fema business continuity planning suite

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Business continuity planning suite (fema).

FEMA's Business Continuity Planning Suite was created for any business with the need to create, improve, or update its business continuity plan. The Suite consists of business continuity plan training, automated CP and disaster recovery plan generators, and a self-directed exercise for testing an implemented BCP. Businesses can utilize this solution to maintain normal operations and provide resilience during a disruption.

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This software was created for any business with the need to create, improve, or update its business continuity plan. The Suite is scalable for optimal use by organizations of any size and consists of a business continuity plan (BCP) training, automated BCP and disaster recovery plan (DRP) generators, and a self-directed exercise for testing an implemented BCP. Businesses can utilize this solution to maintain normal operations and provide resilience during a disruption.

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Additional Resources

The resources in this section provide useful information on additional non-risk aligned topics that can support overall resilience.

The resources are organized according to the relevant Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Mission Area within each non-risk aligned topic:

Crisis Communications

During emergency situations, communicating with the public and all relevant stakeholders presents a significant challenge to campus emergency personnel. IHEs should use these resources to improve their ability to share critical incident-related information in a timely and consistent manner.

Preparedness (Prevention, Protection, Mitigation)

• Prevention: This mission area focuses on the ability to avoid, prevent, or stop an imminent threat.
• Protection: This mission area focuses on the ability to secure and protect a community against a variety of threats and hazards.
• Mitigation: This mission area focuses on the ability to reduce the loss of life and property by lessening the impact of a disaster.

Emergency Blue Light Outdoor Callboxes A study conducted by the University of Colorado at Boulder Department of Public Safety, and a comparison of wireless communications devices and emergency callboxes for Public Safety Emergency Communications access on College and University Campuses.

Emergency Alerts This webpage describes different warning alerts and the types of devices that receive the alerts.

Disaster Preparedness: Crisis Communication Plan Model This document provides an outline for constructing a Crisis Communication Plan and offers a step towards identifying core components.

This mission area focuses on the ability to save lives, protect property and the environment, as well as meet the basic needs of a community during a disaster.

Crisis Communications Plan This resource provides guidance for developing a crisis communications plan.

Code Maroon Emergency Notification System This resource provides a link to Texas A&M's Emergency Notification System. This website provides information regarding the various notification methods that can be used to communicate with the campus community during an emergency.

Sirens and Emergency Natural Hazard Warning Methodologies This document explores the use of electronic telecommunications technology warning systems to include Electrical and Electronic Sirens, and methodologies as a multifaceted and coordinated, comprehensive systems approach to natural and man-made hazards warning possibilities.

NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards This website provides information on the NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards (NWR).

Timely Warning vs. Emergency Notification This resource explains the difference between Clery Act timely warnings and campus emergency notifications.

This mission area focuses on the ability to assist communities in recovering effectively following a disaster.

Please see the "All" category for resources that encompass the Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Mission Areas.

Resources that fall into the "All" category contain useful information and guidance that is relevant to all FEMA Mission Areas.

Ready.gov - Crisis Communications Plan This resource provides direction for developing a crisis communications plan.

Social Media in Emergency Management Training Course This course provides participants with tools, techniques and a basic roadmap to build their social media capabilities in order to further their emergency response missions.

Campus Safety Mobile Apps This comprehensive list of mobile safety apps includes app descriptions, cost information, supporting devices, and links to more information that may assist individuals and institutions consider the use of mobile safety app technology.

Duke Crisis Communication Plan This webpage outlines the Duke University Crisis Communication Plan, which outlines the roles, responsibilities and protocols that will guide the university in promptly sharing information with all of Duke’s audiences during an emergency or crisis.

Continuity of Operations

Continuity of operations refers to the effort within organizations to ensure the performance and maintenance of essential functions during a wide range of emergencies and incidents. While emergencies will inevitably disrupt many academic operations, IHEs should use these resources to maintain critical services throughout the response and recovery processes.

Sample Articulation Agreements This resource provides an example of articulations agreements between institutions of higher education.

Business Continuity Plan (Ready.gov) This website is designed to assist in the development of Business Continuity Plans and provides links to additional key resources.

Continuity of Operations Planning Resources This resource provides general and specific guidance for continuity of operations planning.

Business Continuity Planning Suite This website provides access to the new Business Continuity Planning Suite developed by DHS' s National Protection and Programs Directorate and FEMA.

Introduction to Continuity of Operations This online course describes the Continuity Management Cycle and how it should be used to develop sound continuity of operations plans.

Continuity of Operations Plan Template This resource provides New Mexico State University's Continuity of Operations Plan template.

Business Continuity: Getting Your Ducks in a Row This webinar focuses on the definition, benefits, and basics of continuity planning in higher education.

Business Continuity Planning for Water Utilities This resource provides an overview of the business continuity plan development process for water systems and water utilities.

Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) - 12 The Doctrinal portion of this site highlights the national policy and guidance in which continuity of operations initiatives are based. Continuity plans and their supporting Multi-Year Strategy and Program Management Plans provide the framework for the nation’s continuity program. Planning addresses the guidance and assistance provided by National Continuity Programs to support continuity preparedness for federal Executive Branch departments and agencies; state, local, tribal, and territorial government jurisdictions; and private sector organizations.

Emergency Management & Continuity This resource connects to the University of Oregon Emergency Management & Continuity program.

Special Populations/International Students

A critical component of improving resilience involves ensuring that preparedness, response, and recovery plans accommodate all community members, including special populations such as those with access and functional needs or international students. IHEs should use these resources to ensure their emergency operations plans account for the diverse needs of their faculty, staff, and student body.

Special Populations/International Students: Emergency and Disaster Preparedness This resource guide from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) provides emergency and disaster preparedness guidance for Special Populations/International Students.

Individuals with Disabilities (Ready.gov) This resource is designed to assist individuals with disabilities prepare for an emergency.

J-1 VISA Exchange Visitor Program Scholars Regulations This website provides resources for the J-1 VISA Exchange Visitor Program.

What to do in an Emergency Situation This website provides information to F (Academic) and M (Vocational) students and Designated School Officials (DSOs) on what to do in the event of an emergency.

Overseas Security Advisory Council This resource provides information on the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC), a public and private sector partnership that exists to develop an effective security communication network.

Access to Emergency Alerts for People with Disabilities The Access to Emergency Alerts project unites emergency alert providers, local information resources, telecommunications industry and public broadcasting representatives, and consumers in a collaborative effort to research and disseminate replicable approaches to make emergency warnings accessible.

