National Academies Press: OpenBook

Continuity of Operations (COOP) Planning Guidelines for Transportation Agencies (2005)

Chapter: Chapter 5 - Identifying Essential Functions (Task 3)

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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 5 - Identifying Essential Functions (Task 3)." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2005. Continuity of Operations (COOP) Planning Guidelines for Transportation Agencies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13553.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 5 - Identifying Essential Functions (Task 3)." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2005. Continuity of Operations (COOP) Planning Guidelines for Transportation Agencies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13553.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 5 - Identifying Essential Functions (Task 3)." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2005. Continuity of Operations (COOP) Planning Guidelines for Transportation Agencies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13553.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 5 - Identifying Essential Functions (Task 3)." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2005. Continuity of Operations (COOP) Planning Guidelines for Transportation Agencies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13553.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 5 - Identifying Essential Functions (Task 3)." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2005. Continuity of Operations (COOP) Planning Guidelines for Transportation Agencies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13553.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 5 - Identifying Essential Functions (Task 3)." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2005. Continuity of Operations (COOP) Planning Guidelines for Transportation Agencies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13553.
×
Page 20
Page 21
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 5 - Identifying Essential Functions (Task 3)." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2005. Continuity of Operations (COOP) Planning Guidelines for Transportation Agencies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13553.
×
Page 21
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 5 - Identifying Essential Functions (Task 3)." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2005. Continuity of Operations (COOP) Planning Guidelines for Transportation Agencies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13553.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 5 - Identifying Essential Functions (Task 3)." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2005. Continuity of Operations (COOP) Planning Guidelines for Transportation Agencies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13553.
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15 CHAPTER 5 IDENTIFYING ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS (TASK 3) After designating and establishing the COOP team, out- lining the process for review of records and documents and setting milestones, and performing the capabilities survey, the next step is identifying the transportation agency’s essen- tial functions. Essential functions encompass those areas that the agency wishes to continue even in the event of an emer- gency. Any functions not deemed essential can be deferred until additional personnel and resources become available. Identifying essential functions is difficult for agencies because personnel may presume that any function that is not selected is not necessary. This presumption is false. The COOP team can address any misconceptions about this from the beginning of its activities. COOP team meetings with agency divisions, departments, and units can rapidly dispel concerns regarding the nature of essential functions and any erroneous implications that may be drawn regarding their significance. Identifying an agency’s essential functions requires an inti- mate understanding of all the agency’s operations. Although many functions are important, not every activity the agency performs is an essential function that the agency will need to sustain in an emergency or be sufficiently prepared to sustain in an emergency. The following are steps used for the selec- tion of essential functions: • Identify areas of responsibility; • Compile organizational functions; • Determine criteria for selecting essential functions; • Identify essential functions; • Identify supporting processes and systems for each essential function; • Identify key management, technical, and supporting personnel; and • Prioritize essential functions. Each of these steps is discussed below. STEP 1: IDENTIFY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY Use Worksheet 11, a sample form, to complete this task, if needed. An agency may wish to use existing outlines for this step, within each division or unit of the agency. Identi- fying areas of responsibility helps the COOP team clarify the general types of activities that are performed, managed, con- tracted, enforced, overseen, or funded by the transportation agency. To identify these responsibilities, it is important to begin with the transportation agency’s mission statement. Other guiding statements to be reviewed may include the transportation agency’s vision, values, goals, and strategies. Figure 4 is a sample of such a statement from a DOT. The agency’s organization chart is another important source of information, which captures the functional units, division, or departments used by the transportation agency. Figure 5, a sample organization chart, is also from a state DOT. By the conclusion of this task, the COOP team will have identified a list of responsibilities. A sample list, for a state DOT, is as follows: • Transportation development; • Planning; • Freight mobility; • Transportation data; • Research; • Roads – State highway system, – Federal-aid highway system, – Strategic highway network, – Bridges and seismic lifeline routes, – Safety corridors, – Safety rest areas, – Border crossings, – Intelligent transportation systems; • Motor carriers – Tax and fee programs, – Registration and permitting programs, – Safety inspection and regulation enforcement programs, – Over-dimension operations; • Driver and motor vehicle services – Driver licensing programs, – Legal and law enforcement support programs; • Railroads – Rail freight traffic, – Rail passenger traffic, – Supplemental service to trains, – High-speed rail corridor; • Airports – State-owned airports, – Airports belonging to the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS);

