In Cases of Emergency: Are you and your office prepared for the next blackout,.

hurricane or other disaster?

When Hurricane Isabel slammed into the East Coast in September, brokers once again were reminded of the importance of preparing a viable contingency plan. At the firm level, of course, emergency planning is a full-time job.

Charles Schwab & Co., for instance, has an emergency response team and conducts a mock emergency every quarter to test its systems, according to spokesperson Sarah Bulgatz. Since the events of September 11, 2001, the firm has modified its network so that data and transactions no longer run through one location