Preparing for Disaster for People with Disabilities and Other Special Needs This booklet provides guidelines for developing an emergency plan for persons with access and functional needs.

Title II Checklist for Emergency Management This checklist provides a preliminary assessment of emergency management programs to ensure their compliance with ADA regulations.

Effective Emergency Preparedness Planning: Addressing the Needs of Employees with Disabilities  This website provides tips and resources for developing, implementing, and maintaining workplace emergency plans which accommodate people with access and functional needs.

Emergency Preparedness: Including People with Disabilities This Centers for Disease Control webpage provides resources and tools to help persons with access and functional needs prepare for, respond to, and recover from an emergency or incident.

Preparing Makes Sense for People with Disabilities, Others with Access and Functional Needs, and the Whole Community This guide outlines commonsense measures individuals with disabilities, and others with access and functional needs, and the people who assist and support them can take to start preparing for emergencies before they happen.

Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) This website provides the latest information and resources for F (Academic) and M (Vocational) students, as well as designated school officials (DSOs).

SEVIS Requirements (Student Exchange Visitor Information System) This joint Department of Homeland Security/U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement resource provides information on how a school applies for SEVP-certification to enroll F (Academic) and/or M (Vocational) students.

Individuals with Access and Functional Needs This website provides resources to help individuals with disabilities plan for disasters.

Incorporating International Students into IHE Emergency Management & Planning This resource offers guidelines for incorporating international students into the emergency plans of Institutions of Higher Education.

Including People with Disabilities & Others with Access & Functional Needs in Disaster Operations This online course provides an overview of disabilities and access and functional needs and explains how disaster staff can apply inclusive practices in their disaster assignments.

Disaster Safety for People with Disabilities  This website provides guidelines for developing an emergency plan for persons with access and functional needs.

Access and Functional Needs This webpage provides resources and inclusive strategies for integrating the access and functional needs of at-risk individuals into emergency preparedness, response, and recovery planning at all jurisdictional levels.

Exercise Resources

One opportunity for IHEs to validate their plans, policies, and procedures is to conduct exercises. These resources provide some sample exercise materials as well as guidance on how to effectively plan, design, conduct, and evaluate different types of exercises.

Testing and Exercises (Ready.gov) This site is designed to provide guidance regarding conducting training and exercises to evaluate the effectiveness of your preparedness program and to ensure employees know what to do and identify gaps.

National Preparedness Report (NPR) The National Preparedness Report provides all levels of government, the private and nonprofit sectors, and the public with practical insights into preparedness to support decisions about program priorities, resource allocations, and community actions.

Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) The Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) provides a set of guiding principles for exercise programs, as well as a common approach to exercise program management, design and development, conduct, evaluation, and improvement planning.

Conducting Effective Emergency Management Exercises This presentation from the Department of Education assists in the development and conduct of effective emergency management tabletop exercises, drills, and other exercises.

Exercise Resources and Drills This resource connects readers with FEMA's Emergency Management Institute (EMI). EMI offers school officials courses supporting the implementation of NIMS as well as general courses aimed at building school emergency management capacity.

The National Seminar and Tabletop Exercise Series for Institutions of Higher Education (NTTX) The National Seminar and Tabletop Exercise for Institutions of Higher Education (NTTX) is a series of campus-based events to test and promote campus resilience and emergency preparedness. The series brings together senior higher education leaders, as well as federal, state and local representatives from departments and agencies that support campus resilience to participate in workshops and work through a designed emergency scenario.

National Exercise Program (NEP) This resource provides an overview of the National Exercise Program and the National Preparedness Goal.

National Planning Frameworks The purpose of this page is to provide information on the National Planning Frameworks (Frameworks). The Frameworks describe how the whole community works together to achieve the National Preparedness Goal. There is one Framework for each of the five mission areas, Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery. The intended audience for the page is individuals, families, communities, the private and nonprofit sectors, faith-based organizations, and local, state, tribal, territorial, insular area, and federal governments.

National Preparedness Goal (NPG) and Overview This document provides an in-depth analysis of the National Preparedness Goal.

Mental Health Services

With the recent spike in on-campus active shooter and other violent incidents, one mitigation opportunity is the investment in counseling and mental health services. Offering these preventative services could assist with the detection of early warning signs, patterns, or trends in the behavior of students, faculty, or staff. These resources provide guidance and best practices on different types of counseling and mental health services.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder This website provides information on the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs' Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Program, which creates community-based avenues to counseling services.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration This website provides resources for the local providers who plan for and respond to behavioral health needs following a disaster.

Coping with a Disaster or Traumatic Event This webpage provides mental health resources for communities affected by a natural disaster or other emergency.

All-Hazards Planning

Given the vast amount of threats and hazards that pose a risk to the academic community today, planning for each individual type of incident could prove to be difficult. One strategy to overcome this challenge is to adopt an all-hazards approach to emergency planning. These resources will provide IHEs with guidance and best practices on how to development and implement an all-hazards preparedness plan.

CDC Family Disaster Plan This resource from the Centers for Disease Control Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response provides information on step-by-step actions to help IHEs prepare before an emergency (public health emergency, natural disaster, act of terrorism, etc.).

Texas A&M University Emergency Operations Plan This website provides an example of Texas A&M University's Emergency Operations Plan (EOP).

Fire Protection in Cultural Institutions This resource emphasizes the importance of fire prevention measures to protect cultural institutions.

Fire Safety Self-Inspection Form for Cultural Institutions This resource contains a self-inspection form to be used by staff when regularly conducting inspections.

Using Highways During Evacuation Operations This resource provides guidance and direction for the development of an evacuation plan.

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Codes and Standards This website provides links to more than 300 consensus codes and standards published by the NFPA.

Special Report Disasters, Leadership, and Rebuilding The Initiative for Global Environmental Leadership (IGEL) and Knowledge@Wharton partnered to develop this report on business and the environment.

Institutional Preparedness This resource provides an example of the Drexel University Emergency Preparedness Plan.

Partnership Agreements This resource provides an example of a Partner Agreement between a local or state government and an IHE.

Shoreline Community College Evacuation This resource provides information and guidance specific to Shoreline Community College's Evacuation Plan.

Building a Disaster-Resistant University This document is both a how-to guide and a distillation of the experiences of six universities and colleges across the country that have been working over the past several years to become more disaster-resistant.

Ready Campus This website connects campuses necessary preparedness resources.

America's PreparAthon! America's PrepareAthon! is a grassroots campaign for action to increase community preparedness and resilience. Join others around the country to practice your preparedness.

