1. Utilizing Your
Business Continuity
Plan

2. Key Terms
Business Continuity Plan (BCP) – A comprehensive written plan to maintain or resume business in the event of a disruption
Critical Process – Business activity or information which could not be interrupted or unavailable for several business days without significantly jeopardizing operation of the organization
Recovery Time Objective (RTO) – The maximum amount of downtime that is allowable for a critical process before the impact becomes severe enough to drastically hinder patient safety and/or stop the continuation of business services
Recovery Time Actual (RTA) – The actual time it takes to restore an IS application
Critical Records – Records or documents that, for legal, regulatory, or operational reasons, cannot be irretrievably lost or damaged without materially impairing the organization’s ability to conduct business

3. Why Have a BCP?
Purpose:
The ultimate goal of Business Continuity Planning is to resume business functions to a normal state after a period of time post event
The BCP is intended to be a dynamic tool to be used in emergencies, disasters, and other catastrophic events where the building or a department is severely impacted. The BCP lists critical functions by departments, recovery time objectives (RTO), relocation strategies, and the resources (i.e., staff, supplies, IS applications, etc.) needed to ensure continuity of operations. The ultimate goal of business continuity is to resume business function to a normal state after a period of time post event.

4. Why Have a BCP? Benefits Continuation of patient services
Fulfill moral responsibility to protect:
Employees
The community
The environment
Facilitates compliance with regulatory requirements

5. Why Have a BCP? Enhances ability to reduce:
Disruptions to service delivery
Financial losses
Regulatory fines
Loss of market share
Damages to equipment

6. What is it?
The Business Continuity Plan is a dynamic tool utilized to maintain and/or resume business operations
Provides information regarding:
Critical Business Processes
Critical Equipment and Resources
IS Applications
Staff Positions
Critical Records
Departmental Dependencies

7. When Do You Use the BCP?
The BCP will be used in emergencies and other catastrophic events where the building or a department is severely impacted:
The loss of service poses significant physical, operational, and business challenges and risks
Continuity of the service, somewhere within the facility, is integral to ongoing facility viability and community support
The BCP will be used in addition to the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) to resume/return business functions to a normal state post-disaster

8. The BCP Tool
The Business Continuity Plan Tool is segmented into multiple Microsoft Excel tabs:
The Tiers tab
Critical Processes are prioritized into tiers based on operational periods:
Tier 1 (0-2 hours)
Tier 2 (2-12 hours)
Tier 3 (12-24 hours)
Tier 4 (1-3 days)
Tier 5 (4-7 days)
Tier 6 (8-14 days)
Tier 7 (15-30 days)
Tier 8 (31+ days)
Within each tier critical business processes are prioritized to rank their order of importance
The Department Tab
Lists the specific critical business processes and resources needed to provide patient care and continue operations

9. BCP: Tiers Tab
Each Tier lists departments alphabetically and prioritizes their critical business functions
During an incident, the Tiers Tab can be used as a worksheet to track which critical business processes are operational and if work-arounds are available
The prioritization of critical business functions aids the Incident Commander, the Planning Section Chief, and the Business Continuity Branch Director in establishing operational objectives and identifying resources

10. BCP: Department Tab
Department specific information can be accessed two ways:
1. Navigate to the name of the department to open specific department tab
For example, to go to the Emergency Department, click on the Emergency Department link (circled in green)
2. Use the Excel tabs
Click on the desired department at the bottom of Excel to open (orange circle)
3. Print Entire Workbook
Click on the Print All Worksheets button to print all the department worksheets (blue square)
* Hard copies, electronic copies, or intranet copies are also available through the Emergency Management Coordinator

11. BCP: Critical Business Processes
This view provides:
Business Processes
Established priorities
RTO Tiers
During an incident, the Tiers Tab can also be used as a worksheet to track which critical business processes are operational and if work arounds are available
Can print specific section by clicking on the Print Critical Bus. Process button

