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35 CHAPTER 7 DEVELOPMENT OF SUPPORTING PROCEDURES (TASK 5) COOP PROCEDURES To implement the COOP plan, it is desirable that the trans- portation agency consider developing specific procedures to direct activities. The transportation environment, like so many other businesses, is largely procedure-driven. Training and evaluation exercises (discussed in the next chapter) are sup- ported and driven by the development of procedures. During an actual emergency, with the inherent stresses and strains on personnel, the ability to retrieve and review pre-established protocol can ensure that critical items are not overlooked and that disproportionate attention is not paid to trifling details. Checklists and specific step-by-step processes should be created and tailored to the specific actions the agency already has discussed. The following procedures and documents can be devel- oped by the transportation agency to support COOP plan implementation: ⢠Capabilities survey methodology for alternate facilities, ⢠Damage assessment forms and methodology, ⢠COOP alert and notification checklist and procedures for essential functions, ⢠COOP activation checklists and procedures, ⢠Alternate site-support checklists and procedures, ⢠Resource Acquisition and Purchasing Standard Operat- ing Procedure (SOP), ⢠Facility Evacuation Plan, ⢠Alternate Facility Evacuation/Security Plan, ⢠Assembly Site(s) and Deployment SOP, ⢠Plans to prepare families of personnel for activation, ⢠Protection and safeguarding procedures for vital records and databases, ⢠Contingency procedures for availability of vital records and databases, ⢠Order of Succession Implementation in Emergency Con- ditions SOP, ⢠Communication to Critical Customers SOP, ⢠Annual Review Procedure and Remedial Action Plan Template, ⢠Checklist of pre-positioned resources and drive-away kit standards, ⢠Executive COOP Team SOP, ⢠Advance COOP Team SOP, ⢠Operations COOP Team SOP, ⢠Support COOP Team SOP, ⢠Contingency COOP Team SOP, ⢠Alternate facility vulnerability assessment details, ⢠COOP team rostering and update procedures, ⢠Mobile Communications Support SOP, ⢠Human resources/payroll system procedures, and ⢠Media relations policies and procedures. Formalizing temporary work procedures can be very use- ful. They establish applicable processes for coordinating activ- ities with appropriate internal units and external agencies with the requisite resources available under emergency con- ditions. In many instances, the procedures may already exist as part of maintenance and emergency response plans and programs. In summary, the COOP plan specifies what essential functions will be done according to prioritization and the supporting procedures documents specify who and how the actions will be accomplished. The goal of the procedures should always be to provide clarity for those who expect to be involved, and even more clarity for those who do not expect to be involved, but must be due to unforeseen circumstances. COOP PERSONNEL PREPAREDNESS AND DRIVE-AWAY KITS The last step in COOP planning is to develop a list of activities performed by the transportation agency to ensure the preparedness of personnel to activate the COOP plan and perform essential functions. In preparing this list, transporta- tion agencies are advised to consider ⢠Designation of personnel for essential executive, advance, operations, support, and contingency teams; ⢠Dismissal or closure procedures;
⢠Prepared media announcements on transportation agency operating status; ⢠Status of non-emergency personnel and non-special cat- egories of personnel; ⢠Sample agency guidelines for communicating with per- sonnel during the emergency; ⢠Methods of agency-to-employee communications regard- ing activation; ⢠The content and location of drive-away kits, which con- tain items needed to minimally satisfy personal and pro- fessional needs during deployment; 36 ⢠Referencing supporting procedures or lists that iden- tify employee roles and responsibilities during COOP emergencies; ⢠Pay flexibilities; ⢠Staffing flexibilities; and ⢠Benefit issues. Because most, if not all, of these personnel preparedness issues will be addressed in other agency documents, use Work- sheet 32 to document where they can be found.