Preparing Your School for a Crisis This brochure is designed to assist and prepare schools and communities for moments of crisis.

Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) Guide Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 201 The THIRA process helps communities identify capability targets and resource requirements necessary to address anticipated and unanticipated risks.

Campus Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Starter Guide The Campus CERT Starter Guide is designed to assist anyone interested in starting a Campus CERT program, whether that person is a Campus Safety staff member, a faculty member, a student, or another member of the campus community.

G367: Emergency Planning for Campus Executives Training Course Sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Emergency Management Institute, this two-hour overview of emergency planning serves as a briefing for executives of institutions of higher education. It provides them with insights into multi-hazard emergency planning and their role in protecting lives, property, and operations.

IS-360: Preparing for Mass Causality Incidents This course provides leading practices and resources to assist elementary and secondary schools, institutions of higher education, and houses of worship in developing emergency plans for preparing for, responding to, and recovering from mass casualty incidents.

IHE EOP Planning Principles This resource offers best-practice principles that are key to developing a comprehensive higher education emergency operations plan that addresses a range of threats and hazards.

IHE EOP Planning Process This resource offers a step-by-step guide to the Emergency Operations Plan development process.

Developing Emergency Operations Plans for IHEs This online course discusses the best practices for developing adequate, feasible, acceptable, complete, and compliant emergency operations plans.

Emergency Planning This online course offers training in the fundamentals of the emergency planning process, including the rationale behind planning.

Community Preparedness: Implementing Simple Activities for Everyone This online course presents a model program and resources for whole-community preparedness.

Designing a Solution to Enable Agency-Academic Scientific Collaboration for Disasters This study identifies past failures in integrating scientific expertise into disaster decision-making and proposes methods for ensuring collaboration between academic, government, and industry scientists, decision-makers, and responders.

Multi-Hazard Emergency Planning for Schools Training: IS-362A Sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Emergency Management Institute, this training course covers basic information about developing, implementing, and maintaining a school emergency operations plan (EOP). The goal of this course is to provide students with an understanding of the importance of schools having an EOP and basic information on how an EOP is developed, exercised, and maintained.

Multi-Hazard Emergency Planning for Schools Training: IS-361 Sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Emergency Management Institute, this training course provides school district teams with the knowledge, skills, and tools needed to review, enhance, and sustain an all-hazards/threats emergency operations plan (EOP).

Train-the-Trainer, Multi-Hazard Emergency Planning For Schools Course Sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Emergency Management Institute, this course introduces G0364, Multi-Hazard Emergency Planning for Schools, field course materials, and prepares participants to deliver G0364 in their state or at the local level.

Multi-Hazard Emergency Planning for Schools Training: G0364 Sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Emergency Management Institute, this course provides schools with the knowledge, skills, and tools needed to refine or develop an all-hazards school Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and to identify how to train and exercise the school EOP.

Stanford Environmental Health & Safety This resource overviews the services, forms, tools, SOPs, references, training, and guides and manuals that Stanford offers to improve campus safety.

Sheltering and Mass Care Plan This document acts as a guide to conducting a sheltering and mass care response.

Evacuation Plans and Procedures This resource provides a link to Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Evacuation Plans and Procedures eTool designed to assist in developing an emergency action plan for an evacuation.

Shelter (Ready.gov) This website provides information and guidance regarding sheltering during an emergency.

NIMS Resource Management Overview This course introduces resource management as described in NIMS and shows how systems for managing resources can be used to improve incident response.

National Incident Management System (NIMS) This section of the FEMA website provides information on the National Incident Management System (NIMS).

Community Emergency Response Team This website provides an overview of the FEMA Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program.

Emergency Operations Center Handbook This resource provides an example of an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Handbook.

Emergency Response Team Roadmap for Your School This article discusses the benefits of a campus emergency response team.

National Disaster Recovery Framework This resource provides an overview of the National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF).

MedlinePlus This website provides tools and resources to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a variety of natural and human-caused disasters.

Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) This resource is an at-a-glance version of the Federal guides that help school, district, and institutions of higher education emergency management personnel develop and update high-quality, customized emergency operations plans.

Federal, State, and Local Planning (HHS ASPR) This website provides information that will assist federal, state, local, tribal and territorial emergency planners in all-hazards public health emergency preparedness and response.

Guide for Developing High-Quality Emergency Operations Plans This guide provides recommendations in the development of plans not only to respond to an emergency, but also outlines how Institutions of Higher Education can plan for preventing, protecting against, mitigating the impact of and recovering from these emergencies.

Emergency Preparedness and Response Pocket Guide This handy pocket guide helps students and faculty prepare for an emergency notification.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Core Capabilities This page contains the 32 core capabilities identified in the National Preparedness Goal.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): Introduction to Incident Command System (ICS 100) Training This online course familiarizes participants with the application of Incident Command System (ICS) principles and prepares participants to coordinate with a variety of government and private sector response partners.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Mission Areas This webpage provides a general overview of FEMA's five mission areas.

Incident Command System (ICS) This website provides resources to successfully establish the Incident Command System (ICS).

LO363: Multi-Hazard Emergency Management for Higher Education Training Course Sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Emergency Management Institute, this three-day course provides institutions of higher education with the knowledge and planning strategies to better protect lives, property, and operations within the context of comprehensive emergency management by using the Incident Command System to develop and implement an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP).

Campus Safety Health and Environmental Management Association (CSHEMA) This website connects users with programs and conferences hosted by the Campus Safety Health and Environmental Management Association (CSHEMA).

Emergency Management Scholarly Research Resources This website connects users with emergency management resources.

Community Emergency Response Teams on Campuses This webinar explains the Campus Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) model and explores CERT training opportunities.

IHE EOP Functional Annexes This website offers resources that are useful when developing functional annexes for an Emergency Operations Plan.

Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) TA Center EOP Interactive Tools This resource offers interactive tools to support individuals and planning teams at schools, school districts, and institutions of higher education (IHEs) in assessing their knowledge of concepts fundamental to emergency management, and in creating and evaluating emergency operations plans (EOPs).

National Higher Education Emergency Management Program Needs Assessment This report presents the results of a needs assessment of emergency management programs at IHEs in the U.S.

Think Outside the Campus: Developing Off-Campus Emergency Management Partnerships This article discusses the benefits of coordination and collaboration with local and state emergency management organizations, first responders, local businesses, public health, and peer institutions.

When Disaster Strikes…What's the Plan? This resource discusses the unique campus safety requirements.

