Course Summary
IS-520 - Introduction to Continuity of Operations Planning for Pandemic Influenzas
Welcome to the Pandemic Awareness online course. The purpose of this course is to provide you with a
general understanding of:
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Pandemic influenzas.
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The effects that a pandemic can cause on every facet of our society.
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Steps your organization can take to minimize a pandemic’s effect.
Course Objectives
At the end of this course, you should be able to:
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Explain the differences between seasonal influenza and pandemic influenza.
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Relate the effects of a pandemic influenza to daily organizational operations and basic services.
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Describe strategies for resolving continuity challenges presented in a pandemic situation.
Course Purpose
Influenzas occur throughout the world every year, usually during the fall and winter. Most people have
some level of immunity to these “seasonal” influenzas, and vaccines are usually available.
Sometimes, particularly virulent influenzas strike. People have no immunity, and vaccines are not
readily available. These influenzas reproduce and mutate rapidly. They also create a “second wave” of
victims. These “pandemic” viruses raise the possibility of killing millions of people around the world.
This course introduces the characteristics of and potential implications of pandemic influenzas. It will
also present suggestions for minimizing their effects.
Course Topics
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What Is a Pandemic Influenza?
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What Are the Effects?
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How Can You Ensure Readiness?
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Identifying Essential Services.
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Addressing Workforce Considerations.
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Implementing Workforce Protection Measures.
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Ensuring Availability of Critical Services, Supplies, and Equipment.
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Testing, Training, and Exercises.
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Post-Pandemic Planning.
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Course Summary
Seasonal Influenzas
Seasonal influenzas occur nearly every fall and winter in the United States. Seasonal influenzas are
transmitted from person to person, but most people have some level of immunity to them.
As seasonal influenzas are identified, the Federal Government, through the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC), works with the World Health Organization (WHO) and pharmaceutical
companies to ensure that a vaccine is available.
Pandemic Influenza
Some influenzas occur naturally in birds, swine, or other animals. Usually, these viruses are confined
to the host animal, but some can be transmitted to humans. Once in humans, the virus mutates into a
human influenza.
Unlike seasonal influenzas, humans have no immunity to the mutated virus, and vaccines may not be
available. Some influenza variants are particularly virulent, passing easily among humans and causing
global outbreaks. These outbreaks are called pandemics.
Characteristics of a Pandemic
Pandemic-causing viruses have three characteristics in common. The virus:
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Has the ability to reproduce rapidly and spread through human-to-human contact. Infected
members of the population unknowingly incubate the disease and spread it to others.
Has the ability to mutate rapidly. The potential for a virus to undergo a natural mutation after
release into the population is higher for pandemic viruses than for other influenzas.
Causes a “second wave” of victims. The effect of a highly virulent strain of virus causes a second
series of victims, often among healthcare workers and others who are working to contain it.
Pandemic Influenza: Preparedness
A global outbreak of influenza is cause for concern, especially if a strain emerges for which there is
little or no immunity in the human population.
Such a pandemic influenza has the ability to affect approximately 30 percent of the population at any
given time, disrupt 40 percent of the workforce as workers suffer from illness or stay home to take
care of family members,and cause significant disruption to all sectors of economy. Medical facilities
would be overwhelmed, medical supplies would be inadequate for the need over an extended period of
time, and response assets would be severely burdened while at the same time having to be self-reliant.
How would your organization respond during a pandemic when resources may be severely limited?
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What would you do to protect your employees’ families?
What could you do to protect citizens?
How will you communicate with other organizations?
This course will help you identify key impacts that could affect your organization’s response efforts
during a pandemic, and provide you with job aids and sources of information to use in planning.
Preparedness is the key to mitigating the effects of a pandemic influenza and avoiding disruptions to
the essential services we provide.
Pandemic Influenza: What Will the Situation Be?
Planning for a pandemic is much different than planning for other types of disasters or events.
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There will be no physical damage to the infrastructure, but much of the infrastructure may not
function, as the critical personnel become ill or stay away because of fear or to take care of sick
family members.
Given second—and potentially third—waves, staffing and infrastructure issues may remain for
months.
State, tribal, and local government representatives will need to make key decisions with only partial
information as the pandemic environment changes quickly.
Resources may not be available from mutual aid and assistance agreements as outbreaks occur
simultaneously throughout the area.