12. BCP: Critical Equipment or Resources
This view denotes what equipment/resources are needed to ensure critical processes are operational within specified operational periods and includes:
Type of Equipment
Normal Levels
RTOs
During the incident, this worksheet can be used to:
Assess gaps between current inventory and actual need
Evaluate relocation strategies
To print this specific section click on the print button

13. BCP: IS Technology Applications
Print IS Technology Applications
This section lists the IS technology needs for the departments
IS Resources
Work around availability
RTO Tiers
RTA
During the incident, the worksheet can be completed to:
Estimate IS Resources needed
Assess technology gaps
Print by clicking the print button

14. BCP: Staff Positions
This view lists the staff required for each operational period:
Staffing positions required based on RTO
Identifies whether the staffing position has to be physically present or can telecommute
During the incident, worksheet can be used to:
Track staffing requirements and assess gaps
Click on the Print Staffing Positions button to print this specific section

15. BCP: Critical Records
Section lists the Critical Records required for that department:
Type of Record
Relevance of records
Media Type
Physical Protection
Alternate or Backup Source
Function Without
Have Downtime Manual
Regulatory Requirements
Reporting Agency
Reporting Scheduling
RTO requirements
During the incident, worksheet can be used to:
Track critical records requirements and assess gaps
Print specific section by clicking on the Print Critical Records button

16. BCP: Departmental Dependencies
This view provides a list of “other” departments that are needed to ensure that the critical process is operational,
Information includes:
Internal vs. external
Location
Contact information
Print this section by clicking on the Print Dependencies button

17. How to Use the BCP: Concept of Operations
Upon activation of HICS:
The IC will:
Provide initial briefing to Command Staff & Section Chiefs
Facilitate a management meeting utilizing the Incident Response Guide (IRG) to establish control objectives
Each department will assess the status of their area to
determine continuity of operations by completing a Department Status Form
Upon completion, the form will be submitted to the Planning Chief.
The Planning Section will collect the Department Status Forms
and utilize the Department Status Summary form to report information to the Incident Commander.

18. Department Status Forms
Purpose: Documents operational status of departments: # of injuries, staff census, general patient census, utilities issues, equipment needs
Originator: Department Managers
When: onset of the incident and prior to shift change
Copies to: Upon completion, the form will be submitted to the Planning Chief

19. Department Status Summary
Purpose: to assist in establishing operational objectives
Originator: Situation Unit Leader
When: onset of the incident and prior to shift change
Follow up: report to IC & Section Chiefs

20. BCP: Concept of Operations
The Incident Commander may activate the Business Continuity Branch to ensure continuity of operations as needed
The function of the Business Continuity Branch is to assist impacted areas with ensuring that critical business functions are maintained, restored, or augmented to meet the designated Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and recovery strategies outlined in the areas’ business continuity and business resumption plans

21. BCP: Concept of Operations
The Business Continuity Branch activities include:
Evaluation of the impacted areas to ascertain business function capability
Facilitate the acquisition of and access to essential recovery resources, including business records (i.e., patient medical records, purchasing contract, etc.)

22. BCP: Concept of Operations
Support the Infrastructure and Security Branches with needed movement or relocation to alternate business operation sites
Coordinate with the Logistics Section Communication Unit Leader, IT/IS Unit Leader, and the impacted area to restore business functions and review technology requirements
Assist other branches and impacted areas with the restoring and resuming of normal operation

23. BCP: Concept of Operations
The Planning Section Chief or Business Continuity Branch Director, in collaboration with the manager(s) from the impacted departments, will use the BCP to identify resources needed to ensure continuity of critical processes within the recovery time objectives
The IAP will include recovery strategies as applicable
Upon completion, the IAP will be approved by the Incident Commander
Section Chiefs will provide an operational briefing to section members:
Overview of IAP
Assign task
Assign roles

24. Questions
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