An Introduction to Incident Command System for Higher Education Sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, this training course introduces ICS and provides the foundation for higher level ICS training.  This course describes the history, features and principles, and organizational structure of ICS.  It also explains the relationship between ICS and the National Incident Management System (NIMS).  This course uses the same objectives and content as other ICS courses with higher education examples and exercises.

Emergency Operations Center (EOC) 101 The video describes what an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is, how it fits within the framework of Incident Management Systems, and the benefits of establishing and maintaining one.

University of Maryland Integrated Emergency Operations Plan This webpage features the University's plan to prepare for and manage emergencies in a comprehensive manner.

Good Ideas Book This document provides outreach ideas, resources, and materials for organizers of disaster preparedness events.

Building a Disaster-Resistant University This report details lessons learned and best practices for how institutions can become more resilient and disaster-resistant.

National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) Website NIBS was authorized by the U.S. Congress to serve the nation through supporting advances in building science and technology to improve the built environment. This website details various services available to public and private organizations to promote the safe development of buildings and facilities.

Introduction to the Incident Command System for Schools Training In collaboration with the Department of Education, the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Emergency Management Institute developed the Introduction to ICS training course for schools. It is designed specifically for kindergarten through high school personnel.

Preparing for Emergencies: What Teachers Need to Know Training Course Sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Emergency Management Institute, this training course provides teachers with the knowledge, skills, and tools needed to prepare for school emergencies before, during and after a school emergency. Teachers will have an opportunity to improve school emergency preparedness efforts by providing them with the preparedness skills necessary to strengthen both school and classroom-level prevention, mitigation, protection, response and recovery capabilities.

Integrating Emergency Management Education into Your Institution Workshop Sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Emergency Management Institute, this workshop provides information about emergency management (EM) and the benefits of and resources available for integrating EM degree programs and EM course offerings at institutions of higher education.

Multi-Hazard Planning for Childcare Training Course Sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Emergency Management Institute, this course covers the steps needed to help childcare sites prepare for incidents to ensure the safety of the children at their site. Childcare providers must have plans and procedures to keep children safe from everyday hazards and to respond and recover when an emergency happens.

Crisis Management for School-Based Incidents for Key Decision Makers Training Course Sponsored by the Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium, the purpose of this two-day course is to provide the operational-level details to support many of the topics covered in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) approved AWR 148: Crisis Management for School-Based Incidents training course.

Resources in this "Other" category provide useful information not included in the categories listed above.

Assistance Visits The Office of Infrastructure Protection's Assist Visits are a cornerstone of the voluntary outreach effort to critical infrastructure owners and operators. This resource summarizes the benefits of Assist Visits.

Health Information Privacy (HHS.gov) This resource provides information regarding Health Information Privacy.

University Risk Management Insurance Association This website contains information provided by the University Risk Management and Insurance Association and provides links to additional resources in the discipline of risk management in higher education.

FEMA Grants This resource contains information on preparedness grants funding provided by FEMA to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments in the form of non-disaster grants.

Standards for Student Health Insurance/Benefits Programs This website provides access to the American College Health Association (ACHA) Standards for student health insurance coverage.

Resources and Guidance Documents for Compliance Assistance This website provides an overview of the compliance assistance program for business, federal facilities, local governments, and tribes with tools to help meet environmental regulatory requirements.

FEMA Independent Study Courses This course provides guidance to individuals, including managers and employees, so that they can prepare to respond to an active shooter situation.

Family Policy Compliance Office (FPCO) This resource explains the Department of Education's Family Policy Compliance Office (FPCO).

32 National Campus Safety Initiative™ (32 NCSI™) This free self-assessment survey tool is available to institutions of higher education. Colleges and universities can use the survey to conduct an objective analysis of a full range of institutional safety and security facilities, policies, and procedures.

Stay Put-Learn How to Shelter in Place This webpage describes correct protocols for 'sheltering-in-place' during an emergency or incident.

Public Assistance FAQs This resource contains Frequently Asked Questions regarding FEMA's Public Assistance Program and guidance.

Shelter Assessment Tool This resource contains the Centers for Disease Control's (CDC) Environment Health Shelter Assessment Tool to assist environmental health practitioners in conducting a rapid assessment of shelter conditions during emergencies and disasters.

This mission area focuses on the ability to assist communities in recovering effectively following a disaster. Please see the "All" category for resources that encompass the Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Mission Areas.

Animal Welfare Information Center Bulletin The Animal Welfare Information Center (AWIC) provides information for improved animal care and use in research, testing, and teaching.

Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau The FCC's Public Safety & Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) advises, makes recommendations to, or acts for the Commission under delegated authority, in all matters pertaining to public safety, homeland security, national security, emergency management and preparedness, disaster management, and ancillary operations.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) This resource provides an overview of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.

Office of Risk Management This resource provides information on Northwestern University's Office of Risk Management to include additional resources on environmental health and safety.

Assessing the Performance of Senior Leaders This resource provides a guide for assessing senior IHE leaders and enhancing their effectiveness.

International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators  (IACLEA) IACLEA is the leading authority for campus public safety and provides a variety of resources on trainings, accreditation, government relations, as well as communications and publications for members of the academic community.

Center for Public Safety Excellence This website connects readers with The Center for Public Safety Excellence, which provides a variety of resources for fire and emergency management officials with the goal of improving overall community safety.

Academic Resource Catalog January 2017 This Academic Resource Catalog overviews the Department of Homeland Security programs and resources available to the academic community.

Homeland Security Academic Advisory Council (HSAAC) The Homeland Security Academic Advisory Council (HSAAC) provides advice and recommendations to the Secretary and senior leadership on matters related to homeland security and the academic community, including: student and recent graduate recruitment; international students; academic research and faculty exchanges; campus resilience; homeland security academic programs; and cybersecurity.

Emergency Planning for Higher Education Training (FEMA EMI) The Higher Education Program supports building disaster resistant and resilient communities through the promotion of quality education offerings, research and close collaboration with emergency management and first responder practitioners.

Presidential Policy Directive (PPD) - 8 This page provides updates, an overview, and information on the implementation of the directive to assist all communities and levels of government ensure we're prepared as a nation.

National Association of Foreign Student Advisers (NAFSA) Student Health & Safety This website provides resources for professionals who communicate guidelines and expectations for health and safety to students; develop and incorporate guidelines for the promotion of health and safety in all program planning; collaborate with university to ensure students, faculty, and staff have appropriate medical and accident insurance coverage.

International Association of Emergency Managers, Universities & Colleges Caucus (IAEM/UCC) IAEM/UCC represents emergency management issues surrounding college and university campuses. This website provides information on the various services and resources that IAEM and UCC provides to the academic community.