Other impacts from a pandemic could include:
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Vaccines and antiviral medication may be in short supply, at least initially. There may be discontent
among those who are not a high priority for the scarce resources.
Many more deaths than are seen with a seasonal flu outbreak. The number of deaths will challenge
the medical examiner or coroner and overwhelm morgue capacity.
Survivors may develop severe psychological issues as they mourn the loss of friends and family.
What Do These Factors Mean to Your Organization?
All government leaders, emergency services agencies, and emergency response organizations will need
to plan for pandemics in a way that they do not for natural or other disasters. Among the tasks that
your organization will have to consider are how to:
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Rely on its internal resources, even if they have been decimated by the flu.
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Respond to the usual range of issues and incidents in addition to flu-related calls.
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Manage the public’s expectations about which agencies can do what, and in what timeframe.
How Can You Ensure Readiness?
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Intra- and interagency cooperation in pandemic planning will prove critical as your jurisdiction
establishes horizontal and vertical relationships with other agencies, the private sector, and others.
Pandemic planning team members should include those on the emergency planning team. Be sure to
include:
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Hospital administrators and urgent care providers.
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Medical examiners and coroners.
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Providers of key services, such as utility providers, food service providers, and transportation
services.
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Critical infrastructure owners and operators.
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Representatives of voluntary agencies.
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Representatives of collective bargaining units in response and other agencies, as required.
Initial Planning: Begin With Your Continuity Plan
All Federal Executive Branch agencies are required to develop continuity programs. Organizations at all
government levels, nongovernmental organizations, and others are encouraged to develop continuity
plans.
The goals of continuity plans are to:
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Protect life and property.
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Continue essential functions until normal operations can be resumed.
Continuity planning follows a proven model that can be followed for pandemic planning. After you have
completed the planning process, make sure to check to see if your Emergency Operations Plan needs
to be updated.
Identifying Essential Functions
Essential functions are those functions that enable an organization to:
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Provide vital services.
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Exercise civil authority.
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Maintain the safety and well-being of the general populace.
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Sustain the industrial and economic base during an emergency.
Some essential functions are defined in Federal or State laws, local ordinances, or executive directives.
Agencies and jurisdictions should work together closely to be sure they identify all essential functions.
Critical interdependencies must also be identified. For example the 911 dispatch center is
interdependent with fire, police, and emergency medical services. Recognizing critical
interdependencies will help to identify critical infrastructure, such as communication systems, that
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Course Summary
must remain operational.
Performing Essential Functions During a Pandemic
After identifying essential functions, each organization needs to determine whether:
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Services: The functions can be accomplished with considerably fewer personnel. (If not, staffing
alternatives will need to be developed that will enable accomplishment of essential functions with
fewer personnel or in a different way.)
Protective measures: Additional protective measures will be required (e.g., infection-control
procedures for the workforce) during a pandemic. (If so, give consideration to how personnel will be
notified of the requirements and how the requirements for protective measures will be enforced.)
Vital Records to Support Essential Functions
Vital records are those records and databases that are required to support the performance of the
organization’s essential functions. After identifying essential functions and determining how they will
be accomplished, determine:
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How the records will be accessed if the workforce is dispersed.
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Whether the records will require updating and how that will occur.
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Whether version control could present a problem.
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Whether it is possible to recover records that are lost if personnel movement is restricted or
transportation is disrupted.
Not all records that are used day to day will be vital during a pandemic. Be sure to identify those
records that are needed no matter what.
Planning Self-Assessment: Essential Services
It’s time to stop and check your planning process by answering the following questions.
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Have you identified and prioritized your essential services?
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Have you determined:
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How the pandemic influenza impact delivery of these essential services?
Which of your services will be most needed, and can you estimate the increased demand for
them during an influenza pandemic?
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What functions and services can you suspend during an influenza pandemic?
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How will pandemic influenza affect your mutual aid and assistance agreements?
Workforce Planning Assumptions
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Once sustained person-to-person transmission begins, pandemic influenza will spread rapidly. The
CDC’s planning assumptions for workforce impacts from a pandemic are as follows:
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The clinical disease attack rate will likely be 30 percent or higher in the overall population during
the pandemic influenza.
