Transcript BCP and Pandemics

Continuity of Operations and
Pandemic Planning
Why plan?
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
“Disasters” happen
– Fire, Flood, Hurricane, Earthquake, Tidal wave…
– Network failure, server power supply failure, water main
break…
– Lost data, corrupted data…
What will you do when it does?
– Even with good plans in place, it may take hours before the
extent of the damage has been determined
– The critical actions in a recovery or continuity process are taken
within the first 8 hours in most situations
– Resources go to those that ask first (in most cases)
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What is the first step in Business Continuity?
You must be able to answer the WHAT questions?
– What is critical and how long can I do without?
– What services must I provide?
– What must I do first, second, third, etc?
– What drives my decisions?
– What do I need to make decisions?
– What am I willing or able to spend?
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If you start a program without these questions answered, it will
usually have difficulties being sustained through more than a few
update cycles.
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How does all this fit together?
Emergency
Response
 •Minor injury
 • Fire quickly
extinguished
 •Bomb threat
Physical,
Informati
on
Security
Business
Continuity
 Loss of IT
 Telecomm failure
 Supply chain
interruption
 •Product Contamination
 •Accounting Irregularities
 •Allegation of Impropriety
Loss
Control
Crisis
Management
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What does it take to cover all the bases?
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Business Continuity (Continuity of Operations) and IT
recovery is a process, not a template to complete.
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Business Continuity is a program, not a project. Once
you learn the process, you repeat it often to keep plans
current, viable and focused on the critical components.
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The process gathers the data (specifications) to help
make decisions in the development of a cost effective
and focused program. Trying to write plans without
gathering the data is like asking a person to build a
house without any blueprints. You may get it done, but it
will take longer and you may not like the end results.
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Supply Chain – Yes it applies to Public Entities
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Interdependent functions
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An interruption in the chain affects the whole chain
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Process mapping techniques help identify the risks (like those
used to develop a good business continuity plan)
– Focus on the effect of outage not cause
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Critical vendors/suppliers may need assistance
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Training, Drills & Exercises:
Keys to Success
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Training:
– All employees
– Members of ERT, CMT, BCP
– Management
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Drills:
– Practice specific skills
– Use systems & equipment
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Exercises:
– Familiarization
– Validation
– Identify deficiencies
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Types:
– Walkthrough
– Mobilization
– Execution
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Pandemics
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This is not a normal business continuity or continuity of
operations problem
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Basic assumptions are changed in a pandemic situation
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You must use a broader approach
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The planning for a pandemic can be used in other
multi-location outages
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We’ll spend a few slides on background information
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Avian Flu Preparedness – A Quick History
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In the past century, the US has been hit by 3 large scale influenza
pandemics
– In all cases, viruses contributed by birds
– 1918 – killed over half a million Americans and more than 20 million
around the world
– 1957 and 1968 – killed tens of thousands of Americans and millions
around the world
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SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome)
– Infected more than 8,000 people and killed nearly 800
– Cost the Asian Pacific region roughly $40 billion
– Travel to Asia dropped 45% in the year following the outbreak
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What is the Current Status of Avian Flu
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Closely monitored by WHO, CDC and other public
health organizations around the world
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Antivirals being stockpiled
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Significant transmission in bird populations
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Good news – about 230 human cases globally
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Bad news – 50%+ mortality rate
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What is the risk?
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Virus mutates to a form that allows rapid human to
human transmission
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Without immunity or vaccines in combination with air
travel, the disease spreads quickly around the world
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Will it happen?
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Is a global pandemic likely in the next 5-10 years?
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If we spend time and effort on planning for avian flu and
it doesn’t occur, is at all wasted effort?
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If it occurs, what is the most likely scenario?
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Disease develops in geographic pockets (e.g. China)
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Government(s) may/may not be open and responsive
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Quarantines and travel restrictions are not effective in
containing infected people
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Disease spread is aided by global travel
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Individual countries attempt to control by limiting travel
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Supply chains become disrupted
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Business and economies slow down globally
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What are the effects on employees?
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Fear due to limited information initially
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Concerned about family and friends
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Potential initial over reaction (worried well)
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Normally healthy individuals disproportionate impact
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High (30%) absenteeism
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Health care system quickly overtaxed
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EMS can only treat/transport a fraction of patients
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Limited antiviral supplies – hording and disagreement over
distribution
Possibly months to develop and produce vaccines
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What process should a company follow to
improve preparedness and help employees
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Develop a better understanding of the most likely development scenarios
(CDC, WHO, DHS, Public Health..)
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Understand how employees and the business would be affected (focused
risk assessment)
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Develop/update plans to minimize the impact on the business
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Develop/update plans to minimize the impact on employees and their
families
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Identify the internal resources required and increase as necessary
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Make a realistic assessment of the community and other external
resources likely to be available
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Identify and train a senior management team to oversee crisis
management
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Develop policies and educational programs for all employees
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Avian Flu Preparedness – Current Facts
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The Current Issue
– Focus on H5N1 strain of the Avian Influenza A virus
– Diagnosed in Asia and Europe
– Bird to Human infection is rare however some deaths in Asia and
Turkey
– USA does not import poultry from countries with verified as having
Avian Influenza infected birds
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How the government is preparing for an avian flu outbreak
– Educating the populace about all aspects of this infection and following
the latest developments on-line at www.cdc.gov/flu/avian and
www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/issues/avian_influenza/index.html
– Ensuring access to laboratory testing for the virus, if suspected
– Coordinating response strategies with local & state public health
officials
– Querying travelers with flu-like symptoms about possible exposure to
poultry
– Implementing aggressive infection control measures
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Avian Flu Preparedness - The President’s
strategy for preparing for the Avian Flu
 Detect outbreaks that occur anywhere in the world.
–
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International partnerships – global network of surveillance and preparedness
Requested $251 million from congress to help foreign partners train personnel
 Protect the American people by stockpiling vaccines and producing new vaccines
NIH is developing vaccine based on current strain.
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Request that congress fund $1.2 billion for the purchase of vaccine for 20 million
people.
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Request $1 billion from congress to stockpile additional antiviral medication for
first responders and $2.8 billion to accelerate cell culture technology.
 Must be ready to respond at the federal, state and local levels.
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Must have emergency plan in place in all 50 states, in every local
community.
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Request $583 million for pandemic preparedness, including $100 million to help
states complete and exercise their pandemic plans.
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Storing critical supplies as part of the Strategic National Stockpile.
–
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Pandemic Planning Activities
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Early Detection
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Rapid decision making
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Policies and ability to quarantine
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Willingness to act
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Orderly actions
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Re-evaluate the supply chain for alternatives, the potential impact,
potential strategies to implement early in the outbreak, etc.
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This is not just a BCP or Supply Chain response – Crisis
Management and communications will be extremely important to
maintain operations
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Thank You
Fred Klapetzky
618-581-1047
[email protected]
www.marshriskconsulting.com
Statements concerning legal matters should be understood to be general observations based solely on our experience
as insurance brokers and risk consultants and should not be relied upon as legal advice, which we are not authorized
to provide. All such matters should be reviewed with your own qualified legal advisors in these areas.
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