Food, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Information for Use Before and After a Disaster or Emergency This Centers for Disease Control webpage provides key information regarding emergency access to food and water.

The National Center for Campus Public Safety (NCCPS) Website The National Center for Campus Public Safety (NCCPS) is a resource for college and university campus safety, school security, training, and assistance.

Thank you for visiting the Campus Resilience Program Resource Library. The Resource Library is currently available in soft launch mode only. Additional resources are being added on an ongoing basis. We encourage you to submit suggestions for additional resources and provide feedback on the website layout and navigation through this  survey .

• Preparedness

IS-0238 Critical Concepts in Supply Chain Flow and Resilience

Lesson 5 (printable).

"What’s your next step?" Video Transcript

Lesson 5: Facilitating Private Sector Supply Chain Resilience

FEMA's After-Action Review of the 2017 Hurricane Season included this message:

• The unparalleled scope and scale of the 2017 Hurricane Season underscored the need for, and identified several limitations in, implementing timely national response capabilities that are fully integrated with and supportive of private sector supply chain restoration.
• In 2017, public and private sector response and recovery efforts were too “stove-piped” to share timely information, too slow to consult, and as a result, often too late to synchronize stabilization efforts.
• The public and private sectors are inextricably linked and must have shared situational awareness and the ability to synchronize their respective efforts to be successful.
• FEMA should work with its key partners to develop a more comprehensive understanding of local, regional, and national supply chains, as well as stronger relationships with critical private sector partners to support rapid restoration in response to catastrophic incidents.
• As a result, the Agency is adopting new response principles to closely align public and private sector efforts in a unified effort focused on rapid stabilization of key lifelines.

Looking ahead, as an Emergency Manager, you have a new FEMA mandate to look, listen, and collaborate with supply chains in your jurisdiction. Your goal will be to facilitate the restoration of critical supply chains following a disaster event.

This course is not intended to prepare you to have direct discussions with business leaders but to provide you with the foundational knowledge so you can participate in state-led planning and collaboration efforts.

As you engage in this lesson, think about these questions:

• What are the critical private sector supply chains in your jurisdiction?
• What could you bring to a relationship with a supply chain partner?
• Where can you get more training or information on FEMA supply chain resilience initiatives?

Let's get started.

Lesson 5 Objectives

At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Describe the objective of supply chain resilience initiatives
• Describe the three categories of supply chain resilience policies
• Describe methods for supply chain resilience analysis and enhancement

This lesson should take approximately 30 minutes to complete.

What is supply chain resilience?

• Supply chain resilience is the ability of a preexisting demand and supply network to deploy its surviving capacity, and/or introduce new capacity, under severe duress.
• It is the ability of a network, or portion of a network, to continue moving (directing, redirecting, flowing) goods and services, even when important elements of the network are no longer operating.
• Resilience requires a supply chain to be able to resist disruptions and recover its operational capability after a disruption occurs.

Resistance is the supply chain's ability to minimize the impact of disruption, such as a natural disaster, by either evading it entirely or by minimizing the time the disruption affects the supply chain. Resistance is a good indication of how well a supply chain can predict and lessen the impact of any disruption.

Recovery is the supply chain's ability to return to full operations once a disruption has occurred. First, a supply chain must go through a stabilization phase. After that, it can work to return to its previous performance levels. Once recovery is complete, companies will often take time to learn from their experiences to help in future planning and risk management strategy development.

Emergency Manager's Roles in Supply Chain Resilience

• The objective of any supply chain resilience initiative is to minimize the impact of a disruptive event (e.g., hurricane or all-hazards disaster) on the affected population and to do so as efficiently as possible.
• To foster collaboration with and among supply chain partners to promote actions that make supply chains of critical goods and services more resilient.
• To develop an awareness of supply chains and their vulnerabilities and use that information to inform response and recovery planning.

What does awareness and collaboration look like? Video Transcript

Emergency Managers can play a critical role in enhancing supply chain resilience by fostering awareness and collaboration among key supply chain players and by promoting actions to enhance supply chain resilience.

They must also be aware of supply chain vulnerabilities and potential impacts to the community so that they can develop effective emergency response plans and can operate efficiently in times of disaster. For example, emergency response plans are often based on the assumption of working supply chains. Awareness of vulnerabilities can help Emergency Managers understand the potential impacts of disrupted supply chains.

In addition, this level of awareness can help managers to support the private sector in re-establishing supply chains and to take necessary actions to mitigate the impacts. These actions can include prioritizing the stabilization of critical supply chain infrastructure, reviewing stockpile options, or identifying alternate supply chains for emergencies when needed.

Integrating the needs of supply chains into mitigation, response, recovery, and resilience planning and actions is key to improving supply chain resilience and ensuring the availability of key goods and services. To effectively support supply chain resilience and develop response and recovery plans, Emergency Managers must understand the activities and principles for each local supply chain, similar to the general understanding they have with law enforcement, fire suppression, emergency medical services, and public works. Awareness of supply and demand flows, bottlenecks, interconnections, and interdependencies between supply chains is as important to disaster planning and resilience building as knowledge of the local road networks and floodplains.

Obstacles to Collaboration

• Emergency Managers frequently foster collaboration to create and promote resilience efforts across private and public sectors.
• However, few supply chain players have experience coordinating with Emergency Managers. It can be challenging for Emergency Managers to engage these organizations with disaster planning and resilience-building actions.
• For example, some regulated public sector and private sector supply chains may require legal actions to build or improve resilience, with the costs being transferred to the residents and businesses in the jurisdiction.
• Other supply chains involve private sector businesses that compete with each other and are reluctant to share any information that reveals their strengths and weaknesses. This can hinder collaboration and hide interdependencies.

