Preparing Nassau Businesses

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Business is the lifeblood of our county. To ensure the county's economic resiliency businesses must be ready to survive the unforeseen. Whether it is a hurricane, wildfire or manmade disaster, county businesses must take the steps necessary to ensure their survival in the face of these threats.

Corporate Emergency Access System (CEAS)

nassau.s.front.jpg Nassau County is home to over 150,000 businesses employing over 800,00 people. It is critical that both government and business be well prepared to quickly respond to and recover from an emergency. OEM and BNet, in cooperation with the Nassau County Police Department, introduced the Corporate Emergency Access System (CEAS) in 2006 as part of the County's plan to assist business recovery during times of crisis. The Nassau County CEAS program compliments CEAS programs in New York City and Suffolk County.

CEAS authorizes critical business employees to access restricted areas following an emergency through the use of a secure credential issued by BNet and recognized by law enforcement. CEAS-credentialed employees can work to shut down or sustain core business functions until normal entry is restored.

CEAS is the only program recognized by the NCPD, local Police Departments and OEM that allows emergency access to businesses. The next time there is a major business disruption to your work location, CEAS may help you limit financial loss, retain customers, and get you back in business faster. CEAS may enable you to:

  • Gain faster access to your business when access is restricted
  • Rescue vaulted assets such as cash, checks, receipts, and certificates
  • Retrieve vital records such as contracts, invoices, customer records, insurance documents, tax records, and licenses
  • Shut down technology systems
  • Retrieve critical equipment such as laptops and servers
  • Retain customers

To enroll or find out more about CEAS (link to CEAS.com)

CEAS Frequently Asked Questions

HOW IS CEAS ACTIVATED?

In an emergency, public safety officials must determine that granting limited access to the affected area is safe before CEAS can be activated. When appropriate, Nassau County officials will activate the system and notify members through local media and via direct contact from BNet. NOTE: Public safety officials managing restricted areas may limit or deny access to CEAS cardholders at any time due to changing conditions.

WHAT KIND OF CREDENTIALING DOES CEAS OFFER?

Given the diverse needs of businesses in Nassau County, the CEAS program provides different credentialing options.

  • Standard Card: a photo ID that provides access to a specific location for a specific individual.
  • Multi-Facility Card: is made available to participants with multiple worksites within a given jurisdiction. [Card allocations are granted on a limited basis.]
  • All Area Access Card: a photo identification card that is issued to a specific individual critical employee and/or essential service provider for access to ALL participant facilities within the sponsoring jurisdiction.[Cards are allotted only with the direct approval of the City.]
  • State Insurance Adjuster Program: Provides "C" level Flex Cards for insurance adjusters who apply through the NYS Insurance Department.This allows maximum flexibility for insurance companies who may be required to bring in adjusters from out of state.

WHICH EMPLOYEES SHOULD BE ENROLLED IN CEAS?

Credentialed employees should be those who best protect and secure your assets. Consider needs such as damage assessment, technology shutdowns, critical data and document retrieval or removal, and physical protection and building restoration when selecting employees for enrollment.

HOW DO I ENROLL MY COMPANY IN CEAS?

You can enroll your company in CEAS online. Before enrolling, it is important to gather some information that will simplify online enrollment and training processes:

  • Designate a coordinator who will be responsible for administration of the program within your company.
  • Determine the company location(s) to enroll in the program.
  • Identify which employees will take part in CEAS at each location.
  • Create employee lists with e-mail addresses for each facility you will need to access.
  • Determine which employees will require access to multiple facilities and identify the facilities they will need to access.

WHY ARE ONLY BUSINESSES ALLOWED INTO THIS PROGRAM?

Businesses are allowed access on a small scale and for specific purposes. Residential recovery and repopulation will be handled separately by the County's public safety agencies.