Today, most Americans will think for at least a moment about 9-11. Those of us who work in New York's financial district think about it more often thanks to constant reminders — most notably Ground Zero and the security checkpoints. Rather than wait for the official memorial in 2012, I encourage those of you who visit New York to take a look at Ground Zero as well as the temporary memorial in Battery Park.
This being TechnoLawyer, did 9-11 teach us any managerial or technology lessons? Yes. These five in particular:
• When telephone networks get jammed, don't panic. Instead, use e-mail, instant messaging, and the Web to communicate. On 9-11, we published a brief newsletter suggesting that TechnoLawyer members experiencing telephone problems try using the Internet. Many TechnoLawyer members thanked us, admitting that they had not considered the Internet. Nowadays, perhaps no one would need such a reminder, but people still have an inclination to reach for the phone during emergencies, which ties up the lines.
• At the very least, keep a radio with batteries and several flashlights at the office. It also couldn't hurt to have a spare battery for your laptop. A cell phone with e-mail capabilities would enable you communicate on the go with a large group of people — provided your network stays up.
• Store your firm's e-mail, computer files, and other electronic data offsite on at least a weekly basis. Replacing computers and even software is relatively easy. Not so data. For data, many solutions exist — from dedicated online backup services to using your own hosted FTP server. For e-mail, you can choose from a growing number of providers. TechnoLawyer sponsor NTT America recently published a white paper about e-mail archiving entitled Hosted Archiving for Peace of Mind.
• Create an emergency plan for your firm. Even a simple one is better than none at all. For example, set up an e-mail list using an easy-to-remember address (everyone@yourdomain.com) so that employees can easily reach everyone at the firm. Maintain a firmwide address book, including contact information for a spouse or other family member to contact in the event you cannot reach a colleague.
• Educate your staff about where they work. On 9-11, the subways stopped running. Those who knew about alternative forms of egress from the financial district (back streets, bridges, ferries, etc.) had an advantage.
Let's hope none of us will ever need to put our emergency plans into motion.
About TechnoEditorials
A TechnoEditorial is the vehicle through which we opine and provide tips of interest to managing partners, law firm administrators, and others in the legal profession. TechnoEditorials appear first in TechnoGuide, and later here in TechnoLawyer Blog. TechnoGuide, which is free, also contains exclusive content. You can subscribe here.