FEMA Supply Chain Resilience Policies

FEMA has begun the long process of policy changes, strategic alignment, operational redesign, professional development, budget alterations, and more to support supply chain resilience and the rapid reestablishment of lifelines.​

Public and private sector policies for achieving supply chain resilience can be divided into three categories: ​

• Mitigation and preparedness actions to help a system avoid and withstand disruptions (readiness)
• Emergency relief through the establishment of temporary replacement supply chains (response)
• The restoration of normal supply chain performance through repair of damaged infrastructure, nodes, links (recovery)

Readiness:   Advance preparations can include building up inventories of components and/or finished goods as a protection against capacity outages (a strategy often employed by Emergency Managers through “pre-positioning” of critical supplies in or near the affected area), and hardening key production and distribution processes (for example, equipping selected service stations or gas pumps so they will be able to dispense fuel during a power outage).​

Response:  The classic response to the need for emergency goods and services in the wake of a hurricane is to set up special relief supply chains. Government agencies (for example, FEMA, Army Corps of Engineers, and state governments) and nongovernmental organizations (for example, American Red Cross, Catholic Charities, Feeding America, National Baptist Convention) deliver food, water, medical services, and many other essential commodities to disaster-stricken communities. The special-purpose relief supply chains used by these organizations can undoubtedly save lives and reduce human suffering. They are, however, less efficient and less precise in meeting demands than the supply chains they attempt to replace.​

Recovery:   Because established private sector supply chains have been optimized over time in response to profit motivation and market competition, they will always be more efficient at matching supply with demand than special-purpose emergency supply chains. Hence, a vital management response is to restore these supply chains as quickly as possible. The private sector will often seek to do this in service of companies’ business objectives. But a lack of coordination among government, nongovernmental organizations, and private companies can slow the restoration of regular supply chains. 

Private Sector Resilience Efforts

Business continuity plans often consider factors such as transportation and communication equipment, off-site back-up locations and capabilities, supplies of essential materials (e.g., water, ice, food, fuel, batteries, generators), and robust contracts with suppliers who can respond quickly during an emergency and enable continuity of operations.

Disaster Effects on Supply Chains: Video Transcript

Hello, I'm Kathy Fulton, the Executive Director of the American Logistics Aid Network or ALAN. ALAN works with businesses, government, and non-profit organizations to support continuity of supply chains during crisis.

Caribbean Restaurants, a Burger King and Firehouse Subs franchise in Puerto Rico, was able to reopen more than 75 percent of its 187 restaurants and served more than 120,000 customers a day just one month after Hurricane Maria. The franchisee was able to accomplish this feat of resiliency because it had inventories, communications systems, and workers ready to respond.

It relied on an experienced network of drivers and an internal fleet of 25 trucks to deliver products to its stores. It also benefited from a company-owned 10-day supply of diesel fuel, supplemented with fuel shipments from its longtime supplier—which in turn had its own distribution channels, containers, and fleet of trucks to distribute gas across 40 different stations throughout the island.

This case study appeared in the Center for Naval Analysis report, Supply Chain Resilience and the 2017 Hurricane Season: A collection of case studies about Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria and their impact on supply chain resilience (2018).

Effective Collaboration Efforts

• Emergency Managers are not expected to become supply chain management experts, and much of the information used by supply chain managers is considered proprietary data. However, Emergency Managers can use available information to become more aware of the vulnerable populations and critical supply chain characteristics in their jurisdictions.
• Identify the most at-risk, densely populated areas.
• Identify key nodes and links for water, food, and fuel in these at-risk areas.
• Develop relationships and a sentinel system for monitoring flow through these nodes and links.
• Give sustained and strategic attention to hourglass structures within supply chains.
• Continue to reconceive and reform the FEMA catastrophe response strategy to facilitate and gap-fill flows that are crucial to supply chains and lifelines.

Develop a Strategic Understanding

• Emergency Managers should develop a strategic understanding of the current supply chains in their jurisdiction and engage with relevant stakeholders, such as vendors and industry associations, to foster public-private sector collaboration, cooperation, and planning.
• Emergency Managers may find it helpful to begin their research by focusing on a supply chain for a single good or service, such as groceries or fuel. They can later expand their focus to a community lifeline, which may encompass multiple goods or services.

Note: Before engaging with private sector entities, Emergency Managers are encouraged to complete additional training and seek out established communication channels.

Supply Chain Resilience Process

The Department of Homeland Security’s Supply Chain Resilience Guide provides a five-phased cyclical approach to enhance supply chain resilience.

Phase 1 - Research and Mapping: Phase 1 uses readily available data, such as open-source information or other available data sets, to identify and map supply chain nodes. This information, which the Emergency Manager will analyze in Phase 2, provides important insight into the supply chain’s key players.​

Phase 2 - Analysis:  After identifying and mapping the demand and supply nodes, in Phase 2, Emergency Managers conduct an initial analysis of the supply chain by examining the importance of specific suppliers and nodes previously identified and targeting outreach to these potential stakeholders. ​

Phase 3 - Outreach:  After analyzing the supply chain, Emergency Managers can engage with key stakeholders during Phase 3, including private sector organizations, relevant jurisdictions, and other community partners, to vet their findings, begin the collaboration process, and potentially uncover supply chain resilience issues.​

Phase 4 - Action:  After engaging with key stakeholders and identifying and prioritizing issues to address, Emergency Managers can collaborate with relevant stakeholders to develop and implement preparedness activities and enhance supply chain resilience in Phase 4. Emergency Managers can develop and implement preparedness activities, including tabletop exercises, with partners to enhance supply chain resilience. These preparedness activities may include actions that private-sector partners can take, either to mitigate disruption of their nodes or links or to create continuity in the event of a disruption. They may also include developing or revising Emergency Operations Plan annexes or logistics plans outlining how the jurisdiction will implement logistics operations in light of potential supply chain issues. ​

Phase 5 - Assess and Refine: In Phase 5, the Emergency Manager maintains the effort by refreshing the data and revising the analysis as needed and continuing to collaborate with stakeholders. Supply chains and stakeholders are constantly changing, so an ongoing effort is critical. 

View Supply Chains Through an Equity Lens: Video Transcript

Because the private sector is in business to make money, retail outlets are not evenly distributed in all areas. In high-income areas, there is a high density of retailers. On the other hand, in low-income or low-population areas, there is a low density of large retailers and high density of small businesses. This creates an increased risk of food insecurity for low-income residents or those living in low-population areas.

The Department of Agriculture has coined a term, “food deserts,” to describe geographic areas where residents have few to no convenient options for securing affordable and healthy foods—especially fresh fruits and vegetables. Access to clean water also follows a similar pattern. While high-income areas have benefited from investment in water infrastructure improvements, water supply systems in low-income areas have suffered decades of underinvestment and disinvestment.

Studies show that people of color live in areas with higher rates of contaminated water, stormwater and wastewater overflows, and increased risks of flooding. Emergency Managers need to direct their investments to serve all people equitably.

Success Story: Creating the Food Availability Index

Early in its Hurricane Maria response effort, FEMA developed a Food Availability Index to help assess the specific status of the 78 municipalities in Puerto Rico. The index consisted of the following information:

• What is each community's Social Vulnerability Index?
• What was the pre-storm percentage of people using PAN cards?
• Are PAN transactions currently being made?
• How people accessed food prior to Maria?
• How many gas stations are open?
• How often are they refueled?
• How many grocery stores are open?
• Do the grocery stores have refrigeration?
• Are the grocery stores on the grid or on generators? If on generator, how often are they refueled?
• How often are the grocery stores resupplied?

