Good evening Professor and class. This forum is unique because I am currently in the process of revising my unit’s continuity of operations (COOP) plan due to an upgraded infrastructure. My unit, Coast Guard Sector Ohio Valley is centrally located within the Louisville Metropolitan area and as with any location is susceptible to hazards. In addition, potential hazards which could prompt a COOP plan activation are natural (fire, flood (Louisville is in a low-lying area), technological (loss of power), or terrorist (hostile actions, active shooter, or a terrorist incident) hazards. My unit aligns with the pillars identified in the Continuity Guidance Circular (CGC 2). The first two pillar identifies leadership and staff considering staffing requirements, certifications, cross-training, and authority within the unit (FEMA, 2013, p. 2). My unit
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The last pillar is facilities which address the location, its infrastructure, and capabilities (FEMA, 2013, p. 3). As before, senior leadership and associated duty positions have mobility and telework capabilities, therefore it is unnecessary to relocate them to a distant COOP site. However, the command center has limited locations which have the facilities to accommodate command center operations. I recently assessed two promising COOP sites which can accommodate my unit’s new communication and infrastructure requirement which are both with a three-hour drive (this is reasonable as the next available location is five hours). To evaluate my unit’s COOP plan effectiveness, we conduct semi-annual exercises to identify plan and training deficiencies. Overall, through effective planning and training, my unit’s COOP plan allows for a quick transition to an external site to resume normal operations in the event of a hazard requiring evacuation from the
The last pillar is facilities which address the location, its infrastructure, and capabilities (FEMA, 2013, p. 3). As before, senior leadership and associated duty positions have mobility and telework capabilities, therefore it is unnecessary to relocate them to a distant COOP site. However, the command center has limited locations which have the facilities to accommodate command center operations. I recently assessed two promising COOP sites which can accommodate my unit’s new communication and infrastructure requirement which are both with a three-hour drive (this is reasonable as the next available location is five hours). To evaluate my unit’s COOP plan effectiveness, we conduct semi-annual exercises to identify plan and training deficiencies. Overall, through effective planning and training, my unit’s COOP plan allows for a quick transition to an external site to resume normal operations in the event of a hazard requiring evacuation from the