Rates of absenteeism will depend on the severity of the influenza pandemic. In a severe influenza
pandemic, absenteeism attributable to illness, the need to care for ill family members, and fear of
infection may range from 20 to 40 percent.
Epidemics will last 6 to 8 weeks in affected communities.
Multiple waves (periods where community outbreaks strike across the country) will likely occur with
each lasting 2 to 3 months.
Orders of Succession
It is critical to have a clear line of succession to offices established for
organizational leaders. Designation of a successor enables the
successor to act on behalf of and exercise the authorities of the
principal in the event of the principal’s death or incapacity.
Orders of succession enable an orderly and predefined transition of
leadership. Orders of succession that are at least “three deep” are
recommended for continuity purposes. In a pandemic, it may be
preferable to develop orders of succession that are five deep, with one
successor designated in another geographic area.
Minimum Requirements for Orders of Succession
Use the information below as a guide to developing effective orders of succession.
As a minimum, orders of succession must:
1. Establish an order of succession for the position of the organization’s head. There should be a
designated official available to serve as acting head of the organization until that official is
appointed by the Chief Elected Official or other appropriate authority, replaced by the
permanently appointed official, or otherwise relieved.
a. Geographical dispersion is encouraged and ensures roles and responsibilities can transfer
in all contingencies.
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b. Where a suitable field structure exists, appropriate personnel located outside of the subject
region should be considered in the order of succession.
2. Establish orders of succession for other key organizational leadership positions, including but not
limited to administrators, key managers, and other essential personnel.
3. Describe orders of succession by positions or titles, rather than by the names of individuals.
Coordinate the development of orders of succession with the organization’s general counsel.
4. Establish the rules and procedures designated officials must follow when facing the issues of
succession to office.
5. Include in the succession procedures the conditions under which succession will take place, in
accordance with applicable laws and organizational or department directives; the method of
notification; and any temporal, geographic, or organizational limitations to the authorities
granted by the order of succession.
6. Include orders of succession in vital records to ensure that they are available at all times.
7. Revise orders of succession, as necessary, and distribute the revisions promptly as changes
occur.
8. Develop and provide a duties and responsibilities briefing to the designated successors to the
position of the organization’s head, when named, and other key positions, on their
responsibilities as successors and on any provisions for their relocation.
Delegations of Authority
Even though a pandemic influenza strikes indiscriminately,
your organization’s essential functions must continue. To
ensure continued operations, your organization should
delegate the authority to make policy decisions. A delegation
of authority:
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Identifies who is authorized to act on behalf of the
organization’s head or other officials for specified
purposes.
Ensures that designated individuals have the legal
authorities to carry out delegated duties.
As a general rule, delegations of authority take effect when normal channels of direction are disrupted
and terminate when the channels are reestablished.
Use the information below as a guide to developing effective delegations of authority.
To ensure legal sufficiency and clarity, delegations of authority must:
1. Document in advance the legal authority for officials to make key policy decisions during a
continuity situation.
2. Plan and document in advance of an incident and in accordance with applicable laws, including:
a. Delineating the limits of authority and accountability.
b. Outlining explicitly in a statement, the authority, including exceptions to that authority, of
any official so designated to exercise organizational direction, and the authority of an
official to redelegate functions and activities, as appropriate.
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c. Defining the circumstances under which delegation of authorities would take effect and
would be terminated.
3. Ensure that those officials who might be expected to assume authorities are properly informed
and trained to carry out their responsibilities.
4. Ensure the orderly transition of leadership for the position of the organization’s head, as well as
for key supporting positions within an organization during an emergency and be closely tied to
succession.
5. Include delegations of authority in the vital records and ensure that they are available at all
times.
Survey Staff Skills
It is important to identify those staff members who may be able to fill in or assist in the completion of
your essential services.
Although employees may not currently be assigned to tasks related to the essential services, their
previous work experience or particular skills sets may allow them to complete these functions.
For each essential service, create a list of all staff or other resources who could be cross-trained to
perform the required tasks.
Review Your Personnel Policies and Procedures
As part of your pre-pandemic planning, you may want to review your personnel policies including:
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Leave to support ill workers and their ill family members.
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Assistance for those without leave.
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Fitness-for-duty certification to return to work.
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Work- and nonwork-related travel to infected areas.
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Quarantine personnel after returning from infected areas.