Success Story: Creating the Food Availability Index: Audio Transcript

Hello, I'm Nicholas Peake, a FEMA Headquarters Emergency Management Specialist.

Following statute and policy, FEMA's relief channel is required to respond to demand as expressed by state and local governments. Strategy and operations have been organized around this government-to-government pull. FEMA logistics, NORTHCOM, and other federal players want to push as much as they can, as quickly as they can, to fulfill this pull.

Initially, FEMA responded to pressures from the media, political pressure, and requests from the government of Puerto Rico to provide tens of millions of meals. These requests were based on fear and did not reflect the actual need. But the Business Emergency Operations Center in the JFO quickly began to develop a clearer picture of actual supply and demand using data from the electronic point-of-sale system used on the island.

The result was the Food Availability Index, which was used to determine how much and, specifically, where food was needed on the island. The Index allowed FEMA to support the Puerto Rican private sector and prevented the island from developing a false dependency on FEMA-supplied food. It also allowed FEMA to better manage its food relief expenditures.

With this reliable data in hand, FEMA was able to have actual fact-based conversations with Puerto Rico's mayors to discuss the decision to stop sending FEMA food into their municipalities. The Food Availability Index is an example of moving beyond government-to-government pull to understand what is happening in the whole community, the real economy, and the preexisting demand and supply network.

Supply Chain Resources–Part 1

• National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). 2020. Strengthening Post-Hurricane Supply Chain Resilience: Observations from Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25490 . After the 2017 hurricane season, FEMA sponsored a thorough and impartial examination of the private sector's supply chain constraints and asked for recommendations on how private sector and government response plans and planning can best collaborate based on lessons learned.
• Center for Naval Analysis report, Supply Chain Resilience and the 2017 Hurricane Season: A collection of case studies about Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria and their impact on supply chain resilience, available at https://www.cna.org/cna_files/pdf/IRM-2018-U-018098-Final.pdf . This study, commissioned by NASEM, consists of case studies that examine the resilience of, challenges to, and interactions among private sector supply chains and the relief channel in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Supply Chain Resilience Guide, available at https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-07/supply-chain-resilience-guide.pdf . The Supply Chain Resilience Guide provides Emergency Managers with recommendations on how to analyze supply chains and to work with the private sector to enhance supply chain resilience in support of Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101: Developing and Maintaining Emergency Operations Plans. This guide also identifies how the results of the supply chain resilience process can inform logistics planning.

Supply Chain Resources–Part 2

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Center for Transportation and Logistics report, Resilience: Restoring business operations after a hurricane, available at https://ctl.mit.edu/sites/ctl.mit.edu/files/attachments/Supply Chain Resilience- Restoring Business Operations After a Hurricane_0.pdf . MIT's Humanitarian Response Lab at the Center for Transportation and Logistics (CTL) held a roundtable on supply chain resilience in the face of large-scale disasters. The roundtable and this report are aimed to catalyze more systematic research of the issues and opportunities revealed by shared discussion of how business and government support survivors and restore a disaster-impacted economy.
• FEMA National Business Emergency Operations Center, available at https://www.fema.gov/nbeoc . FEMA's virtual clearing house for two-way information sharing between public and private sector stakeholders in preparing for, responding to, or recovering from disasters.
• FEMA Business Continuity Planning Suite, available at https://www.ready.gov/business-continuity-planning-suite . Created for any business with the need to create, improve, or update its business continuity plan. The Suite is scalable for optimal use by organizations of any size.
• FEMA National Integration Center (NIC) Technical Assistance (TA) Program, available at https://www.fema.gov/pdf/media/factsheets/2011/npd_ta_factsheet.pdf . NIC TA can assist jurisdictions with mapping supply chains and engaging with the private sector. Email: [email protected]

Further Learning Opportunities

• Association of Supply Chain Management (ASCM), Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) includes a learning system and certification exam, available at https://www.ascm.org/learning-development/certifications-credentials/cscp/ . ASCM CSCP certification provides the knowledge to manage global supply chain efforts and improve day-to-day operations. There are separate fees for the study program and the exam.
• Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS), Supply Chain Resilience self-study course provides learners with a conceptual framing of supply chain behavior, risk, sources of resilience, and one method for self-assessing the risk and resilience of regional demand and supply networks, available at https://www.chds.us/selfstudy/courses/supply-chain-resilience/
• Frederick (MD) Community College, Community Lifelines, Logistics, and Supply Chain Awareness course is a two-part introductory training course that integrates supply chain sustainment techniques within FEMA's Community Lifelines construct to prepare communities to rapidly resource essential supplies of food, water, and shelter during a disruption or disaster, available at https://frederick.augusoft.net/index.cfm?method=templates. CustomTemplatePreview&ContentID=322&utm_source= CEWD+ENewsletters&utm_campaign=7cc6460e48-2022.01.19.MACEM+ENews&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5eec75d962-7cc6460e48- Funded and certified by DHS/FEMA, this program is free to the public.
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Center for Transportation and Logistics, MicroMasters Program in Supply Chain Management, available at https://micromasters.mit.edu/scm/ . The MITx MicroMasters® program provides an end-to-end understanding of supply chain management. MIT offers the entire course free of charge. However, there is a course fee to receive a certificate of completion.

Lesson 5 Summary

By now, you should be able to:

IS-0238 Course Conclusion: Video Transcript

Through this course, you’ve learned a lot about how supply chains work, but this only scratches the surface. Your next step is to develop a better understanding of the private sector supply chains that impact your jurisdictions.

We recommend you follow the Supply Chain Resilience Guide and start with one life-sustaining commodity or function, such as food, water, fuel or transportation, and map it out. Use the guide to help you identify key nodes, links, bottlenecks, and threats. Once you identify the private sector players that provide a Pareto Portion, or approximately 80% of the commodity in your jurisdiction, you can use the guide to help conduct outreach to these stakeholders. Next, you will want to conduct targeted engagements with these stakeholders to seek their buy in and input. Then, you will want to develop an action plan to address key vulnerabilities and risks. Once you have a plan, you are going to need to continuously assess and refine it. The key takeaway from this course is that as emergency managers, our goal is to shift the focus from pushing relief supplies to ensuring that regular supply chains are restored as rapidly as possible.

Remember to look, listen, collaborate, and facilitate.

