The time to plan for a disaster is now…before a disaster takes place. Unfortunately, many educational institutions fail to develop a proper disaster preparedness and recovery plan.
But how does a university go about developing a disaster preparedness and recovery plan? Where do you start? And what are the most important disasters to be prepared for?
Backup Power: The number one culprit behind network and other system failure during a disaster is a power outage. Because of this, it is critical to connect network, security, and communication components to a reliable power source and an even more reliable emergency backup power source.
Contingency Plan: A good contingency plan will detail roles, responsibilities, and procedures associated with protecting and maintaining networks, security, and communication systems whenever a disaster strikes.
Priorities: What are the campus functions that must be maintained during a power outage or other disaster? The systems and data that support these functions must be prioritized during an emergency event.
Data Centers: A campus’ network is the backbone of its entire operation. Servers provide the fuel to drive applications, while bridges, routers, wireless hubs and other peripheral devices provide the connectivity to service the users on the network. When these devices lose power, the network cannot function.
Telecommunications: A campus’ telecommunications system is its lifeline to the outside world. Without it, campus officials shave no way of contacting emergency personnel.
Security Systems: A campus’ security system is just as important as its IT infrastructure in maintaining and protecting campus operations. Having adequate backup power for these security systems is critical!
- When an access control system goes down, entering or exiting facilities may not be possible.
- When security cameras and DVRs go down, the ability to monitor facilities during a crisis is gone.
- When a fire alarm system is not properly backed up, the entire campus population is at risk.
- Emergency communications systems also cannot run without adequate backup power.
In general, the cost and consequences of downtime can be much more damaging than the cost of putting a disaster preparedness and recovery plan in place.
For any further questions on Disaster Planning for Campuses, simply contact ARK Systems at 1-800-995-0189 or click here today.
When you consider how crucial security can be, and when you think of all the options that you’re faced with today, one thing becomes clear. You need a contractor with experience. For assessment, design, installation, testing and service, ARK is the expert across the board.
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