Now is the time to register for DRI2012, our first-ever conference to be held May 20-23 in New Orleans. It's only 15 days away! And just in case you didn't know, we offered a few special discounts. Unemployed certified professionals get a free full-conference pass. And those of you who also are members of other industry organizations (like ACP and CPE) may be eligible for a discounted rate. Call our Customer Care Center at (866) 542-3744 for details.

   Find Out About the Foundation!

Take 15 minutes out of your day to learn more about the Disaster Recovery International Foundation and see some of the exciting items up for grabs in our silent auction. The "DRI Foundation FAQs" webinar will raise awareness of the foundation and its projects, let you know how you can get involved, and answer your questions.

The webinar will be held Thursday, May 10 from 2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. E.D.T.; click here to register now. DRI Foundation Chair AnneMarie Staley and DRI Foundation Fundraising Chair, Michele Verdino Ostler, will be online to talk about the foundation and the auction. DRI Foundation Director of Volunteerism, Clyde Berger, will be on the webinar to tell you all about the rewards of volunteering, about his many trips to New Orleans and how each time he got far more than he gave.

In the meantime, be sure to visit the silent auction site (and fess up if you're the one who outbid me on that hot air balloon ride!). The auction is running online now through May 16 and culminates in the on-site silent auction on Tuesday, May 22, during the DRI2012 conference. The auction will raise funds for the foundation's charitable works.

Maybe You'll Meet Your Match!

Being the business continuity person can be tough on personal relationships. You're always on duty and you can be called away at any time. Maybe we should take a hint from doomsday preppers and start our own dating site. I'll let you all take action on that (OR NOT!). Until then, there's Survivalist Singles because no one should have to face the future alone, especially when you're expecting the apocalypse!

Check out this classic Dilbert video clip. It's the perfect icebreaker for a BCP information meeting...or the perfect end-of-week laugh for your continuity co-workers!   While I'm positive all of your plans are better than cartoon continuity, I'm also sure you can identify with the primal scream. Enjoy and file it away for future use.

There's a lot of talk about ISO 22301, a new international business continuity management standard. The final draft was recently approved and it is expected to be available sometime later this year. It's officially being called "ISO 22301 Societal security -- Business continuity management systems," but we're more interested in what YOU have to say about it.

And that's why ISO 22301 is the subject of this week's one-question survey. Click here to take the super-quick survey, get the results next week, and in the meantime join the discussion already underway on our LinkedIn.

Last week's survey asked about social media. We wanted to know if you incorporate social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.) into your business continuity and/or crisis communications plans. And results show that not many of you do. Only 6 percent use Twitter, and other social media outlets didn't fare much - if any - better. But the comments were telling and fodder for discussion for sure.

For complete survey results, to read the comments, and to join a discussion on BCP and Social Media, visit our LinkedIn.  

When we left off last week, I was telling you about the bond created between New Orleans and New York City in the aftermath of 9-11. I spoke of a fire truck built for New York City. (I mistakenly referred to it as the Pride of Louisiana. For that I apologize; the name is the Spirit of Louisiana.)

Today, a bit more about that truck and its remarkable story. When Ron Goldman from Louisiana decided that New Yorkers needed help, he took action. He placed a call to a the weekly radio show of the then governor Mike Foster suggesting that a fire truck be built and sent to New York City to help replace those lost on 9-11. And soon thereafter the "Bucks for Trucks" fundraising drive began. School kids donated their lunch money and held fund raisers. Many other organizations got on board, and fundraising yielded $1.2 million. Within 45 days, the "Spirit of Louisiana" was built! And there was enough money left to build two more trucks (all told, Louisiana sent 9 vehicles).

As the truck headed north to be delivered it was met along the way at the state lines by local fire companies. It is said that as the truck passed through Mississippi some 100 fire trucks provided an escort. Many folks from Louisiana proudly accompanied the truck on its trek to New York City. It was quite an achievement for a very poor state...and Louisianans were proud.

At the time I worked as the Global Director of BCP for Avaya - the same company Ronnie Goldman worked for. A dear friend at Avaya came to my office one rainy morning in the very late fall of 2002 and said, "we are going to Brooklyn, come on get your coat." I said, "Marty, what's in Brooklyn." To which he replied, they are dedicating another fire truck from Louisiana in Brooklyn, and we are meeting Ronnie Goldman there. So, we went from our mid-town Manhattan office to Brooklyn and saw the dedication and even got to climb aboard. And in some small way we became a part of history. Ron Goldman, when we spoke last week, said, "I'm just a telephone guy not a firefighter." But he was welcomed into the community of fire fighters because he simply belonged.

The story clearly does not end there. Roll the tape forward to Katrina. The city of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast was devastated. Lives were lost, homes destroyed, hospitals knocked out of service, and fire- fighting equipment was destroyed as well.   New York City (being far more friendly and caring than we sometimes get credit for!) realized that its sister city in the south needed help.

After a few phone calls between New York and Louisiana, a contingent of FDNY fire-fighters headed to Louisiana. It was one day after Katrina hit, and leading the 400-plus fire fighters and some 15 support vehicles was the "Spirit of Louisiana." Proudly leading the brave FDNY firefighters back to where it was built. The "Spirit of Louisiana" was symbolic of the bravery, pride, and resiliency both cities shared in the aftermath of great tragedies. Some stories report that NYC sent exactly the same number of men it had lost on 9-11.   They worked on fixing roofs and helping rebuild, while supporting the local fire departments. The bond is strong and the will and desire to help each other unique.

The "Spirit of Louisiana" is still in service in Louisiana (a permanent gift from NYC) and has had an overhaul or two, but it does duty wherever needed in Louisiana and is truly a symbol of pride for the people of Louisiana and Ronnie Goldman. And it is in that spirit that I head back to New Orleans to offer my help and hope, and it is in that spirit that I invite you to join me.

Clyde Berger

Disaster Recovery International Foundation

Director of Volunteerism and Vice President