Emergency Planning Guide for Utilities

EMERGENCY PLANNING GUIDE FOR UTILITIES
by Sam Mullen

“This hands-on guide will give you the methods needed for developing workable plans for
dealing with emergencies and disasters of all types. These plans will help any organization
handle reasonable risks that are a possibility for any utility or company. The principles
described in this text are the product of years of experience and study.”

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“ A manual that can serve as the keystone for planning, assembling, and organizing
"in-house" plans and preparedness programs--addressed to staff and management personnel
in utilities, and to those persons in organizations who coordinate operations with utilities. The
manual is organized in four main sections; developing the emergency plan; program
administration; the corporate emergency preparedness program; and reference materials (an
appendix that contains exhibits and forms to support the concepts presented in the first three
sections).” - Book News, Inc. Portland, Oregon.

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FROM THE PREFACE

“Natural and technological disasters of the past decade underscore the fact that developing
emergency plans is an essential task for all utilities. However, as important as the task may
be, it's often delayed or postponed for a variety of reasons.

“A number of events can bring emergency planning to the forefront in organizations. Trial by
natural and technological disasters is a strong incentive for developing plans. By the same
token, inexperience with these emergencies fosters a lack of planning. This shortfall may be
dealt with by increasing the level of awareness throughout the organization, and by taking
steps to become more prepared.

“Experience tells us that the ill-prepared or unprepared organization will likely pay a lot more,
perhaps millions of dollars more, to recover. This is in addition to possible loss of human life,
the ultimate toll. When a company passes along the costs of recovery to rate payers or
customers, the organization becomes less respected and public confidence is eroded. The
company must also assume these costs. We have also seen the resignation or dismissal of
personnel following serious events which were difficult for them to control.

“I am going to be talking about the methods used in developing workable plans, and what's
necessary to put them into place and keep them there. These are plans to help your
organization deal with reasonable risks, which are risks that threaten virtually all utilities. You
might see examples of these risks when you examine the pages of industry trade
magazines, newspapers, and news magazines. Frequent examples include security threats,
tornadoes, ice storms, thunderstorms, fires, floods, explosions, overloads, capacity
shortages, telecommunications failures, equipment failures, human error, and other risks,
which can degrade or cripple an organization's day-to-day operations. After examining several
cases, people familiar with utility operation can easily determine that emergency plans are
essential for a safer, more expeditious recovery. However, in many cases, plans are not fully
developed or are not available to those in charge. Fortunately, that picture is changing for
many utilities. This manual invites you to be one of the utilities with essential emergency
plans installed.

“If the methods presented in this primer are followed, it should be easier for the planner, task
force, or other group to develop emergency plans. The principles described herein have been
used successfully in organizations, and are the product of years of experience and study.
You may begin using them today, with confidence.

“The manual is organized in four main sections. The first part will cover the steps necessary
to develop emergency plans in your organization. I call this the Developing the Emergency
Plan section. The second part will cover the various concepts and issues necessary to
implement an emergency preparedness program. If you don't have one, this section will tell
you how to start and maintain one. This is called the Program Administration section. The
third section is the Corporate Emergency Preparedness Program. It covers such issues as
crisis communications, damage assessment, and promoting the program to your
organization. The final section is an appendix that contains exhibits and forms to support the
concepts presented in the first three sections. This is called the Reference Materials section.

“This manual is addressed to all staff and management personnel in utilities, and to those
people in organizations who coordinate operations with utilities. This is a broad spectrum of
industries and people who, with the current state of affairs in the industry, already have a full
plate of issues to address. It follows that the most difficult work for the planner or
administrator (the champion of this effort) is to bring emergency preparedness issues to the
table, and "sell" the need to address them to decision makers. It is a paramount issue that
utilities install emergency plans, and one that the planner and his or her company must
address.

“This manual can serve as the keystone for planning, assembling, and organizing "in-house"
plans and preparedness programs. It does not, however, supersede or provide any
recommendations on agency-mandated plans and requirements, such as can be found in the
nuclear industry. If you are looking for guidance in federally regulated emergency planning,
you should refer to the guidelines published in that area.

“This manual can also serve as a catalyst for learning more about the practice of emergency
and disaster recovery planning, and related topics.”

