Unit 2—Executive Support Team (COOP) Assignments
Identify the Executive Support Team members and disseminate their names and numbers to all schools and offices annually or when any changes occur.
- Executive Support Team Optional Contacts
- EST Operations Center
Unit 3—Continuity of Operations Plan
This Continuity of Operations (COOP) Plan provides for resuming and sustaining essential functions—and the fulfillment of [AGENCY or LEA] mission—as soon as possible during and after a localized, District-wide, or catastrophic emergency. As soon as emergency response personnel have minimized injury, loss of life, and property damage to [AGENCY or LEA], this COOP plan should be implemented.
- Phase I: Activation
- Phase II: Site Operations
- Phase III: Recovery
- Appendix A: Planning Considerations and Assumptions
Unit 4—Pandemic Flu Response Planning
Influenza is a highly contagious respiratory virus that is responsible for annual epidemics in the United States and other countries. Each year an average of 200,000 people are hospitalized and 36,000 die in the United States from influenza infection or a secondary complication. During an influenza pandemic, the levels of illness and death from influenza will likely increase dramatically worldwide.
The impact of an influenza pandemic on the local economy and business processes can be devastating. It is likely that 15–35 percent of the population will be affected. There is a potential for high levels of illness and death, as well as significant disruption to society and the economy, making planning for the next influenza pandemic imperative.
The purpose of a school system plan for a pandemic flu is to assist LEAs in managing the impact that the pandemic can have on the schools, based on two main strategies:
- Reducing spread of the virus within school facilities; and
- Sustaining educational functions.
The size of the school system is a deciding factor for the specific content of the Pandemic Flu Plan that the Executive Support Team (EST) develops to supplement COOP. At a minimum, all school continuity plans for a pandemic should include the following components:
- Provide each employee the resources to prepare themselves, students, and their families.
- Prevent/minimize the spread of influenza in the school system.
- Monitor worker/student absentee rates.
- Create a system to notify/share the information with worker/students during pandemic.
- Expand COOP to address essential resources to maintain minimal operations for the duration of a pandemic.
Unit 5—Pandemic Influenza COOP Annex
The District of Columbia (AGENCY or LEA) performs essential functions and services that may be adversely impacted or disrupted in the event of a disease pandemic. Maintaining essential functions and services is a vital element to (AGENCY or LEA)’s ability to continue operations. Therefore, it is important for the agency to ensure execution of its essential missions in the event of a threat to its normal continuity of operations. COOP planning is intended to ensure the performance of Department and Agency essential functions across a wide range of all-hazards emergencies.
This Annex provides guidance to (AGENCY or LEA) employees, partners, and stakeholders and serves as the plan for maintaining essential functions and services during an influenza pandemic. This annex neither replaces nor supersedes the current approved (AGENCY or LEA) COOP Plan; rather it supplements it, bridging the gap between the traditional, all-hazards COOP planning and the specialized COOP planning required for a pandemic by addressing those considerations, challenges, and elements specific to the dynamic nature of a pandemic.
This Annex emphasizes that maintaining essential functions in a pandemic environment may not entail an official “COOP” declaration, that maintaining essential functions may be accomplished through contact intervention (social distancing) strategies, and may not require the relocation of all employees of (AGENCY or LEA). The annex recognizes that relocation may be necessary due to a separate or concurrent event. Since these requirements apply across all levels of the organization, the term “(AGENCY or LEA ABBREVIATION)” for the purposes of this Annex, refers to entire (AGENCY or LEA) organization, including personnel and operating elements.
See the full PDF version of Section 2 of School Emergency Response Plan and Management Guide.