Local Government Business Continuity, Avian Flu & Emergency Management

Roy MentkowDirector, Department of TechnologyCity of Roanoke Virginia

Avian Flu Pandemic

• What is Pandemic Influenza?

• When is the next flu pandemic expected?

Community Preparedness for an Influenza Pandemic

• Government

• Public Life

• Education

• Financial Services

• Businesses

• Transportation

• Communication Networks

• Sanitation

• Sewage

• Energy Resources

• Water Supply

• Public Safety

• Food Supply

• Medical & Health Servies & Supplies

Business Continuity Planning1. Analyze your business

2. Assess the risks

3. Develop your strategy

4. Develop your plan

5. Rehearse your plan

1. Analyze your Business

• Mission Critical Activities

• Internal Factors

• Singular Problems/Unique Activities

• External Influences

2. Assess the Risks

• Internal/External Threats Liabilities & Exposure

• Likelihood of Incident

• Vulnerability

• Also important to look at:

– Worst Case scenarios

– Essential functions/staff

3. Develop your Strategy

• Statement of Purpose of Plan

• Structure of Crisis Teams

• Business Recovery

• Technology Recovery

• Work Area Recovery

• Public Information

• Description of the Premises

4. Develop your Plan

• Input from cross section of your organization

• Keep in touch with neighboring businesses. How can you help each other?

• Find out what information will utility companies need in case of an incident.

• Who else will be affected by your decisions: your vendors and suppliers?

• Liaison with other localities

• Consider pre-prepared messages for relatives of staff what to say to them over the phone, in person or in writing.

Case: Planning a Practical Response to a Pandemic

• First responders

• Health care capacity

• Media response & cooperation

• Regional government cooperative planning

• State & Federal ability to contribute to an emergency

5. Rehearsal!!!

“No practice, no confidence”

Educating the public

• Utilize all means: print, electronic, internet

• ‘Help’ from the Media

• Encourage community planning at the family level

• Government & Public Safety Responses

Government

• Elections during pandemic emergency

• Executive branch (Mayor’s Office etc.)

• Legislative branch (City Council)

• Judicial branch (local courts)

• Administrative offices & personnel

• Continuity-of-government plans in the event of impact to elected/appointed officials

Public Safety

• Emergency Management Oversight & PlanningEmergency Management Oversight & Planning

• E911 responses to FAQs E911 responses to FAQs

• Review and refine responders priorities and Review and refine responders priorities and continuity continuity

• Public safety infrastructure maintenance Public safety infrastructure maintenance (vehicles, etc.) (vehicles, etc.)

• Terrorist attacks as potential complicating factor Terrorist attacks as potential complicating factor

• Interface with state/federal government in the Interface with state/federal government in the event of state of emergency event of state of emergency

• Emergency backup plans including support from Emergency backup plans including support from National Guard. etcNational Guard. etc

Business Continuity: IT Responsibilities

• An issue of reasonable risk mitigation

• Who decides what’s important?

• How?

• Funding the mitigation IT’s role in making it happen

• DR’s starring role in local government:

– 9-11

– Katrina, Other storms

– Avian Flu

IT Preparedness

• Telecommuting Policies and Infrastructure

• Mobile computing applications

• GIS resources

• Backup/Restore Procedures verified, rehearsed

• Cooperative planning with neighboring communities

• Align vendor resources as contingencies

• Access to Financial Resources

Questions????

Roy MentkowDirector, Department of TechnologyCity of Roanoke VirginiaRoy.mentkow@roanokeva.gov