Earthquake Safety Tip: Get Under Your Desk ...and Get the ARCHIBUS Emergency Preparedness Application

If your response to the recent Virginia-centered earthquake affecting much of the Northeastern United States was to evacuate your building immediately, ARCHIBUS has these words of advice:

Not so fast!

While your instincts were understandable, your actions were inadvisable according to the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA). In fact, FEMA recommends getting under a desk to avoid injury and staying there until the initial tremor subsides, because:

1. The likelihood of a multi-story building collapsing during the initial tremor is considered very low by FEMA.
2. During a quake, most injuries occur when people attempt to move within a building (that has unsecured objects which can hit them); or when they flee outside, where falling shards of broken glass can injure those exiting the building.

While the chances of a building collapse may be low during an initial tremor, retrofitting your building to withstand future seismic shocks may now be higher on your to-do list. You’ll find some helpful advice by downloading FEMA's Engineering Guidelines for Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation brochure.

Whether disasters are courtesy of Mother Nature -- earthquakes, hurricanes like the recent and unexpectedly destructive Hurricane Irene, etc. – or of the man-made variety, such as the 9/11 attacks, they can cause tremendous dislocation and financial loss to organizations. That’s why the ARCHIBUS Emergency Preparedness application was developed to provide rapid access to critical facility, infrastructure and occupant information to ensure life safety procedures are followed, property is protected, and disruption to normal operations is minimized. Help mitigate risk and protect your most valuable assets with ARCHIBUS Emergency Preparedness.

California Electric Grid Regulator Achieves 97% "Exceptional" Customer Satisfaction Rating with ARCHIBUS

The California Independent System Operator Corporation (ISO) manages the flow of electricity across the high-voltage, long distance power lines that make up 80% of California’s power grid. After moving into its new LEED Platinum-certified headquarters in Folsom, California, a California ISO analysis led to the conclusion that it had to abandon its dysfunctional legacy facilities management system.

To create a real estate and facilities management system as cutting edge as its new headquarters building, California ISO chose a suite of ARCHIBUS applications that, after only a few months, were making measurable improvements in the ISO's operational efficiency, with the Campus Operations department achieving an "Exceptional" rating from 97% of surveyed customers during a recent period. Read more here.

Enroll Now in Fall ARCHIBUS Training Sessions

Summer is over and if you’re in a going-back-to-school frame of mind, ARCHIBUS offers a Fall line-up of classes to bring you up to speed on the latest capabilities, tips, and tricks. See if these courses can help you achieve even more success with your ARCHIBUS deployment. And register for them on-line:

• EU101 - Fundamentals
  November 07 - 10, 2011
  
• SA201 - System Administration
  November 14 - 16, 2011
  
• SI302 - System Integration: Basic
  December 12 - 13, 2011
  
• SI303 - ARCHIBUS System Integration: Advanced
  December 14 - 15, 2011

All classes are held in Boston, MA, at ARCHIBUS Inc.'s corporate offices, unless otherwise noted in the schedule.

In addition, customized courses can also be arranged for an organization's special requirements and delivered at your facility by contacting the Training Coordinator at training@archibus.com or calling 617-227-2508.