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Sending ill employees home who pose a direct threat in the workplace.
Make sure to consult with your bargaining unit representatives if you have a labor union.
Planning Self-Assessment: Workforce Considerations
It’s time to stop and check your planning process by answering the following questions.
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Have you determined the effects of high absentee rate on your organization?
What types of workers will be in high demand in an influenza pandemic? How will you ensure there
will be enough workers to meet the demand?
Have you considered the impact of any authorized outside employment (i.e., second jobs) during an
influenza pandemic?
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Have you addressed succession planning in your pandemic plan? Consider building in random
‘deletion’ of personnel in your pandemic exercises to test the ability of your organization to function
and deliver services without certain workers.
How can the community assist in providing essential services (e.g., medical/nursing educators and
students, community emergency response team [CERT] volunteers, and reserve/auxiliary or retired
personnel)?
Do you have a cross-training plan to prepare workers for nonstandard positions?
Have you adapted existing and/or developed new (i.e., more flexible) personnel policies to address
pandemic situations?
Managing Personnel During a Pandemic
Maintaining a cadre of trained personnel may be one of the most difficult aspects of pandemic planning.
As with any emergency, organizations are responsible for managing their personnel during a
pandemic. Some organizations will be able to implement strategies, such as social distancing, without
difficulty. Some organizations, however, will have to place their personnel in close proximity to a
potentially infected public. These organizations will have to consider a wide array of options for
supporting their personnel during a pandemic.
Strategies for Protecting Essential Personnel
Remember that pandemic influenza will spread from person to person through social contact. One of
the biggest challenges for any organization, then, will center on protecting essential personnel.
Although there are no guarantees, some organizations will be able to protect their personnel more
easily than others. Protecting first-response personnel, however, will be especially difficult.
Social Distancing
Social distancing involves focused measures to increase social distance or restrict activities. There are
three general strategies for social distancing:
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Telework
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Shift work
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Physically spreading personnel throughout the workplace
Telework
Telework is . . .
Any arrangement in which an employee regularly performs officially assigned duties at
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home or other worksites geographically convenient to the residence of the employee.
Employees who use computers and other information technology while teleworking need effective
support during work hours; remote access presents some unique issues, and agencies should ensure
tech support can meet these needs. These needs must also be taken into account in planning for using
a distributed workforce during an emergency situation.
Employees designated to work from home during an emergency event should telework frequently
enough to ensure all systems are working smoothly.
Shift Work
Shift work includes any system of work other than day work. Shift work may include:
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Weekends.
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Afternoons, nights, and rotating shifts.
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Split or broken shifts.
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Extended shifts.
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Extended working hours.
Shift Work Issues
While shift work may be appropriate during a pandemic, it raises other issues that should be
considered.
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Shifts must be assigned to accommodate workflow.
Studies have shown that employees who work shifts are less efficient and more likely to have an
accident on the job than employees working regular shifts. The longer an employee works a shift,
the more these factors come into play.
What if You Don’t Work in an Office?
The strategies introduced so far work well in an office. What about employees who don’t work in an
office? What about employees who regularly come in contact with the public?
Some creativity will be required for these employees. For example:
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Police patrols may need to be completed with one officer rather than two, or officers may need to
wear face masks during their work hours.
Fire trucks may need to be deployed differently than usual.
Medical personnel should always wear personal protective equipment (e.g., breathing masks) when
at work.
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Employees who must work in close proximity to each other, or regularly come in contact with the
public, should be a priority for vaccines.
Keeping Personnel Informed
You may want to establish hotlines, web postings, and telephone trees to communicate pandemic
status, plans, and actions to employees in a consistent and timely fashion.
Also, you may want to share materials that educate employees about:
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The fundamentals of pandemic influenza (e.g., symptoms of influenza, modes of transmission).
Personal and family response strategies (e.g., hand hygiene, coughing/sneezing etiquette,
contingency plans)
Community and workplace mitigation strategies (e.g., social distancing, provision of infection
control supplies).
Employee Hygiene
Influenza is thought to be primarily spread through large droplets produced when infected people
cough, sneeze or talk, sending the relatively large infectious droplets and very small sprays (aerosols)
into the nearby air and into contact with other people. Safe hygienic practices will be critical to protect
employees. Therefore, all employees should be encouraged to:
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Wash their hands frequently with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand cleaner if soap is not
available.
