Fortunately, no one was in the building; it was being renovated and a plumber accidentally started the fire with a welding tool.

Unfortunately, the neighbors were forced to evacuate their buildings.

Also unfortunately, because the buildings were so close together, the fire fighters dragged hoses through the neighboring buildings and smashed out windows to protect the adjacent buildings and to try to douse the flames across the easement.

The fire and the damage was to residential buildings so, except for the residents of the adjacent buildings, no one was seriously inconvenienced.

The Business Continuity lesson: your neighbors are a risk.

Not just fires

Fires at the neighbors' facilities are not the only risk your organization faces.

As the Trade Center towers crumbled, adjacent buildings were damaged or destroyed. The City's Emergency Operations Center (EOC) had to be evacuated and the alternate EOC activated.

I created a plan for an Israeli company's U.S. headquarters. First thought: "If it's Israeli, it probably is a terrorist target."

But talking with the HR manager, I discovered that a greater threat of terrorist targeting was next door at an insurance company staffed largely by former U.S. military officers and senior enlisted personnel.

That neighbor company had a pretty good security plan in place which added, not lessened, my concerns. If a terrorist decided to forego attacking the insurance company, he - or she - might go for a neighboring building just to "make a statement." The terrorist could be a person with a grudge against officers or the military and not be the least anti-Israel; my client would simply be an opportune alternative.

Work (in)actions are another concern.

While my client may have a long term contract and excellent relations with its unions, the neighbor may have a contentious relationship with the unions.

If a strike is called, pickets and "passers by" might seriously interfere with access to my client's facilities. I need to find, and publicize, alternate routes to work or assure that my client can meet the SLAs from remote locations - home offices, alternate work site. I want to make certain the health and welfare of the organization's most critical resource is not endangered.

 

What goes on next door?

It might be called "nosey" by some, but to a Business Continuity planner, it's just good business to know what the neighbors do and how they do it.

Does the neighbor use any toxic or noxious chemicals? Where are they stored? Next to my building? Up wind, down wind? Do we share common water lines into which chemicals might leech? What about storm and sanitary sewer lines.

While I'm sure the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or a local variation thereof knows of the chemicals and had at least visited the neighbor site, "things happen" between inspections. I don't want those "things" to jeopardize my operation.

Because I know what a truck loaded with spiced up fertilizer can do to a building, I might want to know what companies regularly deliver to my neighbors. FedEx, UPS, Yellow, Overnite? That doesn't necessarily mean I need to hit the panic button if a Ryder rental pulls up, but if the truck is pulled up on "my" side of the building, I might want to know which way the driver went when he - or she - left the truck. (If the driver waked away from the building, I would be sufficiently concerned to move my people away from windows nearest the truck.)

 

More than neighboring buildings

While I want to know what my neighbors are doing, and what they are using to do "it," I also am concerned with area business which may, or may not have buildings close by.

Businesses such as railroad tracks. Businesses such as airports.

Businesses such as seaports and barge canals.

And the highways between them.

Accidents happen. Most incidents are "terrorist free." A tanker derails and spills it contents or its contents escape into the air.

Same with a truck. Perhaps a trailer is loaded with livestock on the way to an abattoir. Traffic can be tied up for much longer than you may imagine.

If an airport is a near neighbor, is your organization in the take-off and landing path? Planes DO make unscheduled landings in less than optimum locations.

Even in the poshest industrial or office "park," it pays to know your neighbors and the envrionment.

Organizations are well advised to form a commercial version of a "Neighborhood Watch" so that each knows something about the other and the risks each may be bringing to the neighborhood.

There is no reason for paranoia, but for as for me, if my neighbor is using toxic chemicals and there is a fire, I want to know what might be released into the air or go "boom" so I can protect my people, my vendors, and my visitors accordingly.

Maybe I'll wander over to my neighbors and ask to see the "public" Business Continuity plan for the facility.

I don't what my neighbor's risk to be my disaster.

 

 

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John Glenn, MBCI, has been helping organizations of all types avoid or mitigate risks to their operations since 1994. Comments about this article, or others at http://johnglenncrp.0catch.com/ may be sent to JohnGlennCRP @ yahoo.com.