• Public Transit – Transit Districts, – Rideshare Programs, – Commercial Public Transportation Providers; • Maritime pilotage – Pilotage grounds, – Waterways and marine transportation; and • Central services – Legal, – Financial, – Civil rights, – Human resources, – Information services, – Internal audits, – Budgeting, and – Payroll. A sample list, for a transit agency, is as follows: • Engineering and construction – Planning and design, – Project administration, – Construction, – Quality assurance; • Vehicle acquisition – Vehicle engineering, – Vehicle procurement; • Finance and administration – Risk management, – Financial services, – Grants analysis and administration, – Procurements and contracts, – Internal audits, – Budgeting, – Payroll; • Marketing and customer services – Planning and analysis, – Customer outreach, – Public information; • Government affairs – Strategic planning, – Service planning, – Legislative affairs, – Communications; • Intelligent transportation systems – Passenger information, – Internal operations; • Facilities maintenance – Facilities inspection and repair, – Telecommunications inspection and repair; • Bus transportation – Bus control center, – Operations, – Maintenance, – Labor relations; 16 • Rail transportation – Rail control center, – Operations, – Maintenance, – Labor relations; • Training – Operations, – Maintenance, – Safety; • Safety – Planning and operations, – Investigations, – Internal audits; • Security – Planning and operations, – Investigations, – Internal audits; • Legal services – General counsel, – Real estate, – Contracts, – Civil rights; • Information technology – User support, – Program support, – Database records and management, – Security, – Disaster recovery; • Human resources – Organizational development, and – Employee relations. STEP 2: COMPILE ORGANIZATIONAL FUNCTIONS Use Worksheet 12 to complete this step. The team may con- sider an initial examination of whether that function might be essential and consult the list in further work. In this step, the COOP team defines the functions that are to be performed to meet the agency’s operational require- ments and legal obligations in each area of responsibility. In preparing this list, the results of the capability survey can be useful, indicating priority concerns and areas where the trans- portation system can be vulnerable to disruption. Beyond con- sulting current personnel, former agency personnel, if avail- able, are excellent sources of information in interviews or brainstorming sessions. The COOP team is also encouraged to review • The agency’s enabling legislation and the regulations promulgated by the agency, • Existing standard operating procedures (SOPS), • Departmental handbooks, and • Annual reports on agency operations.

These materials typically offer a good starting point for iden- tifying various agency functions and their corresponding areas of responsibility. Reviewing lists of daily activities, communications logs, and staff rosters can also support iden- tification of functions. The following list provides a sample of major functions that may fall under some or all areas of responsibility for a state DOT. Some of these functions are also applicable to a transit agency: • Transportation planning and policy; • Research; • Grants management; • Transportation data, modeling, and simulation; 17 • Geographic information systems and mapping; • Engineering; • Construction management; • Contracts administration; • Maintenance; • Inspection and repair; • Traffic control; • Incident management; • Intelligent transportation systems; • Enforcing compliance with federal regulations; • Enforcing compliance with state regulations; • Administering tax, fee, and levy programs and collect- ing funds; • Licensing vehicle operators and commercial carriers; Figure 4. Sample DOT vision, mission statement, values, goals, and strategies.