Cover their mouths and noses with a tissue when coughing or sneezing or into their upper sleeves if
tissues are not available.
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Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.
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Stay home if they are sick.
Organizations should also encourage employees to use a paper towel when touching door handles,
telephones, and other surfaces with which they come in contact, rather than touching these surfaces
directly.
Workplace Hygiene
To a lesser degree, influenza is spread by touching objects contaminated with influenza viruses and
then transferring the infected material from the hands to the nose, mouth or eyes. It is important to
maintain proper workplace hygiene by:
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Frequently disinfecting common surfaces including phones, door knobs, handles, breakroom
counters, coffee pots, and switches.
Discouraging employees from using other employees' phones, desks, offices or other work tools and
equipment.
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Providing no-touch trash cans.
Planning Self-Assessment: Workforce Protection
It’s time to stop and check your planning process by answering the following questions.
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Have you established and exercised social distancing procedures (i.e., teleworking, social
distancing, shift work)?
What is the cost-benefit analysis of closing non-critical common areas, such as break and lunch
rooms, and ensuring that shifts do not commingle during shift changes?
Have you identified additional support services (including mental health services) that workers and
their families may need during and after the pandemic?
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What is your plan for notifying personnel in the event of an outbreak?
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Do you have a plan for communicating with a disperse workforce?
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Is your telecommunications/IT infrastructure capable of shifting calls, data and management of field
operations off-site?
Have you establish hotlines, web postings, or telephone trees to communicate pandemic status,
plans, and actions to employees in a consistent and timely fashion?
Have you educated the workforce on personal hygiene measures?
Have you determined the types of personal protective equipment and infection control measures
that are most appropriate for your workers?
What worksite cleaning procedures and hygiene measures need to be enhanced to ensure a safe
working environment for your employees?
Addressing Interdependencies
"Interdependencies" refer to the interrelationship among critical infrastructure sectors. These linkages
vary in scale and complexity and may include:
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Services or supplies (e.g., energy, water, banking, etc.) that you need in order to provide essential
services.
Cyber networks and communication infrastructure that transmit information required to operate
your essential services.
During a pandemic influenza outbreak lack of personnel in one sector will affect all interrelated sectors.
The next section provides examples of potential interdependencies that you may need to consider
when developing your plan.
Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources
Overview
Protecting and ensuring the continuity of the critical infrastructure and key resources (CIKR) of the
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United States are essential to the nation's security, public health and safety, economic vitality, and
way of life.
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Critical Infrastructure are the assets, systems, and networks, whether physical or virtual, so vital to
the United States that their incapacitation or destruction would have a debilitating effect on
security, national economic security, public health or safety, or any combination thereof.
Key Resources are publicly or privately controlled resources essential to the minimal operations of
the economy and government.
Attacks on CIKR could significantly disrupt the functioning of government and business alike and
produce cascading effects far beyond the targeted sector and physical location of the incident.
Homeland Security Presidential Directive 7 (HSPD-7) established U.S. policy for enhancing CIKR
protection by establishing a framework for partners to identify, prioritize, and protect the nation's CIKR
from terrorist attacks.
The directive identified CIKR sectors and designated a Federal Sector-Specific Agency (SSA) to lead
CIKR protection efforts in each.
National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP)
The National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP) provides the unifying structure for the integration of
a wide range of efforts for the enhanced protection and resiliency of the nation's CIKR into a single
national program.
CIKR Sectors
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Agriculture and Food
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Banking and Finance
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Chemical
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Commercial Facilities
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Communications
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Critical Manufacturing
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Dams
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Defense Industrial Base
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Emergency Services
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Energy
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Government Facilities
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Healthcare and Public Health
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Information Technology
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National Monuments and Icons
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Nuclear Reactors, Materials and Waste
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Postal and Shipping
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Transportation Systems
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Water
Additional Information
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Visit the Department of Homeland Security Web site (www.dhs.gov) to download a copy of the NIPP
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document or obtain additional information.
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Take a FEMA Independent Study Program Course:
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Course IS-860.a, National Infrastructure Protection Plan provides an introduction to the National
Infrastructure Protection Plan.
Course IS-821, Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources Support Annex focuses on the
integration of CIKR protection as a key element of the nation’s unified approach to domestic
incident management.
