Maintaining Operations Following Natural Disasters

 How can we prepare for and deal with potential and actual losses/damages resulting from a “natural disaster?”

 Natural disasters may include:  Hurricanes/Tornadoes  Flooding/Storm Surge  Earthquake  Freezing Conditions – Snow/Ice

 2 Basic Levels of Response to a Natural Disaster:  Emergency Preparedness  Business Continuity

 Emergency Preparedness:  Preparation and planning to cope directly with hazards and crisis events  Protection of people and property

 Business Continuity:  Preparation and planning to continue teaching, research, service and other mission-critical functions, despite crisis events

 What Conditions are Required for Business Continuity in Higher Ed?  Utilities:  Power/Electricity  Communications  Water Service

 What Conditions are Required for Business Continuity in Higher Ed?  Provide Housing & Food Services  Care for Animals  Availability of Transportation  Student Bus Service  Faculty & staff must be able to get to their workplace

 What can we do to prepare and plan for an event where we may NOT have access to some or all required operational elements?  Unique to each school, department, program & project  Best to develop from the ground up

 Identify, Evaluate and Prioritize Specific Requirements for Continuity of Operations  Contemplate Adverse Case Scenarios  Develop a Plan  Develop a Back-up Plan  Communicate the Plan

 Concepts and the processes generally not difficult to grasp or implement  Key is to PREPARE and PLAN prior to the event! “The battle is won or lost long before it ever takes place.” – Sun Tzu

 Fast Facts:  Impact on 189 buildings (160 in NB/Pisc)  Damage to NB/Pisc properties $2 Million  Damage to remote locations $3.7 Million  Debris removal costs 2.5 Million  Research-related claims $1.2 Million

 Specific Challenges to BCP at Rutgers:  What is our business?  Teaching  Research  Service  Support

 Specific Challenges to BCP at Rutgers:  Extended power outages  Fuel shortages  Disrupted communications  Transportation issues  Operating in a very “fluid” situation

 Research Operations: Unique Challenges  Dealing with costly and possibly irreplaceable research and resources  Potential inability to meet critical timetables for grants/funding  Insurers will cover materials but not labor

 Research Operations: Unique Challenges  Accurate documentation of inventories and processes are absolutely critical for potential reimbursement of losses  Multiple systems, alerts and redundancies to prevent and/or react to power outages

Keys to Maintaining Operations Following a Natural Disaster?  Preparation and Planning!!!