Continuity of Operations (COOP) Planning for Pandemic Flu

1. Continuity of Operations (COOP) Planning for Pandemic Flu NOAA Homeland Security Program Office www.homelandsecurity.noaa.gov

2. Q. How does pandemic planning differ from traditional continuity of operations planning? A. Basic Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) concepts are applicable BUT traditional COOP plans (relocating personnel or function) may not work

3. Pandemic Influenza is NO ORDINARY FLU Pandemic flu is virulent human flu that causes a global outbreak, or pandemic, of serious illness. Because there is little natural immunity, the disease can spread easily from person to person.

4. When it comes to COOP, the difference between planning for a general disaster and for an influenza pandemic is… • General Disaster • limited geographically • limited in duration • clearly visible destruction requiring repair • local economic impact • Pandemic Influenza • geographically widespread • occurs in 6 to 8 week “waves” for over a year • extended, severely reduced workforce (may cause widespread economic effect) • no visible property damage

5. Review COOP Plans All NOAA organizations are encouraged to establish an annex to their Continuity plans to ensure that additional considerations for pandemic flu are addressed— • Absenteeism may run as high as 40% • Interruption of utilities, deliveries, supplies • Long term – months vs. 30 days • Medical response capabilities overwhelmed • Protect employees from disease

6. Essential Functions • How will your organization sustain its essential functions during an influenza pandemic? • Have you identified and prioritized your essential services? • Have you determined: • How the pandemic influenza might impact delivery of these essential services? • Which of your services will be most needed, and can you estimate the increased demand for them during an influenza pandemic? • What functions and services can you suspend during an influenza pandemic? • How will pandemic influenza affect your mutual aid and assistance agreements?

7. Orders of Succession • Ensure orders of succession are three-deep and account for the expected rate of absenteeism • Geographical dispersion is encouraged

8. Delegations of Authority • Document in advance the legal authority for officials to make key policy decisions during a continuity situation • Delegate the authority to make policy decisions • Ensure delegations of authority are three-deep and account for the expected rate of absenteeism

9. Personnel Policies and Procedures • Review personnel policies including: • Leave to support ill workers and their ill family members • Assistance for those without leave • Fitness-for-duty certification to return to work • Work- and nonwork-related travel to infected areas • Quarantine personnel after returning from infected areas • Sending ill employees home who pose a direct threat in the workplace • Consult with bargaining unit representatives if applicable

10. Strategies for Workforce Protections • Practice social distancing procedures • Consider closing non-critical common areas • Establish plan for notifying personnel in the event of an outbreak • Keep personnel informed and educated • Promote safe hygienic practices • Establish worksite cleaning procedures • Determine types of personal protective equipment and infection control measures most appropriate for your workers

11. Communications Needs • Review your communications plan to determine if: • Employees will be able to communicate effectively with other NOAA personnel and with external customers even if they are dispersed to different locations • Contingency plans have been developed in case communications fail and vendor support is unavailable • Consider the additional need for laptops, high-speed telecommunications, networks, and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) that may enable employees to perform essential functions • Consider the need for extra tech support to meet the needs of remote access

12. Testing, Training, and Exercises (TT&E) • Pandemic plans must be tested, trained, and exercised to ensure that strategies work as developed • Test IT systems to ensure that they support large-scale telework • Employees designated to work from home during an emergency event should telework frequently enough to ensure all systems are working smoothly • Verify that essential personnel know who to contact if other personnel become ill • Verify that pandemic plans will work for periods of 12 weeks or longer

13. Vital Records Management • Test, review, and update vital records, databases, and systems, in particular those that will need to be accessed electronically from employees teleworking and located at sites

14. Devolution • Consider full or partial devolution in the event pandemic renders leadership and essential staff incapable of performing essential functions • Develop detailed guidance for possible full or partial devolution of command and control responsibilities • Devolve or shift operational control of essential functions to another geographically separated office

15. Pandemic Planning Resources • FEMA guidance documents and continuity pandemic template: www.fema.gov/government/coop/index.shtm • Flu.gov is an excellent source for updated information and additional planning guidance: www.flu.gov • NOAA Homeland Security Program Office: http://www.homelandsecurity.noaa.gov/influenza.html • NOAA Workforce Management Office: http://www.wfm.noaa.gov/pandemic_information.html