Continuity of Operations (COOP) Planning

McDonnell ATuesday 1:30 – 2:45Emergency Preparedness 101: Personal, Organizational, and Community

Don SheldrewAt-Risk Populations Planner, MDHOffice of Emergency Preparedness

Objectives

Introduction to Continuity of Operations (COOP) Planning

Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) vs. COOP Plan

Elements of a COOP Plan

Continuity of Operations (COOP) Plan

Keeps your facility / agency during all types and durations of emergencies

COOP Incidents

Civil Unrest

Terror Attacks

Natural Disasters

Epidemics or Pandemics

Equipment or System Failure

EOP vs. COOP

EOP•Procedural•Taking place as the event unfolds•Staff and resident safety

COOP•How you ensure the ability to operate throughout any disaster

Coop- What It Is

An effort within an organization to ensure the continuation of its essential functions across a wide range of emergencies.

It’s incorporated in an EOP•Occupant Emergency Plans •Fire Evacuation Procedures •Organizational Safety Plans

COOP Planning Objectives

Continued performance of essential functions

Succession of leadership (command)

Mitigate disruption to operations

Timely reconstitution

Minimize damage

Critical Elements of a COOP Plan

• Essential Functions

• Delegations of Authority

• Succession Planning

• Alternate Facilities

• Interoperable

Communications

• Vital Records and

Databases

• Human Capital Management

• Tests, Training and Exercises

• Devolution

• Reconstitution (Recovery)

EOPCOOP

• Essential Functions

• Vital Records & Databases

• Human Capital Management

• Devolution

• Reconstitution (Recovery)

• Delegations of Authority

• Orders of Succession

• Alternate Facilities

• Interoperable Communications

• TTE

• Hazard Vulnerability Analysis (HVA)

Essential Functions

Functions that:•Enable facility to provide vital services•Maintain safety of residents•Sustain economic base•Cannot suffer an interruption for more than 12 hours

Based on the customers and needs

Essential Functions

Essential Functions

Maintains vital services

Maintains safety of staff, residents, public

Sustain economic base

i.e. Payment during Pan Flu or other crisis when coding and other areas are down

Basis for determining

Staff

Information Systems

Equipment

Supplies & Services

Alternate Facilities

Essential Functions are theFoundation of Your Plan

Delegation of Authority

Authority being delegated

Limits of that authority

To whom authority is delegated

Circumstances when they could exercise that authority

Successor’s authority to delegate

Alternate Facilities

Operational quickly

Sufficient space for staff

Safe distance from event & secure from threats

Supports communications & IT requirements

Vital Records

Billing Records

Clinical Records

Legal Documents

Financial Records

Insurance Documents

Emergency Operating Records

Personnel

Acquiring, and optimizing personnel•Education to help staff know what to expect and what to do at work and home during a disaster

Flexibility required•May be reassigned to other duties•May work irregular or long hours•Use other resources for staffing – volunteers, families

Staff / Family Disaster Planning

Devolution / Relocation

Capability to transfer statutory authority and responsibility for essential functions from an organization’s primary operating staff and facilities to an alternate staff and facilities

Reconstitution (Recovery)

Resume normal operations

After the emergency•Examples: Determining that residents can move back to the primary facility;•Transferring vital records and databases;•Notification of employees

Training and Exercises

At the most fundamental level, part of the explanation for why the response to Katrina did not go as planned is that key decision-makers at all levels simply were not familiar with the plans.” The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina Lessons Learned, February 2006

Training and Exercises

Builds team unity

Tests validity of plan

Conduct at least annually

Develops employees skills

Ensures personnel are familiar with plan

Lessons learned from training & exercises help improve COOP

Identifying Essential Functions

Four-Step Process•Identify services provided•Rank and prioritize •Determine minimal staffing•Categorize each service under one of the “4Rs”

Identifying Essential Functions

The 4 R’s•Reinforce- services that must continue, and may even expand during and emergency•Run- services that must run and have high priority •Reduce- services that may have some critical functions, recognizing that the majority can be reduced or removed•Remove- services that can be removed

Identifying Essential FunctionsServices Reinforce Run Reduce Remove Priority Staffing

NeedsNotes

Food Prep X 1 6 Reduce from 3 to 2 meals QD

Dish cleaning

X ___ ___ Will use disposable products

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4

Summary

• COOP planning is your plan to stay in business.

• A COOP should compliment, not replace your existing EOP.

• COOP planning will save you money and could save your business!

Don SheldrewAt-Risk Populations Planner, MDH, Office of Emergency Preparedness

651-201-5738

Don.sheldrew@state.mn.us