AT&T Florida President Makes Keynote Address at Florida Public Sector – Private Sector Disaster Preparedness Summit Luncheon

May 1 • 5 Views • View Comments

~AT&T is First Company in the Nation to Earn Homeland Security Certification for Disaster Preparedness~

DAYTONA BEACH – The Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) welcomed Marshall Criser, lll, president, AT&T Florida, as the keynote speaker during today’s luncheon at the Florida Public Sector – Private Sector Disaster Preparedness Summit. AT&T is the first company in the United States to receive emergency preparedness certification from the Department of Homeland Security’s Private Sector Preparedness (PS-Prep™) program.

“Florida is becoming the best state in the country to open, expand or move a business. Along with our great business climate, weather and beaches, we also know that hazards such as hurricanes are a real possibility in our state,” said Governor Scott. “This summit is part of how we are helping businesses to prepare for and recover more quickly from disasters.”

Through network expansions and dedication to the communities they serve, AT&T is committed to delivering the highest levels of service quality and reliability. This commitment is never more important than in time of crisis and has been recognized for their efforts. In March of this year, AT&T became the first private sector company in the United States to receive certification under the Department of Homeland Security’s PS-Prep™ program. PS-Prep™ certification validates that AT&T is able to maintain or recover its own business operations, including its network operations, in the face of an emergency or disaster, whether natural, man-made, or cyber in nature.

“Given our long-standing history in Florida where some of the strongest storms on record have made landfall, we have extensive experience in disaster preparedness and recovery,” said Criser. “And this certification from the Department of Homeland Security is proof of that. We’ve invested billions in our network operations to keep vital communications up and running for our first responders and customers in the face of disaster. We encourage other companies and private entities to seek certification under this program. Being proactive about continuity planning helps keep the country be as prepared as possible for emergencies.”

This week’s event marks the inaugural Florida Public Sector – Private Sector Disaster Preparedness Summit, which began Monday, April 30 and will last until noon tomorrow, Wednesday, May 2. The primary goal of the Summit is to continue the integration of the private sector into all phases of emergency management: preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation. Encouraging and supporting the creation of private sector coordination resources at the local level during disasters, increasing engagement and promoting the creation of public-private partnerships throughout State of Florida, and soliciting input from the private sector and local officials on potential training, exercise and future summit activities are all important objectives for the Summit.

“We are so pleased that Mr. Criser joined us today to talk about AT&T’s PS-Prep certification,” said DEM Director Bryan W. Koon. “This program speaks volumes about a company’s dedication to emergency preparedness and its commitment to its employees, customers and communities, and I congratulate AT&T on this achievement.”

The PS-Prep™ program enables private sector organizations to enhance their capabilities for planning, responding to and recovering from natural disasters and other threats. Designed to improve the preparedness of private sector and not-profit organizations through conformance to consensus-based preparedness standards and best practices, PS-Prep™ enables organizations to identify and implement the necessary steps for instituting and maintaining a comprehensive management system that addresses business continuity, organizational resilience, emergency and disaster management. PS-Prep™ is a voluntary program, primarily serving as a resource for private and non-profit entities interested in instituting a comprehensive business continuity management system.

Keep up with activities at the Summit and get the after action report on Twitter by following #FDEMsummit. To learn more about the 2012 Florida Public Sector – Private Sector Disaster Preparedness Summit and for a full agenda, visit http://www.floridadisaster.org/flppsummit2012/index.htm.

For more information on the Florida Division of Emergency Management and to GET A PLAN! visit www.FloridaDisaster.org. Follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/FLSERT and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/FloridaSERT.

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CONTACT: Public Information, (850) 413-9969
www.FloridaDisaster.org