Lesson 9: Think portable

Today the emergency team is all on laptops, which have several advantages. First, they have their own, built-in line conditioners. "A laptop can convert any power that comes at it into the right voltage."

Second, if the power goes out they keep working. Third, you can pack and run if you have to. "If we have to abandon our location, we can grab an access point, pick up our laptops and relocate," Faulkner says. His laptop is configured to function as a Web, DNS, & e-mail server if necessary, so they can set up anywhere and be back online in minutes. And with portable wireless access points and the backpack satellite transceiver, they can carry their connectivity with them.

Lesson 10: Stay loose

Today, one of Faulkner's hobbies is running "what if" disaster scenarios. And since he knows he will never think of everything, he asks people in other county departments and outside the county for their thoughts. Ultimately, flexibility is the key. Things like the Acronis quick restore and cloning abilities and maximum portability give the emergency team the ability to react to multiple contingencies.