• Supporting law enforcement by providing information on licenses and commercial carriers; • Issuing permits for restricted vehicles and carriers; • Supporting military movement of goods; • Inspections and safety regulations; • Hazardous materials spills clean-up and oversight; • Administrative services; • Financial services; • Information technology services; • Legal; • Human resources; • Civil rights; • Internal audits; • Coordinating with local agencies; • Coordinating with other state agencies; and • Coordinating with the federal government. STEP 3: DETERMINE CRITERIA FOR SELECTING ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS Use Worksheet 13 to complete this step. You may also wish to use Worksheet 14 to guide the discussion and docu- mentation effort. Once the COOP team has identified the functions per- formed for each area of responsibility, then it begins select- ing essential functions for its COOP plan. Essential functions can be determined based on criteria that reflect the highest effect to the transportation/transit agency. Establishing criteria to govern the selection of essential functions is a challenging task. Typically, the COOP team begins this activity by reviewing the transportation agency’s emergency plans and procedures. A DOT or TMC might per- form the following emergency activities: • Notification; • Direction and control; • Warning; • Communications; • Emergency public information; • Incident management; • Resource management; • Hazardous materials clean-up program; • Financial management; • Chemical stockpile emergency preparedness program; • Emergency contracts administration; • Transportation support to other jurisdictions; • Coordination with local, state, and federal agencies; • Recovery plans; • Traffic control; • Public information; – Traffic control devices, – Variable message signs, – Highway advisory radio, – Amber alerts, – 511 traveler information; 18 • Debris clearance; • Emergency bridge and tunnel inspections; • Clean-up oversight for hazardous materials spills; • Technical assistance for geological hazards; • Emergency repairs; • Damage assessment; • Transportation support (including analysis for alternate routes); • Public works and engineering support; and • Coordination with other agencies (support to local, tribal, and other state agencies; coordination with federal agencies). A transit agency might perform the following emergency activities: • Notification; • Direction and control; • Warning; • Communications; • Emergency public information; • Incident response; • Resource management; • Financial management; • Emergency contracts administration; • Transportation support to other jurisdictions; • Coordination with local, state, and federal agencies; • Recovery plans; • Reporting the emergency; • Evaluating the emergency; • Notification of internal and external responders; • Closing or limiting service to the affected area; • Initiating or joining incident command system or uni- fied command; • Evacuation of passengers and personnel to safety; • Providing medical treatment and transportation to appro- priate locations; • Protecting personnel and equipment; • Dispatching emergency equipment and supervisors; • Emergency inspections; • Providing emergency briefings and updated situation assessments; • Performing damage assessments and emergency repairs; • Transportation support and systemwide management; • Public works and engineering support; • Coordination with other agencies; and • Temporary service plans. Based on a review of these activities, a transportation agency may establish criteria to govern the selection of essential functions. For example, does the identified function support activities to • Ensure the safety of personnel and passengers and pro- tection of property;

• Establish a management capability sufficient to direct implementation of the coop plan; • Restore internal communications and information tech- nology capabilities; • Obtain current information on the status of the trans- portation network; • Establish reliable communications with personnel and external partner agencies; • Support the inspection, repair, and recovery of the trans- portation system; • Support emergency responders in managing the after- math of the emergency; • Develop temporary service plans; and • Perform basic personnel management activities, includ- ing the protection of all records and the management of payroll. STEP 4: IDENTIFY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS Use Worksheet 14 to complete this step. Refer to Work- sheet 12 to test those functions identified as essential. When assessing the results documented in Worksheet 12 against the criteria established in Worksheet 13, the COOP team is ready to identify essential functions. Using this process, Table 2 19 lists essential functions that might be performed by a DOT following a major emergency that disrupts access to facili- ties, equipment, vehicles, systems, or personnel. Common errors in the assessment of essential functions include • Overlooking functions as being insignificant; • Not considering in the identification process those tools and resources required to complete functions; • Grouping functions too broadly to detail the support structure required effectively; • Describing functions in such detail that it takes multiple pages to document simple functions; • Including an unreasonable amount of detail, which slows down the process and restricts flexibility; and • Using the function identification process by someone for ulterior purposes such as demonstrating how much their work unit does. Based on the results of Worksheets 12 and 14, the trans- portation agency can be expected to have good documenta- tion of the essential functions that it wishes to be (and can be) performed during an emergency that disrupts internal opera- tions. However, at this point, the list of essential functions remains tentative. The list has yet to be prioritized. STATE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION DOT HEADQUARTERS HIGHWAY DIVISION DEPUTY PUBLIC TRANSIT DRIVER & MOTOR VEHICLE CENTRAL SERVICES DEPUTY DIRECTOR TRANSPORTATION DEVELOPMENT HQ MOTOR CARRIER RAIL Executive Officer For Highway Hwy Finance Office Field Services Civil Rights Motor Carrier Services Planning Local Government Office of Maintenance Office of Project Delivery Office of Innovative Partnerships Technical Services DOT Regions Region 1 Region 2 Region 3 Region 4 Region 5 TRANSPORTATION SAFETY Program Services Customer Service Processing Services Field Motor Carrier Services Investigation/ Safety/Federal Programs Freight Mobility Transportation Data Financial Services Human Resources Information Systems Support Services Audit Services Research Figure 5. State DOT organization chart.