Obtaining Needed Supplies and Services
Organizations that depend on a national supply chain may find themselves without the necessary
materials, supplies, and workforce because other communities across the country may still be affected
by an outbreak.
It is important to talk suppliers and service vendors about their pandemic planning. Find out how they
intend to support their customers and where they feel their “breaking points” are. (Don’t accept
explanations such as, “We don’t expect any disruptions.”)
Building an Inventory of Critical Supplies
Given an increased reliance on “just-in-time” delivery and the potential impacts that could interrupt
your supply chain, it is important to coordinate with suppliers ahead of time to ensure you can obtain
essential items.
Stock enough supplies for the first wave, if possible. Stocking supplies for the anticipated 8- to 12week first wave will need to be covered in the organization’s budget and may need to be “sold” to the
leadership. Make sure to restock between waves.
Ensure that supplies are staged and available at each worksite. Staging may be complex, especially if
your organization pursues a telework strategy. Build a “trigger” into the planning process so that
essential personnel have a definite point at which they will need to get the supplies they need for an
extended period away from the office. In addition, you may need to plan for security to protect your
inventory.
Maintaining Equipment and Systems
Develop contingency plans for equipment and systems that:
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Identifies the systems or equipment that are required to provide essential services.
Allows for the repair of failed primary and supporting equipment with a reduced workforce and
potential supply shortages.
Prioritizes those systems and equipment that require regular maintenance (e.g. vehicles, cyber
systems) in order be ready for use in an emergency situation.
Arranged for replacements parts or systems for all essential equipment on-site or locally.
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Meeting Communications Needs
During a pandemic, personnel movement may be restricted and transportation systems may be
disrupted. Communication, whether internal or external to the organizations, may become more
difficult. Each organization and the entire jurisdiction should review its communications plan to
determine if:
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Personnel will be able to communicate effectively with other organization’s personnel and with
external customers even if they are dispersed to different locations.
Contingency plans have been developed in case communications fail and vendor support is
unavailable.
Remember that essential functions must continue during a pandemic, and effective communications
systems will be imperative.
Communications Requirements
Emergency communications systems must support connectivity, under all conditions among key
leadership, internal elements, other agencies, critical customers, and the public.
Use the information below as a guide to reviewing your organization’s communications systems.
Emergency communications systems should:
1. Possess interoperable and available communications capabilities in sufficient quantity and mode
and that are commensurate with the organization’s responsibilities during emergency conditions.
2. Possess communications capabilities that can support the organization’s senior leadership and
key personnel while in transit.
3. Be readily available and maintainable for more than 30 days or until normal communications can
resume.
4. Satisfy the requirement to provide assured and priority access to communications resources.
5. Be of sufficient capabilities to accomplish the organization’s essential functions, whether from an
organization’s primary facility, an alternate facility, or a mobile unit.
All organizations at all governmental levels, private entities, and nongovernmental organizations
should review their communications programs and systems to ensure that they are fully capable of
supporting a pandemic and give full consideration to supporting social distancing operations, including
telework and virtual offices.
Planning Self-Assessment: Critical Services, Supplies, and Equipment
It’s time to stop and check your planning process by answering the following questions.
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What services, systems, or equipment are required in order to provide essential services?
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Have your sources provided written assurances that they will be able to perform under pandemic
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conditions?
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What might you be able to substitute as temporary backups for preferred essential supplies or
equipment?
Have you considered partnering with another organization in order to merge resources and
integrate essential service capacities given the potentially limited access to supplies, systems and
equipment?
How will you maintain the flow of inventory items to compensate for an increased demand in
services if a disruption in your supply chain develops?
Do you have adequate materials and supplies should you decide to house your workers onsite (e.g.,
food, water, cots, clothing, blankets, hygiene products, backup generators, etc.)?
How will you maintain and repair primary and supporting equipment with a reduced workforce and
potential supply shortages?
Do you have replacements available for all essential equipment on-site or locally?
Testing, Training, and Exercises (TT&E)
Pandemic plans must be tested, trained, and exercised to ensure that strategies work as developed.
Pandemic scenarios should be incorporated into every organization’s TT&E plan.
When conducting TT&E, be sure to:
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Test Information Technology systems to ensure that they support large-scale telework or that
system updates can be accomplished without disrupting operations.
