Louisiana Business Emergency Operations Center Relaunches Website and Network

LAFAYETTE, LA – The Louisiana Business Emergency Operations Center (LABEOC) invites the business community to visit LABEOC.ORG  to join the business network by registering or re-registering (if previously a member) as a partner connecting the public and private sectors for better resiliency. During a disaster, the public is welcome to visit the website to find in-depth reports, articles, and State news. 

Serving as an annex to the State Emergency Operations Center, the Center supports and connects the public, private and nonprofit sectors during a disaster. Launched in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2010, the LABEOC is led by the National Incident Management Systems and Advanced Technologies Institute, a division of the Informatics Research Institute (IRI) at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with support from the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness, and Louisiana Economic Development. Over the past 11 years, the LABEOC activated dozens of times in dedication to improving the ability of Louisiana businesses and nonprofits to prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural and human-caused disasters. The Center focuses on stability, resilience, and economic recovery for communities.

“The fastest way to disaster recovery is bringing all resources to the table,” said Jim Williams, Public-Private Partnership Operations Officer for IRI. “We help make connections between businesses and state agencies and share two-way communication.”The relaunch of LABEOC.ORG allows for greater accessibility to the latest news and information sharing for disasters and cybersecurity events including preparedness, aid, and recovery. Visit the website and follow @LABEOC on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Businesses should join the LABEOC Network to be part of a connected web of public, private, and nonprofit sectors working together during a disaster. If you signed up as a member in the past, you must re-register with LABEOC.ORG to be part of the relaunched network. Businesses supply contact information and details about the products and services they might be able to provide to support disaster response. Please make sure you are ready to do business and registered as a vendor with the Louisiana Division of Administration to be considered. Your participation is strictly for purposes of supporting and sharing with our public-private network during an emergency and will not be shared.

The LABEOC Network
• Connects private sector and public sector
• Provides the latest news and alerts to the business community
• Requests status updates from affected businesses and reports issues to the state
• Responds to resource requests as needed
• Sends quarterly newsletter and important notifications

In addition to joining the LABEOC Network, businesses should get involved with their local economic development or trade association before a disaster occurs to keep up with trends and targeted communication.

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