Departments should have Continuity of Operations Plan

No one can predict when an emergency might happen or how severe it will be. It is prudent to plan for one, especially since these plans can be applied to any major emergency that could threaten the health and safety of the campus community or disrupt University programs and essential operations. The Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) should address any kind of emergency that is severe enough to impact the UND community including an infectious disease epidemic, severe weather events, fires or explosions, hazardous materials releases, extended utility outages, floods, terrorism or mass casualty events.

A Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) describes how your department will operate during an emergency and recover afterwards to be fully operational.  Not only does it put planning in perspective, but a COOP also makes it more likely that crisis response will run smoothly in the event of a major disaster or lesser interruption to service. The key to being better positioned to maintain functionality in the midst of an emergency situation is preparation.

A simplified Basic Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) is designed to address the most critical elements of planning: unit leadership succession; essential personnel; essential functions; work from home plan; relocation sites; vital data systems; and continuity strategies. An online template of this simplified version can be found on the UND Emergency Management website, often takes less than an hour to complete, and will provide an invaluable resource to your unit in the event of an incident on campus.  There also is a completed sample Basic COOP on the same website for convenience and further guidance.

Please contact the UND Office of Emergency Management for assistance in developing your COOP:   michael.lefever@und.edu, 777.2030