ATLANTA — To ensure that credit unions and banks are ready todeal with emergency preparedness, disaster recovery or businesscontinuity issues, the Georgia Department of Banking and Financehas established the GeorgiaFirst Recovery Coalition.

The regulator is encouraging all of Georgia's financialinstitutions to join the coalition, which will work to establish analliance with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency and otherpublic safety agencies for exchange of information and resources inorder to act more quickly following a disaster or an eventaffecting financial services. The department said it is planningthree more kick-off meetings throughout Georgia over the next 45days.

The coalition also aims to address homeland security issues thatwould require a collective response from Georgia's financialinstitutions. Methods and procedures for credentialing crisismanagement teams at Georgia's credit unions and banks would also beestablished.