Many people know that business continuity planning is not a priority for most businesses until something happens. In order to gain both budget and cooperation during a disaster, businesses lean to external sponsorships like Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Red Cross, and Red Crescent. FEMA is an organization within the United States used to coordinate the response to disaster, which overwhelms the resources of local and state authorities (FEMA.gov, 2008). Red Cross and Red Crescent are international organizations providing humanitarian aide to protect human life and health, ensure respect for the human being, and to prevent and alleviate human suffering without any discrimination (Red Cross, 2003).
Red Cross and Red Crescent are relief assistance missions responding to large-scale emergencies worldwide, where as the President of the United States requests FEMA 's assistance after the governor of the state declares a state of emergency. Red Cross and Red Crescent can also take on humanitarian tasks of other nations that are not defined by
References: arnes, J. (2001). A Guide to Business Continuity Planning. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Retrieved October 11, 2008. MGT 417 - Business Continuity Planning and Management. FEMA.gov. (2008) United States Department of Homeland Security: FEMA. Retrieved October 11, 2008 from http://www.fema.gov/.