Business owners in Yorkshire and the Humber are being given free online advice about how to deal with a variety of emergency situations to ensure that their enterprises are able to cope during major events.
The new artificial intelligence tool has been launched to provide interactive conversations for businesses across the region about how to prepare for emergencies ranging from flooding, fires and extreme weather to power outages, cyber-attacks and pandemics.
Using an artificial intelligence chatbot, the online tool will allow businesses to have real-time, two-way conversations about emergency preparedness.
Members of the public can also use it to talk about emergency awareness through the interactive website and QR codes.
South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard said: “I’m proud to partner with mayors across Yorkshire to launch the Yorkshire Ready Together project. We’ve seen first-hand the challenges local businesses have faced in recent years, from flooding to dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I’m determined to support the cause for increased resilience in dealing with emergencies that affect our local businesses and urge business owners to get involved with the Yorkshire Ready Together project, to allow a swift response when dealing with unfolding emergencies.
“Harnessing new technologies is a vital step towards supporting and protecting South Yorkshire’s businesses and minimising disruption. I hope by using this new tool, businesses will be able to support themselves and one another when faced with challenging situations.”
The Mayor of the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, David Skaith, who owns a clothing store in York, said: “I’m pleased to see local resilience forums coming together to develop this app. In emergency situations businesses are at the forefront of how we respond as a community and this tool will support businesses across Yorkshire and beyond to be prepared and ready for emergencies together.
“We’ve seen how businesses across Yorkshire responded to the Covid-19 pandemic so we know there’s a strong tradition of being resilient and adapting. Through this tool businesses will be able to identify what measures they can take to reduce the impact of disruptions – whether that is a power cut during a storm, flooding, disruption to supply chains due to issues with the road networks, a mains water emergency, or a cyber-attack.
“It is important that we engage with businesses, and later residents, in different ways and we hope this initiative will spark some great conversations about emergency planning, preparedness and awareness.”
