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What is BEPA?
The Business Emergency Planning Association (BEPA)is a membership organization of the Cincinnati Area Chapter of the American Red Cross. BEPA's mission is to help its member organizations and the greater Cincinnati community minimize the economic and human impact of business disasters and interruptions by understanding and applying effective business continuity planning practices. BEPA provides organizations with educational and networking opportunities and information on service providers so that they may prevent, prepare for and efficiently respond to unplanned business interruptions.
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How does BEPA achieve its mission?
BEPA assists businesses with various aspects of business continuity planning through training events, reference materials, the guidance and perspective of our professional staff, networking, and vendor contacts. Through these activities, BEPA helps its members be prepared for any event that could disrupt their normal business operations and to restore those operations, such as data processing, telecommunications, safety and security, as quickly as possible.
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Why is the Red Cross involved in this way? Isn't this a little out of your normal scope?
The BEPA program is an extension of our core mission of providing disaster relief to families and communities. BEPA helps businesses take a proactive approach to minimize the impact of disasters. The Red Cross recognized that communities affected by a disaster have a more difficult or longer recovery when their business sector is slow to or unable to recover. Communities need the stability and revenue generated by a solid business sector. Unfortunately, a significant percentage of businesses affected by a disaster will eventually close. Preplanning is the most effective way to ensure that businesses will survive a disaster or business interruption.
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Isn't that why companies have insurance?
Insurance is an important and necessary aspect of disaster recovery, but it isn't the solution. Insurance doesn't win back customers that leave because you are unable to serve them or retain productive employees who see no future in a company that has been temporarily closed due to a disaster. An up-to-date and tested business continuity plan that addresses all the critical functions a business performs is the best way to insure your business will survive.
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What are some reasons organizations don't have these types of plans in place already?
There three common misperceptions about the need to develop and maintain contingency plans:

1. The number one reason is perceived invulnerability. People think that if they don't live in earthquake or hurricane territory, disasters don't apply to them. In reality, no business is immune from fire, storm damage, or other business interruptions such as power outages, workplace violence, employee or competitor sabotage, and media crisis. Moreover, a disaster doesn’t have to be aimed at your organization or building for your business to be affected. The Oklahoma City bombing targeted the Murrah Federal Building, but affected another 300 businesses -- some as many as ten blocks away.
2. Companies overestimate their insurance coverage and its benefits. As noted earlier, insurance doesn't cover loss of customers and employees that many result from a business interruption.
3. People think that they "react well under pressure" and, therefore, will make good decisions in a crisis. The reality is that even the most unflappable people do not make the best decisions in a crisis unless they have been trained to do so and no one can consider all of the ramifications of a crisis situation instantaneously.

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What are some disasters that have affected Cincinnati/Northern KY Area?
We may never have a hurricane in Cincinnati, but other disasters can, and have, affected us profoundly. Hazardous material spills, tornadoes, power outages, workplace violence, water main breaks, and even earthquakes have occurred in the greater Cincinnati area. Some of the more common disasters, such as fires and floods, have had equally devastating effects on local businesses. The floods of 1997 affected entire communities and businesses were shut down temporarily or in some cases permanently.
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How does BEPA get it's funding?
BEPA is a membership organization of the American Red Cross. Its operating budget is generated by dues paid by member organizations and fees charged for other services. We receive no funding from United Way or the American Red Cross.
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Do you write disaster recovery plans for BEPA members?
We believe that business continuity plans are most effective when the companies that will use them develop them. This ensures that the plan addresses the specific needs of the company and that the plan has the needed buy-in from key stakeholders. BEPA's role is to educate its members and provide them with the resources they need to plan effectively; this includes networking and vendor contacts, research, case studies, and an the perspective and guidance of our professional staff. If your company chooses to engage a company to create and write your plan, we have qualified and experienced vendor members who can assist you.
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Do small businesses need a plan?
Small businesses are more likely to feel the economic impact of a business interruption more immediately than larger organizations. Large businesses typically have cash reserves and the people power to carry them for a short time. Smaller businesses usually do not have that cushion and need to plan carefully to lessen and shorten the impact of a business interruption.
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What types of businesses should develop contingency plans?
Any organization can be affected by a disaster or business interruption and should plan for it. BEPA members represent many industries including health care, manufacturing, nonprofit, retail, financial, real estate, utilities, and communications/media. We recognize that most industries have unique planning needs and we help our members locate issue- and industry-specific resources.
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Why should I join BEPA?
BEPA allows you to belong to a very prestigious local organization that is affiliated to a world renowned organization called the American Red Cross. In addition, it affords you the opportunity to associate with local companies to network and gather information and a variety of opinions on any subject one chooses to discuss. You also have the opportunity to our vast network of information, resources and workshops.
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The costs for joining are high!
The current price structure has been revised to allow most companies to join a local organization with an affiliate to the American Red Cross at the cost of attending a few professional ballgames. If one factors in the cost of joining related to the number of your employees that can attend our local free workshops, access to our database of information and networking business partners, it is a bargain.
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What if I do not want to join, can I still attend your workshops?
Of course you can. We do not restrict anyone from attending our free membership workshops, however for non-members their will be a charge for attending. Being a member affords attending the seminar as an added benefit.
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I do not have the time to attend all the BEPA Workshops.
That is the beauty of joining BEPA. Normally when you join an organization only the member receives the benefits, but our membership is not restricted to the person who joined, but to any of the employees employed by the company that joined. This is a rarity in the industry.
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Is this membership Tax deductible
No.
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