

Putting your emergency plans down on paper ensures that everything goes smoothly when you need to activate it. And make sure everyone has access to the plans — in an offline environment.

Year-long diligence with preventative maintenance will help prevent failures when unplanned outages occur.

For you and your employees – prevent a bad day from getting worse! If your company is working from home, what is the plan if the internet goes out?

FIBERTOWN is prepared with disaster recovery office space should you need it. Contact us today to chat about specs and your needs. We’re here to help!

Data Center   Disaster Recovery   Disaster Recovery Weekly   Latest 0 comments on ‘Tis the Season for Hurricane Readiness

‘Tis the Season for Hurricane Readiness

Hurricane and tropical depression hazards come in a variety of forms, including storm surges, high winds, tornadoes and flooding.

The steps you take before the storm are critical.

Having an emergency weather plan in place is imperative to handle the disaster — as well as your recovery.

What should you do before a hurricane strikes?

The most important part of your plan is being prepared. Consider these steps before a hurricane threatens your area:

     1. Prepare your emergency plan.
  • Develop or review your emergency plan, train your staff and run practice drills.
  • Include communication pieces for staff and contact information for your police/fire/gas/electrical providers and insurance carrier.
     2. Create basic life safety tasks.
  • Have evacuation or shelter procedures in place.
  • Train people in first aid, medical procedures, CPR, etc.
     3. Prepare emergency kits.
  • Have first aid and emergency safety kits on hand that are fully stocked with updated materials: non-perishable foods, bottled water, blankets, clothing, flashlights and batteries.
     4. Prepare your building.
  • Inspect your roof to ensure it will withstand hurricane-force winds and rain.
  • Consider adding hurricane clips, gable end bracing, hurricane-proof doors, and hurricane shutters.
  • Store materials such as plywood, screws, caulk, and sandbags to deploy quickly if a hurricane approaches.
  • Inspect your sump pump and replace batteries so you don’t rely on electrical power.
     5. Have a business continuity plan.
  • Establish a business continuity plan to maintain and resume operations during and after the hurricane.
  • Back up important data stored on computers to external hard drives or cloud storage.

What should you do when a hurricane is approaching?

Time becomes a critical factor when you know you’re in the path of a hurricane. Be decisive and heed the warnings of local emergency management officials.

     1.Keep people safe and informed.
  • Your priority in any emergency is to keep people safe.
  • Start activating a phone chain for updates.
     2. Move your valuables and documents to a safe location.
  • Raise items above floor level and or store them in a safe place, dry and up high.
  • Shut down computers and electronics.
     3. Secure your building.
  • Close and secure all doors.
  • Shut off electricity.

What happens once the storm is over?

When the skies clear and all emergency issues are resolved, you enter the recovery stage.

     1. Designate specific individuals to return to the site.
  • Work in teams and assess any damage.
  • Contact utility contractors.
  • Conduct basic repairs as necessary to secure the facility afterwards.
     2. Communicate with all team members to provide a status report.
  • Determine if the damages are severe enough to restrict usage or implement a temporary relocation plan.
  • Coordinate volunteer cleanup efforts.
     3. Follow up with your insurance carrier.
  • Report any damages that occurred to the claims team.
     4. Re-assess your plans.
  • It is critical that you and your team assess how well your safety action plan worked.
  • Are there improvements you could make? Should you consult with industry experts and learn how to better prepare?

The best preparations will help your team be ready for any storm.

FIBERTOWN data centers are built to withstand winds of 135 MPH, have generator backup in case utilities shutdown, and have personnel in our NOC 24/7/365 — even during a hurricane.

We’re always there to help whenever you need.

If you’re looking for disaster recovery office space, call FIBERTOWN today.