TABLE 2 Essential functions—sample for state DOT Highway Maintenance Perform emergency maintenance of state highways and, if appropriate, help local road authorities with emergency maintenance Remove snow and ice from state highways to keep roads open Provide traffic services, including traffic control and traffic monitoring Maintain bridges Provide construction engineering support for emergency highway reports Operate DOT facilities that are needed to support highway maintenance activity Railroads Monitor safety at rail crossings Monitor rail operations Aviation Maintain state airports Support Services Contract with vendors for emergency supplies, services, and other public works emergency needs Make emergency signs Issue forms and supplies needed by DOT emergency responders Transport needed equipment and supplies to DOT emergency responders throughout the state Provide field mechanics to make on-site emergency repairs to DOT equipment located in the field Make emergency repairs to DOT equipment at designated shops Conduct safety inspections of DOT facilities and obtain contractor services if necessary to ensure safety Secure DOT buildings and facilities; provide maintenance of utilities at DOT buildings; and make immediate repairs to damaged buildings Ensure necessary mail gets to DOT personnel File originals of emergency agreements and contracts and Director’s Office documents Use DOT’s photography and video resources to document damage caused by the emergency Provide reproductions of highway/facility drawings Transfer DOT fuel and equipment as needed to support response activities Information Systems Control access to and maintain security of DOT’s computer systems Maintain DOT’s computer network and mainframe operations Maintain DOT’s radio system Maintain telecommunications systems needed by DOT responders Maintain DOT’s server operations Provide computer support for engineering and Geographic Information System functions to support emergency response Provide computer assistance and personal computer support to DOT personnel to support emergency response Public Affairs Provide emergency information to the public Financial Information Conduct basic fiscal operations Make vendor payments Collect Motor Carrier weight-mile taxes Driver and Motor Vehicle Services Provide driver and motor vehicle related information to law enforcement and emergency services personnel Resume driver suspensions/reinstatements, driver convictions/accidents, driver financial responsibility, and hearings Motor Carriers Issue permits for trucks hauling over-dimension loads to protect the traveling public from traffic hazards and to minimize damage to highways Conduct truck and driver safety inspections and weigh and check truck size and weight limit compliance Inspect trucks and drivers at the roadside and at carriers’ terminals; manage police and sheriffs who inspect trucks and drivers at roadside Identify and record carrier and truck information and record and track tax and registration payments Operate the truck weigh station pre-clearance system that provides for automatic vehicle identification and weighing at highways speeds Transportation Inventory and Mapping Develop and provide maps and transportation system data to support emergency response actions and to brief decision makers

To achieve this objective, the list of essential functions must be further broken down to identify generally the processes and systems, vital records and databases, and personnel required to support each essential function. Based on this information, the transportation agency can determine which essential functions require the longest lead time to be set up, and which essential functions would be in place in order for other essential func- tions to Task 5 of this process, Development of Supporting Procedures, which is discussed in Chapter 7. This information also supports subsequent activities to establish actual COOP activation team assignments, to ade- quately supply alternate operating facilities, to identify rele- vant temporary work procedures, and to establish vital records and databases. STEP 5: IDENTIFY SUPPORTING PROCESSES AND SYSTEMS FOR EACH ESSENTIAL FUNCTION Use Worksheet 15 to complete this step. Worksheet 15 requires the COOP team to examine the personnel, records, equipment/resources, and systems that support the tasks within each essential function. Each essential function has unique characteristics and resource requirements, without which the function could not be sustained. These support- ing elements may vary depending upon the emergency or if they have a time or calendar component. For example, a blizzard would make snow removal a vital service, while a 21 hurricane would not. Similarly, snow removal is an impor- tant service in the winter, but not in the summer. In identi- fying these elements, the COOP team is advised to review the results of Worksheet 14 to ensure that time-critical or calendar-critical resources are identified. A sample listing of these requirements for emergency procurement services (a likely essential function for most agencies) appears in Table 3. Another example, for public information, appears in Table 4. In completing Worksheet 15, for each essential function, transportation agencies are advised to consider the following: • Interoperable communications; • Procurement; • Inventory and resource management systems; • Access to electronic databases and servers; • Maintenance systems and equipment; • Vehicle tracking and monitoring systems; • Public and traveler information systems; • Train control and train protection systems; • Signal operations and maintenance systems; • Field devices; • Badging and access control systems; and • Fueling and lube systems. Special services, such as those that support inspection, main- tenance, damage assessment, road weather management, and emergency management can receive priority attention. TABLE 3 Emergency procurement services requirements—sample TABLE 4 Passengers and traveler information—sample Process Systems Records Equipment/ Resources Emergency Procurement Services • Accounting system • Fund authorization system • Financial records • Emergency vendor list • Procurement forms • Hazardous materials clean-up contractor list • Financial software • Accounts payable resources (checks, record-keeping materials, etc.) Process Systems Records Equipment/ Resources Passenger and Traveler Notification Services • Transportation Wide Area Network • Transportation Radio System • Highway Advisory Radio System • Control Center SCADA Systems • Manual Field Device Control Systems • Internet and Phone- based Traveler Information Systems • Data Files and Codes • Terminals • Field Equipment Operations Manuals • Field Equipment Maintenance Records • Notification Lists (Motor Carriers, Passenger Groups, Hospitals and Disability Community) • Traffic Control Devices • Highway Advisory Radio • Variable Message Signs • Public Address Annunciators • Closed Circuit Television Systems • Road and Weather Monitoring Field Devices

