SJ Magazine Profiles Unger, EPP

Hammonton, NJ – February 2004 – The February issue of SJ Magazine, published in Marlton, NJ, profiles Eileen Unger and the company she co-founded, Emergency Preparedness Partnerships of Hammonton, NJ.

Excerpts from the article:

….(Unger) has a positive outlook, yet she’s the authority on worst case scenarios. Three years ago, In January 2001, Eileen and two colleagues formed Emergency Preparedness Partnerships (EPP). Nine months later the unthinkable happened in out county, which made Eileen’s work more relevant and essential than ever.

(EPP) works with utilities, hospitals and a variety of companies to ensure that they have plans and standard operating procedures in place that prepare them for the unexpected. Eileen and her team meet with clients and analyze potential vulnerabilities that could affect their safe and continuous operation.

“Even small home-based businesses are susceptible to crises they may have never thought of,” says Unger. “They should at the very least have their computer files copied on disk and stored in another location. They should also have a back-up plan for their phones.”

….EPP is made up of people you’d want to have around prior to and during an emergency. They’re not only eminently qualified, but they’re willing to share information. ‘We’ll send out a check-list to any company that requests one,’ says Eileen. ‘People don’t generally want to think about being at risk, but we can help them anticipate ‘what if’ scenarios specific to their organization.

….After recent economic downturns and mergers, Eileen and her colleagues began to detect that an enormous void existed in the area of emergency preparedness for many organizations. “Positions were being eliminated, personnel were overworked and professionals with a tremendous amount of know-how were retiring,” says Eileen. “We wanted to recapture the staggering importance of being prepared in case of a manmade or natural disaster.”