The Disaster Game uses game play and the element of chance to create thousands of unique and engaging disaster scenarios. These scenarios can be used for awareness training or the testing of an organization's business continuity plans. The Disaster Game features:
- 52 Card Events deck divided into four suits by plan type (Response, Relocation, Resumption, Recovery).
- 52 Card Variables deck to add depth and detail to the initial Event
- Dice for determining Day of Week, Time of Day, Weather, and for Variable selection
- CD-ROM with fully hyper-linked copies of both decks for remote presentation or for use in a larger group setting.
I spent seven years leading the Business Recovery side of the Business Continuity program for TD Banknorth. I worked with the various business lines in the creation, maintenance, and testing of their Business Continuity plans. In all, I oversaw more than 200 plans and guided the efforts of more than 400 business line plan builders, owners, and auditors. With testing a yearly regulatory requirement, this lead to a lot “something happened to your building, what do you do?” or “something happened to your systems, what do you do?” moments. I spent many nights thinking of ways to make this process easier, more engaging, and more effective, and ended up with a concept for a disaster “game.”
I presented the concept at an industry conference in 2007 and, quite simply, people went nuts over it. A year later, we went back to the same conference to officially launch The Disaster Game. Since then, we have sold to more than 100 organizations worldwide, including Starbucks, Xerox, T-Mobile, and the U.S. Treasury.
In 2009, we added The Disaster Game Live! (facilitated exercise events) tot he product line, and piloted a Family Edition for family and individual preparedness. We are currently developing a Web edition of the tool that will be like a flight simulator for disasters, immersing participants in the action with a multimedia role-based simulation engine.
In February, we kick off a 28-city North American tour to put The Disaster Game in another 3,000 customer hands, introduce a two-deck expansion set, the re-designed Family edition, and build awareness for the upcoming web edition.
Inventor: Bill Ashland
I am a DRII Certified Business Continuity Professional with over 10 years of experience. Business Continuity is the practice of “What if?” What if, my place of business was destroyed by fire? What if a member of may family were injured or gravely ill? A self-described “Readiness Evangelist,” my own introduction to “What if” came in January 1998, when a mild January rain shower turned into an ice storm that left us without power for 11 days – with a six-week-old baby and two other children to care for. September 11th, 2001, changed the world, and the world of “What it?” In 2005, hurricane Katrina made us ask: “What if help can't get to us?”
I created The Disaster Game so that individuals and organizations would know what to do when “What if?” happens to them.
During our launch at the Strohl Systems International User Group Conference in March of 2008, for three days we spent nine hours a day with a steady stream of conference attendees flocking to our table for demonstrations of the game. Our teenage daughters were “forced” to spend their time poolside at the resort hotel where the conference was held, having to “survive” on unlimited sunshine, the quarter-mile-long “Lazy River” pool and an unlimited room service tab. They are already packing for the 2010 tour.
Dee says:
Feb 16, 2010 at 6:17 am
How many gallons does this tank hold & what is the adult size of the jellyfish?
flag as offensive
Susan says:
Jan 24, 2010 at 1:32 pm
What fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun!!! I love this and know a teenage girl who would be crazy for it. Unfortunately, the price tag is quite steep.
flag as offensive