Tools, Tips & Tricks of the Trade: When your incident starts expanding...start thinking of us.
Deliberate Planning 101 and Planning Information
"Plans are worthless, but planning is everything," or variations like, "In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable." General Dwight Eisenhower.
In our world, planning - the actual collaborative, physical, series-of-meaningful-conversations effort is invaluable...and the paper at the end can be useful. Below are a few plans to get you started with examples gathered from open sources around the country.
Emergency Operations Plans (EOP)
An Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) is a pre-defined document and system that outlines an organization's response to a disaster or emergency, covering who is responsible for what, and how to protect people and property. It is a dynamic, flexible framework that includes a basic plan and specific annexes for different scenarios, along with a basic plan and supporting annexes. An EOP is vital for ensuring a coordinated and effective response, from immediate actions to long-term recovery.
Key components and purpose
Protects people and property: The primary goal is to safeguard lives, property, and the environment during an emergency.
Defines roles and authority: It establishes clear lines of authority, responsibilities, and functions for all involved agencies, departments, and personnel.
Provides a framework: The plan acts as a roadmap for response, detailing the "who, what, when, why, and how" of emergency operations, based on the National Incident Management System (NIMS).
Components: An EOP is a collection of dynamic components, which typically includes a Basic Plan, Emergency Support Functions (ESFs), and Hazard Specific Annexes.
Supports recovery: It lays the groundwork for a smooth transition from emergency response to short- and long-term recovery efforts.
Continuity of Operations (COOP)
A continuity of operations plan (COOP) is a strategic document that outlines procedures for an organization to maintain or quickly resume its essential functions during and after a disruptive event, such as a natural disaster, pandemic, or cyberattack. It includes identifying critical functions, organizing personnel information, and detailing how to operate from an alternate site or with limited resources to minimize downtime and ensure long-term viability. The plan is a critical part of risk management, and its purpose is to ensure the organization can continue to function and serve its stakeholders even when normal operations are compromised.
Key components
Risk assessment: Identifying potential threats and their impact on operations.
Critical function identification: Prioritizing and recognizing the most important work the organization does.
Personnel and contact information: Organizing contact details for essential personnel and their backups.
Resource management: Coordinating and referencing important resource information.
Alternate operations: Outlining procedures for relocating or using alternate work sites if the primary facility is compromised.
Testing and training: The plan should be regularly tested and refined through exercises and drills.
Alert and Warning Plan Examples
Alert and warning plans, primarily centered on the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS), enable authorized officials to send targeted, life-saving messages via Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) (mobile phones) and the Emergency Alert System (EAS) (radio/TV). These systems, managed by FEMA and local authorities, ensure rapid dissemination of warnings for imminent threats.
Other Emergency Plan Examples
In this section, we're including a handful of other examples to get you started in your planning journey. This could be mitigation, recovery, debris management, volunteer management, donation management, response, on-call/duty officer, and other plans. You can use these plans as "get your creative juices flowing" inspiration or could reach out to the plan author/owners for the rip-off-and-replicate editable versions.