OREANDA-NEWS. August 30, 2012.  Fujitsu today announced that it will implement Group-wide disaster response drills in Japan on August 31, 2012. Disaster prevention drills are held annually on Disaster Preparedness Day, September 1st, or the nearest weekday in Japan. This year will mark the eighteenth time that disaster prevention drills have been carried out.

This time Fujitsu will work with the Miyazaki prefectural government, a Fujitsu customer, in executing disaster response drills, such as restoring network systems. Furthermore, in addition to having Shimane Fujitsu, which is Fujitsu's primary manufacturer of notebook PCs, carry out drills to ensure continued operations during times of disaster, Fujitsu Group offices across Japan will perform initial response drills, such as confirming the safety of employees as well as evaluating damage to office buildings and equipment following a disaster.

By enacting these drills, Fujitsu will establish a system to ensure its ability to quickly respond to natural disasters, while also promoting stronger business continuity capabilities.
Overview of the Drills
1. Practicing recovery support for customer systems

Together with Miyazaki Prefecture, Fujitsu will perform recovery support drills based on a situation in which the Sea of Hyuga, which is adjacent to Miyazaki, is the epicenter of a large-scale earthquake that causes service interruptions in the office networks that play a central role in disaster response measures for the prefecture. This drill will be carried out based on a disaster arrangement that was agreed upon by Fujitsu and Miyazaki Prefecture in January of this year. Under this arrangement, Fujitsu will provide Miyazaki with engineers for emergency dispatch during times of disaster, lend out computers, and will also arrange emergency transportation for networking equipment service parts. Emergency delivery for essential service parts will utilize swift transportation, such as helicopters, to ensure delivery from the Hiroshima Parts Center to Miyazaki Prefecture.
2. Initial response drills for business continuity in production facilities

At Shimane Fujitsu, drills based on a business continuity plan and a disaster response plan will be implemented to evacuate all employees at once from within plants affected by a disaster. At the same time, designated staff members will gather in a predetermined disaster response headquarters installed within the facility.

Afterwards, the designated staff members will perform drills to rapidly establish a business continuity management system by evaluating the extent of damage incurred by the disaster, such as to facilities and equipment, and also by ensuring the safety of other employees.
3. Using video streaming at Group offices across Japan for initial response simulation drills

Based on its review of the company's response to the Great East Japan Earthquake, particularly the realization of the importance of actions in the immediate aftermath of a catastrophe, Fujitsu devised a new detailed disaster response plan. In order to further improve emergency response capabilities, these drills use video streaming technology over in-house networks to verify the roles and procedures of the response headquarters immediately following a disaster.

On the day the drills are to be carried out, various hypothetical disaster scenarios will be distributed simultaneously to each Fujitsu Group office across Japan. The disaster response headquarters for each office will then confirm the safety of employees, as well as evaluate damage to office buildings and equipment. They will also perform initial response simulation drills, such as identifying dangerous areas and performing first aid.
Fujitsu Group Initiatives in Disaster Prevention Drills

This marks the eighteenth time in which the disaster prevention drills will be executed since being initiated in 1995. As of 2008, Fujitsu has employed the expertise of the Fujitsu Research Institute, which has a record of providing consulting services for business continuity management to the Fujitsu Group and outside customers. Fujitsu Research Institute has been implementing disaster prevention drills designed to continuously improve the disaster response capabilities of the Fujitsu Group as well as Fujitsu's ability to rapidly recover support to customers. As a part of a campaign to help customers understand the importance of disaster preparedness, Fujitsu Limited, in conjunction with Fujitsu FSAS and 75 maintenance partner companies, will visit approximately 5,000 customer companies to explain the Fujitsu Group's support activities and organizational structure in the event of a disaster. Customers will be provided with materials that introduce the disaster prevention initiatives of Fujitsu Limited and Fujitsu FSAS, and evaluate customer systems on disaster-preparedness.