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All operations can continue with dramatically fewer persons.
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Verify that essential personnel know who to contact if other personnel become ill.
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Verify that pandemic plans will work for periods of 12 weeks or longer.
Be sure to include medical providers and other critical personnel in TT&E programs.
Post-Pandemic Planning
All organizations and jurisdictions should conduct an evaluation of pandemic operations in the same
way as for other incidents.
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Get feedback from essential and nonessential personnel. Allow all personnel the opportunity to
provide post-pandemic feedback.
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Determine what feedback applies to other types of incidents.
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Revise the plan, as necessary.
Planning Self-Assessment: Summary Checklist
Throughout this course you have had an opportunity to assess your planning efforts in the following
areas:
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Course Summary
Identifying Essential Services
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Have you identified and prioritized your essential services?
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Have you determined:
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How the pandemic influenza impact delivery of these essential services?
Which of your services will be most needed, and can you estimate the increased demand for
them during an influenza pandemic?
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What functions and services can you suspend during an influenza pandemic?
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How will pandemic influenza affect your mutual aid and assistance agreements?
Addressing Workforce Considerations
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Have you determined the effects of high absentee rate on your organization?
What types of workers will be in high demand in an influenza pandemic? How will you ensure there
will be enough workers to meet the demand?
Have you considered the impact of any authorized outside employment (i.e., second jobs) during an
influenza pandemic?
Have you addressed succession planning in your pandemic plan? Consider building in random
‘deletion’ of personnel in your pandemic exercises to test the ability of your organization to function
and deliver services without certain workers.
How can the community assist in providing essential services (e.g., medical/nursing educators and
students, community emergency response team [CERT] volunteers, and reserve/auxiliary or retired
personnel)?
Do you have a cross-training plan to prepare workers for nonstandard positions?
Have you adapted existing and/or developed new (i.e., more flexible) personnel policies to address
pandemic situations?
Implementing Workforce Protection Measures
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Have you established and exercised social distancing procedures (i.e., teleworking, social
distancing, shift work,)?
What is the cost-benefit analysis of closing non-critical common areas, such as break and lunch
rooms, and ensuring that shifts do not commingle during shift changes?
Have you identified additional support services (including mental health services) that workers and
their families may need during and after the pandemic?
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What is your plan for notifying personnel in the event of an outbreak?
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Do you have a plan for communicating with a disperse workforce?
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Is your telecommunications/IT infrastructure capable of shifting calls, data and management of field
operations off-site?
Have you establish hotlines, web postings, or telephone trees to communicate pandemic status,
plans, and actions to employees in a consistent and timely fashion?
Have you educated the workforce on personal hygiene measures?
Have you determined the types of personal protective equipment and infection control measures
that are most appropriate for your workers?
What worksite cleaning procedures and hygiene measures need to be enhanced to ensure a safe
working environment for your employees?
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Course Summary
Ensuring Availability of Critical Services, Supplies, and Equipment
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What services, systems, or equipment are required in order to provide essential services?
Have your sources provided written assurances that they will be able to perform under pandemic
conditions?
What might you be able to substitute as temporary backups for preferred essential supplies or
equipment?
Have you considered partnering with another organization in order to merge resources and
integrate essential service capacities given the potentially limited access to supplies, systems and
equipment?
How will you maintain the flow of inventory items to compensate for an increased demand in
services if a disruption in your supply chain develops?
Do you have adequate materials and supplies should you decide to house your workers onsite (e.g.,
food, water, cots, clothing, blankets, hygiene products, backup generators, etc.)?
How will you maintain and repair primary and supporting equipment with a reduced workforce and
potential supply shortages?
Do you have replacements available for all essential equipment on-site or locally?
Key Pandemic Planning Resources
There are numerous resources to help your organization or jurisdiction get the most from your
planning in the shortest period of time. Before beginning pandemic planning, it would be beneficial if
you would print these resources.
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Pandemic Influenza: Preparedness, Response, and Recovery, Guide for Critical Infrastructure and
Key Resources
Federal Continuity Directive 1 (FCD 1), Federal Executive Branch National Continuity Program and
Requirements
Each of the above documents includes checklists and other job aids to help your planning effort.
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Flu.gov [www.flu.gov] is an excellent source for updated information and additional planning
guidance.
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