Emergency Services Sector Continuity Planning Suite

The Emergency Services Sector Continuity Planning Suite (ESS CPS) provides a centralized collection of existing guidance, processes, products, tools, and best practices to support the development and maturation of continuity planning for the first responder community. The ESS CPS was created through a partnership of the Emergency Services Sector Risk Management Agency (SRMA) and Sector Coordinating Council (SCC). First responders can use the ESS CPS as it suits their organization to evaluate and improve their continuity capability and enhance their preparedness for emergencies.

Education: Why Continuity Planning is Important

Continuity planning is simply the good business practice of ensuring the execution of essential functions through emergencies. Without the planning, provision, and implementation of continuity principles, first responders may be unable to provide services to help fellow citizens when needed the most. Continuity planning enables first responders to maintain their essential functions and fulfill their mission to save lives, protect property and the environment, assist communities impacted by disasters, and aid recovery from emergencies.

The Continuity of Operations: What You Need To Know

"Stepping into their Shoes" - Gaining Senior Leadership Buy-In for Continuity

FEMA’s National Risk and Capability Assessment (NRCA) is a suite of assessment products that measures risk and capability across the nation in a standardized and coordinated process. When analyzed together, these products will better measure national risks, capabilities, and gaps. The NRCA includes the Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) and Stakeholder Preparedness Review (SPR) and tools for conducting both.

Evaluating Continuity Capability

The core of the ESS CPS is an easy-to-use and uniform method for evaluating continuity capability to identify and fill continuity gaps. Through identifying and addressing these gaps, viable continuity programs can be established that will help keep organizations functioning during emergencies. ESS organizations can use the entire Emergency Services Sector Continuity Capability Evaluation (CCE) to complete an evaluation, or they can evaluate selected elements of continuity capability based on their organizations’ needs. Worksheets and templates are provided for filling gaps identified when evaluating continuity capability.

There are 11 major elements in evaluating continuity capability in the Emergency Services Sector:

Essential Functions – The limited set of organization-level functions that should be continued throughout, or resumed rapidly after, a disruption of normal activities.
Orders of Succession – Provisions that enable an orderly and predefined transition of organizational leadership positions if an organization’s leader is incapacitated or becomes otherwise unavailable during an emergency.
Delegations of Authority – Identification, by position, of the authorities for making policy determinations and decisions at headquarters, field levels, and all other organizational locations. Generally, predetermined delegations of authority will take effect when normal channels of direction have been disrupted and will lapse when these channels have been reestablished.
Continuity Facilities – Locations from which leadership and critical positions may operate during an emergency. These may include one or many facilities or virtual offices from which to continue essential operations.
Continuity Communications – Systems that support full connectivity among leadership, internal elements, and other organizations to perform essential functions during an emergency.
Essential Records Management – The identification, protection, and availability of information systems and applications, electronic and hardcopy documents, references, and records needed to support essential functions during an emergency. For additional guidance, see the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Essential Records Guide.
Human Resources – Policies, plans, and procedures that address human resources needs during an emergency, such as guidance on pay, leave, work scheduling, benefits, telework, hiring, authorities, and flexibilities.
Test, Training, and Exercise – The identifying, training, and preparing of personnel capable of performing their continuity responsibilities and implementing procedures to support the continuation of essential functions. Training provides the skills and familiarizes personnel with procedures and tasks. Tests and exercises assess and validate all of the components of continuity plans, policies, procedures, systems, and facilities. Additional references include:
Devolution of Control and Direction – The capability to transfer statutory authority and responsibility for essential functions from primary operating staff and facilities to other employees and facilities. It also provides the means to sustain that operational capability for an extended period.
Reconstitution Operations – The process by which the organization’s personnel resume normal operations from the original or a replacement primary operating facility.
Program Plans and Procedures – The effort to document the existence of, and seek the capability to continue, an organization’s essential functions during a wide range of potential emergencies.

Example State and local government resources for evaluating continuity capability:

Maryland Emergency Management Agency Continuity of Operations (COOP) Worksheets

Additional information on continuity capability evaluation from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Continuity Resource Toolkit:

Continuity Resource Toolkit and Continuity Guidance Circular
Continuity Assessment Tool (CAT)

Knowledge Validation: Testing, Training, and Exercising Continuity Planning

Applying continuity capability and plans through exercises and training validates the efforts invested in continuity capability-building and can help identify opportunities for improvement. The ESS CPS provides templates and resources for conducting and documenting exercises for emergency events, as well as references for training available to first responders to improve continuity capability.

Exercises – Conducting exercises is an effective way for an ESS organization to test its continuity plan and capabilities.
Training – Maintaining continuity requires training to establish and hone effective organization continuity practices. Relevant courses and other training are available from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), FEMA Emergency Management Institute (EMI), and U.S. Forest Service (USFS).

Emergency Services Sector Continuity Planning Suite Checklist – ESS organizations can use this checklist to confirm that they have reviewed the major sections of the ESS CPS and to indicate how the ESS CPS is incorporated in the organization’s specific continuity of operations (COOP) or continuity of government (COG).

Contact Us

For more information, contact the Emergency Services Sector Management Team at EmergencyServicesSector@mail.cisa.dhs.gov or visit Emergency Services Sector | CISA.