Emergency Preparedness

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Emergency Preparedness Recovery Operations
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Impact of Postal Service Operations

• International and Domestic Economy
• USPS process and delivers more than 700 million
  pieces of mail per day, containing bill payments,
  medications, and goods.
• USPS represents a 73 billion business within the
  US economy.
• Failsafe Communications Network
• Every day more than 9 million customers rely on
  USPS to securely transport messages and goods to
  more than 146 million locations nationwide.
• USPS has served as a way to locate missing
  individuals due to its 37,000 locations
  nationwide.

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Natural disasters will always be chaotic
situations. But with proper planning and
preparation, it is possible to respond quickly to
restore order and begin recovery efforts. Bob
Riley Governor, State of Alabama Select
Committee hearing, Nov. 9, 2005
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What is Continuity of Operations (COOP)?

• Continuity of Operations (COOP) planning enables
  agencies to
• continue their essential functions across a broad
  spectrum of
• hazards and emergencies.
• COOP Planning includes the
• Plans and procedures that detail the deliberate
  and pre-planned movement of selected key
  principals and supporting staff to an alternate
  operating facility.
• Testing, training, and exercises of individual
  departments, agencies, and their sub-components
  to ensure that their essential functions are
  performed.

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Primary COOP Components

• Plans and Procedures that detail the deliberate
  and pre-planned movement of selected key
  principals and supporting staff to function at an
  alternate operating facility.
• Testing, Training, and Exercises (TTE) of
  individual departments, agencies, and their
  sub-components to ensure that their essential
  functions are performed.
• Alternate Facilities that serve as fallback or
  failsafe locations for continuing operations
  during an incident or event
• Essential functions that can be operational
  within 12 hours of activation and be able to
  sustain operations for 30 days

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What are the Objectives of COOP?

• Reduce loss of life/minimizing damage
• Ensure continued performance of essential
  functions
• Reduce/mitigate disruptions to operations
• Ensure succession to office of key leadership
• Protect essential facilities, equipment, records,
  and other assets
• Achieve a timely and orderly recovery from an
  emergency and resumption of normal operations
• Maintain testing, training, and exercise
  activities for validation

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Four Pillars of Continuity Capabilities
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• People Properly cross-trained and vertically
  trained to perform the functions of peers in an
  emergency
• Leadership and staff Provides a clear line of
  succession in order to set priorities and keep
  focused
• Communication and Technology These must be
  interoperable, robust and reliable
• Facilities Adequate, separate locations from the
  main facility where essential functions are
  performed.

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Pillar 1 Well-Being of People

• Employees
• Employee messaging ensures that all employees
  have a clear understanding of what to do in an
  emergency, including roles and responsibilities
• Toll free number for employees to call in to
  report personal status and check workplace status
• Customers
• Mail delivery resumes when safe to do so
• Change of Address Processing

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Pillar 2 Leadership and Staff

• Headquarters National Preparedness Staff
• Area Managers National Preparedness
• Homeland Security Coordinators
• Emergency Management Teams at District and
  Installation Levels

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Pillar 3 Communication and Technology

• Interoperable communications ensure constant
  availability and redundancy
• Communications with internal organizations, other
  agencies, critical customers, and the public
  informs our key stakeholders
• Connectivity to outside agencies and customers
  helps the coordination of response efforts
• Ensures access to critical data, systems, and
  services critical to the performance of essential
  functions

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Pillar 4 Continuity Facilities

• Located a safe distance from primary facility,
  taking in consideration the health, safety,
  security, and emotional well being of employees
• Provides sufficient space, equipment, supplies
  and services to support COOP personnel in the
  performance of essential functions
• Offers access to essential resources such as
  food, water, fuel, medical facilities, and
  municipal services (e.g. fire, polices, etc.)
• Includes dedicated networks, proposition records
  files, office equipment and furniture, as well
  as telephones fax capabilities

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Lets be awareand prepare! ...because people
will act by instinct, unless they are trained to
respond appropriately.
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Questions?
Cheryl A. Hill (A) Director National
Preparedness CAHill_at_uspis.gov 202-268-6631