November 21, 2005

 

 

 

Memo for:   Business Continuity Plan Management Committee

 

 

Subject:  Minutes of the November 18, 2005 Meeting

 

 

 

1.       A meeting of the Business Continuity Plan Management Committee was held on Friday, November 18, 2005, in Room 208 Cone Center.

 

2.      Attendance:

a.       Present:  Scott Brechtel, Ray Galleno, Jon Hawn, Carter Heath , Debra Joyce, Norman Lefebvre, Morgan Roseborough, Wally Seigler, Gina Smith, Darin Spease, Doug Thomas, Tom York

 

 

b.        Absent:  Dixie Airey, Kathi Baucom, Susan Brooks, Gary Caton, Randy Duncan, Ted Elling, Diana Gann, Lee Gray, William Harper, Michelle Howard, Bill Hill, Tony Hoppa, Dane Hughes, Phil Jones, Tom Lamb, John Mack, Mark Reynolds, Laura Simic, Gary Stinnett

 

3.       Main topics / issues:

 

a.       Welcome:   Morgan addressed the issue of a shelter/comfort kit for University employees who are required to remain on campus overnight, due to some emergency situation.  These kits could also be used for students forced to seek temporary shelter on campus.  Committee members in attendance were given the opportunity to comment on the proposed contents of the kits.  Purchasing (Scott Brechtel) had done a cost estimate, which amounted to $43 per kit.  Included in that are a self-inflating mattress and a 12”x24” duffel bag, both of which are reusable.  Replacement cost of the expendable contents of the kit is approximately $10 per kit.  Morgan will present this proposal to Olen Smith for approval to purchase.

 

b.       Preparation for contagion/biomedical emergency:  Morgan reviewed some statistics and forecasts that were presented at the CPM 2005 (East) conference which he attended earlier this month.  Specifically, he described the issue of  “Bird Flu” and the potential for a pandemic.  We have already convened meetings with Student Health, and Environmental Health and Safety to address the possible actions we may be directed to take before, during, and after any discovery of “Bird Flu” in Charlotte (or on campus).  As we enter the “flu season” we will increase announcements and posters addressing measures to prevent contraction and/or transmission of viruses.  In the event of increased threat (or the presence of “Bird Flu” in Mecklenburg County), the County Medical Officer will issue directives on actions to take to further prevent the spread of the virus.  These actions will generally follow the protocols already in place from the SARS event last year. 

 

c.       Resource Tracker Contact and Recovery Item Status:  Morgan presented charts (below), with data current as of November 14, 2005, depicting the current status of individual contact information and planning documents [Recovery Items] included in the University’s Business Continuity Plan.  The percentage of current contact files has increased from 79% at the end of September to 96.1% in November.  The percentage of current documents increased from 39% (34 documents) in September to 78.2% (68 documents) in November.  While both of these increases look impressive, they were to be at that level at the beginning of September.  It is now time to begin updating information and plans for the second semester (beginning Jan 2, 2006).  

 

Information is Current for 309 of 321 Team Members  

as of Nov 14, 2005

 

Of 87 Recovery Items: 68 are current

as of Nov 14, 2005

 

 

d.   New Campus Warning Procedures:  Morgan addressed the issue of how we are organized to distribute warning messages to the campus at-large.  Because of the number of different departments “owning” various channels of communication (broadcast voicemail, broadcast email, Channel 22, Channel 60, 49er Express, Weather Hotline, Emergency Hotline, University Web Site, MissionMode, local Radio and TV), and the number of different approvals required to release messages through those channels, Morgan obtained the Chancellor’s approval to streamline the process.  The new procedure will use the MissionMode Extended Notification System to send the warning message to each of the individuals who are responsible for posting (or sending) messages through each channel.  They will immediately post or send those messages.  Authority to implement these warning messages rests with the Campus Police Dispatcher, Morgan Roseborough, and Tom York, with no other approvals required.  Those individuals who post or send these messages will be designated as the Campus Warning Team in the MissionMode ENS.  A test of the campus warning system will be conducted prior to the end of November.

 

e. Disaster Scenario:  Instead of the usual tabletop exercise, Morgan introduced a new form of training on Emergency Response and Business Continuity.  This has been labeled Mach 5 Training by the California Highway Patrol.  It is designed to be exportable to department level, for implementation at each weekly staff meeting.  The training is designed to take no more than 5 minutes of meeting time.  The outline of the training is:

      (1)  The department is issued a deck of 50 flash cards (one card for each staff meeting during the year).

      (2)  The meeting leader will read the scenario (very brief, two or three sentences).

      (3)  The meeting leader will then read the question or problem (a very specific question that can be answered in one or two words).

      (4)   In rapid fashion, each attendee will provide an answer to the question as it relates to their department’s plan(s).

      (5)   The meeting leader will then flip the card over and compare the individual’s answers with those printed on the card.

At the end of a year, a department will have had training on 50 different aspects of their plan(s) for Emergency Response and Business Continuity. 

Morgan issued a “homework requirement” for all committee members to submit two scenarios and questions.  He will compile them and prepare a set of cards to be issued to departments throughout the University.

 

f.   Proposed date for the next meeting:  The next meeting of the committee will be held on Friday, January 27, 2006, in Room 111 Cone Center.

 

 

4.  The meeting adjourned at 10:55 AM.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Morgan Roseborough

Director, Business Continuity Planning

UNC Charlotte