22 STEP 6: IDENTIFY KEY MANAGEMENT, TECHNICAL, AND SUPPORTING PERSONNEL Use Worksheet 16 to complete this step. For each essen- tial function, identify the personnel required to carry out the function and the number of personnel needed. This informa- tion will support the creation of the COOP teams necessary to activate and sustain the COOP plan. Every employee is important to achieving the agency’s mission; however, as is true for processes and services, each essential function has associated key personnel and positions that are vital to the continuity of agency operations. If these positions are left unstaffed, the agency will not be able to ful- fill its essential functions. Therefore, the agency identifies and staffs certain positions. To address personnel staffing issues during COOP emergencies, the transportation agency can use Worksheet 16 to document the following for each essential function: • Key management and technical positions required for each essential function, • Classifications of supporting personnel to perform essen- tial functions, and • Number of supporting personnel needed. This activity may require some transportation agencies, par- ticularly public transit systems, to consider carefully the levels of service required to perform essential functions. For exam- ple, how many bus operators, supervisors, dispatchers, and maintenance personnel will be required? How many routes can be put into service relying entirely on manual modes of operation and limited or no communications capability? A rule of thumb is that for each essential function, the transportation agency designates fewer personnel than usu- ally perform this function as supporting COOP operations. For example, during the first few days of COOP implemen- tation, bus operations at a medium-sized agency may by lim- ited to one shift and the number of support personnel may be limited. These personnel may be designated to operate a lim- ited number of routes and to support emergency responders. As the emergency situation is brought under control, addi- tional personnel will be activated, and additional routes can be returned to service. STEP 7: PRIORITIZE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS Use Worksheet 17 to complete this step. Instead of using first day or first week, an agency may wish to use number of hours or number of days. Once all essential functions have been identified, prioritize the functions according to those activities that are vital to resuming operations. Prioritization requires determination of the following: • Time criticality of each essential function, • Sequence for recovery of essential functions and their key processes, and • Personnel availability and mobilization to begin the essential function. An essential function’s time criticality is related to the amount of time that function can be suspended before it adversely affects the agency’s core mission. In transporta- tion, measures of time criticality and recovery sequence are often specified by whether an essential function is to be per- formed within the first day after an emergency or can be brought on line within the first week after an emergency. The sequence of recovery also affects this assessment. Some key processes and systems that support other systems or activities would be re-established before the performance of those other activities. In another example, inspection, damage assessment, and emergency repair functions would be performed before returning elements of the transportation system to service. Finally, the ability of the transportation agency to mobi- lize identified staff to perform essential functions is also con- sidered. In some instances, advance teams can be quickly assembled and deployed to bring up computer systems and telecommunications systems in an alternate facility. Person- nel can effectively begin work in the alternate location after this occurs. Based on careful review of the time-criticality, sequencing, and personnel mobilization requirements for each essential function, the transportation agency can prior- itize its list. Table 5 lists the essential functions identified for a DOT, prioritized according to the activities that the DOT has said it would be required to perform within the first day or first week after the emergency. TABLE 5 Prioritized essential functions for state DOT Highway Maintenance FD Perform emergency maintenance of state highways and, if appropriate, help local road authorities with emergency maintenance FD Remove snow and ice from state highways to keep roads open to the public FD Provide traffic services, including traffic control and traffic monitoring FW Maintain bridges FW Provide construction engineering support for emergency highway reports FW Operate DOT facilities that are needed to support highway maintenance activity Railroads FD Monitor safety at rail crossings FD Monitor rail operations Aviation FW Maintain state airports

