On October 15, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced three proposed standards to independently certify the emergency preparedness of the private sector. The proposed standards are part of the Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Accreditation and Certification Program, or PS-Prep. The following standards were placed in the Federal Registry Notice with a 30-day comment period:

• ASIS SPC.1-2009: Organizational Resilience Standard
• BS 25999: British Business Continuity Standard
• NFPA 1600: National Fire Protection Agency Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Standard

The standards are to be used as part of the PS-Prep certification process by an accredited third party. While participation in the program is voluntary, DHS strongly encourages all private sector entities to seek certification on one or more of the final DHS standards. The electric utility sector is a leader in emergency preparedness, and continues to work with DHS and other federal agencies as these standards are developed and implemented.

• Find out more about PS-Prep and the proposed standards.
• Learn more about the electric utility industry’s commitment to business continuity.