Thank you for your attention.

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Business Continuity Planning

Last Updated: 03/23/2020

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Critical Manufacturing Sector Resources

DHS offers a variety of Critical Manufacturing Sector resources specifically created for stakeholders and owner operators.

Homeland Security Information Network - Critical Infrastructure

The Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN) is the trusted network for homeland security mission operations to share Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU) information. The Critical Infrastructure community on HSIN (HSIN-CI) is the primary system through which private sector owners and operators, DHS, and other federal, state, and local government agencies collaborate to protect the nation's critical infrastructure. HSIN-CI provides real-time collaboration tools including a virtual meeting space, document sharing, alerts, and instant messaging at no charge to participants. HSIN-CI provides the capability to:

• Receive, submit, and discuss timely, actionable, and accurate information.
• Communicate information pertaining to threats, vulnerabilities, security, and response and recovery activities affecting sector and cross-sector operations.
• Maintain a direct, trusted channel with DHS and other vetted sector stakeholders.

Private Sector Clearances

DHS re-established the DHS Sponsored Private Sector Security Clearance Program in May 2013. This program allows critical infrastructure owners and operators to apply for a "secret" level security clearance. By having this security clearance, you can help us better share classified information relevant to the security and resilience of the Nation's critical infrastructure.

For more information, contact [email protected] .

Business Continuity Planning Suite

With the broad range of threats that businesses face today, an easy-to-use business continuity planning solution is more important than ever. Companies, ranging from small businesses to large enterprises, emphasize the value in ensuring that, in the event of a disruptive incident, operations and vital functions can continue without a severe drop in services. The Business Continuity Planning (BCP) Suite meets this need by enabling businesses to create, improve, or update their business continuity plans.

For more information on the Business Continuity Planning Suite, please email [email protected] .

Suite Components

The Suite is user-friendly and scalable for optimal organizational use. It consists of three main components:

• BCP training.
• Automated BCP and disaster recover plan (DRP) generators.
• A self-directed exercise for testing an implemented BCP.

Business Continuity Training

A 30-minute, video-based course examines the importance of business continuity plans and prepares users to write their own plans in three main segments:

• What is business continuity planning?
• Why is business continuity planning important?
• What is the planning process?

The training contains an introductory video and interviews with an individual who has already successfully prepared and implemented a plan. After completing the training, you will have a basic understanding of business continuity, the process of completing a BCP, and the motivation to complete your own plan using the Suite's generator.

Business Continuity and Disaster Recover Plan Generators

The Suite's BCP and DRP Generators guide businesses through the process of writing their own plans.

• The BCP Generator builds a plan that guides a company through any disruption to a return to normal operations.
• The DRP Generator develops a plan specific to the recovery of information technology systems.

Both Generators have a "Save and Exit" feature that allows plans to be completed incrementally if needed. A "Print" option also allows hard copies to be produced and handed out as needed.

Business Continuity Plan Table-Top Exercise

The final component of the Suite is a self-directed exercise that tests your plan and allows users to gauge the effectiveness of their BCP and DRPs. This exercise focuses on a business's recovery efforts following selected disruptions from a broad spectrum of threats, including hurricanes, earthquakes, ice storms, or power blackouts.

The goal of the exercise is to improve a business's overall recovery capabilities and collective decision-making process, while facilitating a thought-provoking exchange of ideas to help develop and expand existing knowledge of policies and procedures.

Critical Manufacturing Roadshow

This road-show meeting with Critical Manufacturing Sector Coordinating Council (SCC) members is held in the Washington, D.C. area. This roadshow showcases the activities of the Department of Homeland Security and other United States Government entities as they strive to meet the information needs and provide necessary tools for the Critical Manufacturing SCC to enhance its awareness and resilience while building public-private partnerships.

Regional Outreach

Due to travel restrictions and budgetary constraints, small- and medium-sized manufacturers may find it challenging to participate in national in-person critical manufacturing SCC activities. To reach these manufacturers, the SCC has initiated a critical manufacturing SCC regionalization effort. This effort calls for regional or local SCC chapters that allow small- and medium-sized manufacturers to actively participate in the Sector without the expense of travel. In providing an outreach initiative tailored to small- and medium-sized manufacturers, these local chapters can address critical infrastructure protection issues specific to their region and needs.

Similarly, through their local chapters small- and medium-sized manufacturers are members of and directly connected to the national critical manufacturing SCC. These local-national connections both enable and encourage a shared platform to exchange best practices and sector-specific information. As such, members of the local SCC chapters enjoy the same benefits available to the large corporations participating in the national-level SCC.

Critical Manufacturing Sector Cybersecurity Framework Implementation Guidance

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released the voluntary Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity (Framework) in February 2014 to provide a common language that critical infrastructure organizations can use to assess and manage their cybersecurity risk. The Framework enables an organization—regardless of its sector, size, degree of risk, or cybersecurity sophistication—to apply the principles and effective practices of cyber risk management to improve the security and resilience of its critical infrastructure.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as the Sector Risk Management Agency (SRMA), worked with the Critical Manufacturing Sector Coordinating Council (SCC) and Government Coordinating Council (GCC) to develop the Critical Manufacturing Sector Cybersecurity Framework Implementation Guidance specifically for Critical Manufacturing Sector owners and operators. This Implementation Guidance provides Critical Manufacturing Sector organizations with:

• Background on the Framework terminology, concepts, and benefits of its use.
• A mapping of existing cybersecurity tools and resources used in the Critical Manufacturing Sector that can support Framework implementation.
• Detailed Framework implementation steps tailored for Critical Manufacturing Sector owners and operators.

Introduction to the Critical Manufacturing Sector Risk Management Agency Fact Sheet

CISA offers many resources to help owners and operators manage risks, improve security, and aid the implementation and execution of protective and response measures across the Critical Manufacturing Sector . This printer-friendly fact sheet lists a sampling of sector collaboration mechanisms, resources, and training materials.

Critical Manufacturing Sector Security Guide

The Critical Manufacturing Sector Security Guide consolidates effective industry security practices into a framework for Critical Manufacturing owners and operators to select and implement security activities and measures that promote the protection of personnel, public health, public safety, and public confidence. Owners and operators may review the document in full or focus on specific security practice components that address their specific security needs or augment existing security practices. Though Critical Manufacturing Sector security practices are frequently integrated across the enterprise (especially with increasingly converging physical and cyber technologies), they can be organized into four major categories: physical, cyber, personnel, and supply chain. The guide discusses these practices and provides additional information on the various tools, capabilities, and references available to owners and operators.