The City of Stamford, in partnership with The Business Council of Fairfield County and The Business Network of Emergency Resources, announced the citywide launch of the Corporate Emergency Access System (CEAS) on June 2, 2005.

How does CEAS work?
In the event of a large-scale emergency, CEAS provides companies quick authorized access to their affected worksites, minimizing economic injury to their business. The CEAS system provides designated employees a standardized credential that is recognized by law enforcement. Companies are allocated credentials based on a percentage of the total number of employees, with only critical staff receiving access.

Where is CEAS being used?
The Corporate Emergency Access System is currently in use in New York City, Boston and Buffalo, New York. Many of the businesses in Stamford have operations in New York and Boston, making CEAS a logical choice. Stamford is the first municipality in Connecticut to implement the CEAS program. From July to September 2005, BNet and the City plan to pilot CEAS with at least 10 companies. A full-scale implementation program citywide will follow the pilot program.

How can I get CEAS training?
To enroll in the program, businesses must identify coordinators who will be administer the program at the corporate level. Coordinators screen and determine appropriate employees to apply for the credential as well as manage the distribution, collection, and turnover of credentials and maintaining an accurate accounting of their credentialed employees.

Training information is available from CEAS.

Does my company have to have a lot of employees to participate?
No - small, medium and large companies are all invited to enroll.