Disaster Preparedness

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Disaster Preparedness

• Calcasieu Parish Public Schools

Sheryl Abshire
District AdministrativeCoordinatorof Technology
Lake Charles,Louisiana
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Top 10 Hurricane Tips

• 10 After eating MREs for a week, frozen
  burritos CAN be a real treat
• 9 It takes at least 300 C batteries to
  power-up a server
• 8 - Make sure the fish on your computer screen
  are from a screen saver and not real fish
• 7 - Food packets are more important than data
  packets after the storm

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Top 10 Hurricane Tips

• 6 Having a tree in your server room doesnt
  necessarily mean its Christmas
• 5 - Help raise recovery funds by starting a
  lottery to use the one working computer to check
  email
• 4 Most chainsaws generators do not have USB
  or Ethernet ports

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Top 10 Hurricane Tips

• 3 Although getting back to nature is good, mold
  mildew are poor electrical conductors inside
  computers
• 2 Consider pitching a new show to the networks
  called Extreme Makeover Server Room
• 1 After a hurricane, dial-up Internet IS
  considered broadband access

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Disaster Background

• Hurricane Rita struck the Louisiana / Texas
  border on September 24, 2005 as a category 3
  storm with 120 mph sustained winds
• Calcasieu Parish was hit by the hurricane eyewall
  and the east quadrant which has the strongest
  winds
• Many schools in Calcasieu Parish received
  extensive roof and water damage. The lack of
  power afterwards promoted mold mildew growth
• 24 hours after Rita hit, the CPSB web email
  servers were back up andproviding information to
  evacueesacross the country
• 34 days later, CPSB schools reopened

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The Aftermath
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Preparing for the Unexpected

• A plan needs to exist before its needed making
  one on the fly is too late
• Know your mission critical operations
• Play out scenarios see how the plan can fit
  different situations
• Think creatively
• Pay attention to details

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Preparing for the Unexpected

• Strategic Purchasing Decisions
• Natural Gas Powered Generator to maintain
  essential systems
• Use of rack mounted servers to systems can be
  moved out in case of disaster
• Standardization of equipment and services
• Redundant backup systems

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Communication is Critical

• Communicate to district staff what needs to be
  done and when
• What information will need to go out after an
  event
• How will information be distributed to staff
  stakeholders
• Have emergency contact numbers check-in for
  staff they could wind up anywhere in the U.S.

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Tech Staff Evacuation Locations
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Staged Shutdown

• Develop a staged shutdown that moves in steps
  from simple preparedness to ceasing operations
• Protect assets while staff is available to do the
  work
• Shutdown must be staged so that mission critical
  operations are the last to be stopped
• Shutdown should be designed so that it can be
  reversed if needed

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Example 72 Hours Before

• Email staff to power down computers at the end of
  the day
• Backup any critical data on personal computers
• Unplug computers from electricity
• All of these are easily reversed if not needed

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Stage One Email
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Example 48 Hours Before

• All steps from earlier stage
• Move critical servers to protected areas
• Move computers off of floor and cover to protect
  from water
• Backup of mission critical data is performed
• Informed service providers and key technology
  providers of planned shut down and needed
  assistance

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Example 24 Hours Before
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Lessons Learned.Moving Forward

• Public relations requires a single point of
  contact
• Mis-information will kill you. You must have a
  consistent delivery of information across
  multiple channels.web, email, press, toll free
  number
• Community-wide partnerships are essential
  especially your communications providers,
  community leaders first responders
• Theres no room for egos
• Develop a whatever it takes attitude

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Lessons Learned.Moving Forward

• Scale to the worst case potential disaster
• Update your business continuity plan
• Evaluate effectiveness of processesuse common
  sense
• Payroll is THE mission critical system
• Electronic deposit should be mandatory
• Pre-determine and connect with necessary national
  vendors to restore critical systems

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Lessons Learned.Moving Forward

• Coordinating restoration of services with local
  authoritiesCPSB badges, credentials,
  pre-determined authorized accesses, etc.
• Stockpile survival necessities bottled water,
  flashlights, canned foods, etc.
• Plans for deliveries after disaster

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Lessons Learned.Moving Forward

• Plan for evaluating, repairing damaged equipment
• Planning for facilitiesexample doorway sizes to
  roll out server racks
• Redundant back-ups in other off site locations
• Set goal to move a data systems out within a 4
  hour period
• Plan for systematically bringing data services
  back on line
• Key staff with strong leadership and the ability
  to think creatively is critical to success

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Best Practices

• Partner with local emergency operations center
  for better coordination of activities
• Establish contracts with outside vendors for
  services in emergency situations
• Work with EOC and police agencies to provide
  escorts
• Have adequate reserves and policies in place for
  timely replenishment of all resources
• Establish a communications plan with multiple
  distribution mechanisms
• Establish a process to document damage reports
  with digital photos.

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Best Practices

• Your staff may have significant personal losses.
  Consider food and shelter needs for the first
  responders and their families.
• Pre-plan audio conferencing sessions and
  toll-free information lines
• Key staff alternative email addresses
• Find resources in your area and develop strategic
  partnerships.
• Develop plan for employee call-in and reporting.

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Last Words..

• Everything effects
• everything!
• You cannot over plan.

Do not believe it will never happen to you.
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CONTACT INFORMATION
Calcasieu Parish Public SchoolsLake Charles,
Louisianahttp//www.cpsb.org

• Sheryl R. Abshire
• Administrative Coordinator of Technology
• sheryl.abshire_at_cpsb.org