William G. Raisch
Chair, Working Group on Private Sector Preparedness
The Greater New York Safety Council

WILLIAM G. RAISCH

As Chairman of the Working Group on Private Sector Preparedness, Mr. Raisch works to promote preparedness in conjunction with some of America's largest corporations as well as small and medium-sized businesses, industry and professional associations, non-profit organizations and critical public sector entities. The Working Group in cooperation with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) recommended the new National Private Sector Preparedness Standard in support of the 9-11 Commission's activities and the Department of Homeland Security. Under his leadership, The Working Group also developed recommendations for and is actively involved in the implementation of this national initiative including strategies for both incentives and education.

Mr. Raisch is also the founding Executive Director of The International Center for Enterprise Preparedness (InterCEP). InterCEP is the world’s first major academic center dedicated to private sector crisis management and business continuity. Businesses and other private sector organizations set the initial mission of the Center and remain engaged on an ongoing basis in its evolution. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security provided the core funding for this initiative to create a truly international resource for education and research in this vital area.

Mr. Raisch is a member of the national professional committee responsible for the ongoing promulgation and evolution of the National Preparedness Standard (ANSI-NFPA 1600 Technical Committee on Disaster/Emergency Management & Business Continuity). He also serves as a member of the Private Sector Committee of the Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP) and as a member of the Homeland Security Standards Panel of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

Mr. Raisch is a member of FEMA's Master Trainer Program and has developed several targeted emergency management training programs in consultation with FEMA and other authorities. He has received extensive training at FEMA's Emergency Management Institute at the National Emergency Training Center where he developed a practicum training program on the "Development and Review of Organizational Emergency Management Plans." Bill has developed an organizationally focused adaptation of FEMA's Community Emergency Response Team program. He has also received training from NYPD's Counter-Terrorism Division, the Disaster Recovery Institute, the US Coast Guard, the American Red Cross as well as other organizations.