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CONTENTS

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION
The Value of a Plan
Your Plan for Your Company
Other Benefits
A Model for Plan Development
Using This Manual

SECTION 1: DEVELOPING THE EMERGENCY PLAN
What Are Emergency Plans?
Preparedness vs. Response
Peacetime vs. Real-Time Planning
Key Objectives for Plans
Steps to Develop a Plan
The Plan Development Model
The Emergency Plan Development (EPD) Model, Element 1: Identify Participants
Group Formation
Group Work
EPD Model, Element 2: Determine Plan Scope
Size and Scope of a Plan
Exercise 1: Developing the Plan Scope
EPD Model, Element 3: Identify Risks
The Risk Assessment
Exercise 2: Developing the Risk Assessment
Prioritizing Core Services
Exercise 3: Identify Core Services
The Impact Analysis
EPD Model, Element 4: Developing Recovery Strategies
What Are Recovery Strategies?
Exercise 4: Develop Recovery Strategies
EPD Model, Element A: Study Info Base
Collecting and Studying Relevant Information
EPD Model, Element B: Outside Input
Using Input to Develop a Better Plan
EPD Model, Element 5: Match Tasks and Resources
People and Recovery
Exercise 5: Assigning People: Matching Tasks to Resources
EPD Model, Element 6: Write Procedures
Procedures: Translating Strategies into Action
Exercise 6: Writing Procedures
Using Checklists
EPD Model, Element 7: Organize the Plan
Using a Time Line to Help Set Priorities
Exercise 7: Creating the Time Line
Using Software to Write Recovery Plans
EPD Model, Element 8: Integrate and Coordinate Plans
How Will a New Plan Fit In?
Steps for Effectively Integrating and Coordinating Plans Exercise 8: Coordinating
Emergency Plan Needs
EPD Model, Element 9: Prepare Plan and Obtain Approvals
The Plan Writing Process
What Process Will You Use?
Plan Content
Picking a Title
Assembling the Draft to Get Approvals
Obtaining Timely Approvals
EPD Model, Element 10: Issue the Plan
Packaging the Plan for Distribution

SECTION 2: PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION
Introduction
EPD Model, Element 11: Training
Programs to Enhance Preparedness
EPD Model, Element 12: Training Feedback
Why Feedback Is Essential to Development
EPD Model, Element 13: Test Plan
When You Hold a Test
EPD Model, Element 14: Revise Plan
Keeping Your Plan Current
EPD Model, Element 15: Issue Revisions
Packaging and Issuing Revisions

SECTION 3: THE CORPORATE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PROGRAM
Prepared Organization Models
The Emergency Planning Opportunity Model
The Prepared Organization Response Model
Approaching Organization-Wide Plan Development
Budgeting for Preparedness
Affiliation with Agencies During Disaster Recovery
Emergency Communications
How Will You Handle It?
Media Communications
Communications Systems
Uninterruptible Power Supplies
Damage Assessment: An Important First Step in Recovery
Organizing Damage Survey Teams
Tabulating Results
People: The Most Important Asset in Recovery
Plan Promotion in Organizations
Are You Ready to "Market" Your Plan?
Mobilizing the Response
People Respond to Effective Triggers
Notifications
Crisis Decision Making
Better Decision Making Through Exercises
Stress and Decision Making
Site Emergencies
If You Must Leave Your Building
Keeping the Emergency Program "Alive"
Marketing the Program
The Bulletin or Newsletter
Meetings and Presentations

SECTION 4: REFERENCE MATERIALS APPENDIX

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

“SAMUEL MULLEN, JR. is System Restoration Planner for Atlantic Electric, an Atlantic
Energy company. He has more than twenty-five years’ experience in various operating areas,
has written several editions of the company’s corporate contingency plan, and has consulted
on many others. He develops training and directs corporate emergency planning and disaster
recovery exercises.

“Mullen has written articles for technical publications and regularly speaks at conferences
and seminars. He has presented his model for emergency plan development at Electric
Power Research Institute’s first two conferences on utility emergency preparedness. He has
assisted in the development of software applications ad has chaired and worked on several
task forces related to emergency preparedness and the installation of automated systems.

“Mullen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing Management from Richard Stockton
State College and a Master of Business Administration from Monmouth College. He is now
completing a Master of Science degree in Dynamics of Organization at the University of
Pennsylvania. Mullen is also a board-certified disaster recovery planner and a certified energy
manager.

“Besides being a technical writer and independent inventor, Mullen has also taught adult
reading with the Literacy Volunteers of America, and has developed a college-level course in
contingency planning for business and industry.”

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1994, 250 Pages. Order #DR539.
OUT OF PRINT - LIMITED AVAILABILITY

4 Arapaho Rd.

Brookfield, CT 06804-3104 USA

1-888-ROTHSTEin; (888.768.4783)

Telephone: 203.740.7444; 888.768.4783

Fax: 203.740.7401

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