Crisis and Adverse Events Overview

Information to help you prepare your business for adverse events and overcome them.

Crisis priority checklist

What are your immediate, top priorities in a crisis? You may not have time to search the web in a crisis situation, so print this out now and put it somewhere handy.

People

• Where are family and staff?
• Who needs to be contacted, how can they be contacted, and who will do it? 
• Will anybody need help? 
• How will they get home? 

Stock

• How safe are they, and for how long?
• Is the water supply adequate?
• Do they need shifting, feed, shelter?
• Will they stray if electric fences are shorting or not working?
• Can they be milked as normal?
• Are boundary fences intact?
• Don't forget your dogs, chooks and pets.

Power

• Is the power off or likely to go off?
• Is it a general power cut, or is it just your farm?  Is it just one phase, or all three?
• Has the power company been contacted?  How long before the power is likely to come back on?
• Is an emergency generator available?
• What is the highest priority for the generator?  Vat refrigeration? Water pumping? Household use? Milking?

Phones

• Are landlines working?  Remember, cordless phones depend on mains power, so have at least one standard phone that does not require power
• Are cellphones working?  Keep yours with you.
• Are neighbours' phones working?
• Do you have a walkie-talkie that can be used?

Radio

• Have someone listen to a battery powered radio for weather updates and emergency information - a transistor, car or cellphone radio.

Feed supplies

• How are the pastures affected?
• How much supplementary feed is on hand?  What type is it?

Buildings

• What damage has occurred?
• What needs to be done immediately?
• Who will do it?

Access

• Are vehicles or tractors usable?
• Are drives/tracks clear?
• Are the roads open?

Neighbours

• Are neighbours ok?
• Can they help?
• Do other people in more vulnerable situations need help?

Emergency contacts

Compile your own list here: