When it comes to crisis management and response, most municipalities or government agencies respond to the immediate physical threat, and by and large, they do it quite well.  With proper funding and equipment, they can handle the blizzards, flooding, and other environmental disasters for their communities.  This is good, because satisfying the needs of constituents, as well as the economy and judicial system are mission essential functions.

But how well prepared are these governmental entities for when the crisis is not regional?  When a pipe breaks in the documents storage area and destroys tax records, property maps, or birth / marriage / death certificates, when the computers fail, how long can they operate without e-mail, access to court records, or 911 capabilities?  If City Hall burns down, how and where will city government resume operations - and how long will it take?

Once a Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) has been developed in conjunction with the Continuity of Government (COG) Plan, these and many more questions will be answered.  But more importantly for the citizens of the community, their lives will return to normal much faster and with a controlled level of disruption.

FEMA has been authorized to withhold funding from governmental agencies that are not in compliance with the National Incident Management System (NIMS).  One section of NIMS requires a comprehensive COOP plan to allow for timely resumption of governmental operations.  If your agency or municipality does not comply with this requirement, your funding can be at risk.

EMplans.com is a web-based planning tool designed to guide government organizations through the process of developing Continuity of Operations Plans (COOP). The EMplans.com system is designed to meet the continuity planning guidelines and best practices established by FEMA's National Continuity Program for Federal, State, regional, local, and tribal organizations, including Federal Continuity Directive 1 & 2 (FCD1/FCD2) and Continuity Guidance Circular 1 (CGC1). The EMplans.com system walks users through each step of the COOP planning process and helps develop a COOP plan that clearly outlines the elements required for an organization to continue to perform its Mission Essential Functions during times of disruption.

If you are a university, college, or other educational institution,  and you are looking to help assure your future in the event of a fire, technology failure, pandemic, workplace violence, scandal, or a plethora of other threats, contact Tech Valley Continuity. 

NYS Contract Number: CMT542A

Tech Valley Continuity - Turning Potential Disasters into an Annoyance™