23 TABLE 5 (Continued) Support Services FD Contract with vendors for emergency supplies, services, and other public works emergency needs FD FD Issue forms and supplies needed by DOT emergency responders FD Transport needed equipment and supplies to DOT emergency responders throughout the state FD Provide field mechanics to make on-site emergency repairs to DOT equipment located in the field FD Make emergency repairs to DOT equipment at established repair shops FD Conduct safety inspections of DOT facilities and obtain contractor services if necessary to ensure safety FD Secure DOT buildings and facilities; provide maintenance of utilities at DOT buildings; and make immediate repairs to damaged buildings FW Ensure necessary mail gets to DOT personnel FW Make emergency signs File originals of emergency agreements and contracts and Director’s Office documents FW Use DOT’s photography and video resources to document damage caused by the emergency FW Provide reproductions of highway/facility drawings FW Transfer DOT fuel and equipment as needed to support response activities Information Systems FD Control access to and maintain security of DOT’s computer systems FD Maintain DOT’s computer network and mainframe operations FD Maintain DOT’s radio system FW Maintain telecommunications systems needed by DOT’s responders FW Maintain DOT’s server operations FW Provide computer support for engineering and Geographic Information System functions to support emergency response FW Provide computer assistance and personal computer support to DOT personnel to support emergency response Public Affairs FD Provide emergency information to the public Financial Information FD Conduct basic fiscal operations, manually if necessary FD Make vendor payments, manually if necessary FW Collect Motor Carrier weight-mile taxes Driver and Motor Vehicle Services FD Provide driver and motor vehicle related information to law enforcement and emergency services personnel FW Resume driver suspensions/reinstatements, driver convictions/accidents, driver financial responsibility, and hearings Motor Carriers FD Issue permits for trucks hauling over-dimension loads to protect the traveling public from traffic hazards and to minimize damage to highways FW Conduct truck and driver safety inspections and weigh and check truck size and weight limit compliance FW Inspect trucks and drivers at the roadside and at carriers’ terminals; manage police and sheriffs who inspect trucks and drivers at roadside FW Identify and record carrier and truck information and record and track tax and registration payments FW Operate the truck weigh station pre-clearance system that provides for automatic vehicle identification and weighing at highways speeds Transportation Inventory and Mapping FD Develop and provide maps and transportation system data to support emergency response actions and to brief decision makers Note: FD = first day; FW = first week

Next: Chapter 6 - COOP Plan Development, Review, and Approval (Task 4) »
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TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 525: Surface Transportation Security and TRB’s Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Report 86: Public Transportation Security series publications have jointly published Continuity of Operations (COOP) Planning Guidelines for Transportation Agencies. The report is Volume 8 in each series. The report is designed to assist transportation agencies in evaluating and modifying existing operations plans, policies, and procedures, as called for in the National Incident Management System.

The planning guidelines in this report are supplemented online with downloadable worksheets, a template for a completed COOP plan, a series of brochures that can be used to explain the COOP planning process to staff, a draft PowerPoint presentation that may be customized and presented to transportation executive leadership, and more than 300 resource documents organized in an electronic COOP library. The supplement material can be downloaded in either a .ISO CD-ROM based format or a .ZIP format.

Download the TCRP/NCHRP COOP Library in the .ZIP format

Links to instructions on burning an .ISO CD-ROM and to the download site for the TCRP/NCHRP COOP CD-ROM are below.

Help on Burning an .ISO CD-ROM Image

Download the TCRP/NCHRP COOP Library in the .ISO CD-ROM Image format

NCHRP Report 525: Surface Transportation Security is a series in which relevant information is assembled into single, concise volumes—each pertaining to a specific security problem and closely related issues. The volumes focus on the concerns that transportation agencies are addressing when developing programs in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the anthrax attacks that followed. Future volumes of the report will be issued as they are completed.

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