IUP has always been prepared, to the greatest extent possible, to respond to hazardous events. That being said, the university has grown increasingly aware of the increased number and kind of potential emergencies and their ability to disrupt operations and jeopardize the safety of faculty, staff, and students and has begun development of its Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) plan with assistance from BOLDplanning.
Continuity of Operations planning is a federal initiative to encourage people and departments to plan to address how critical operations will continue under a broad range of circumstances. COOP is important as a good business practice and because the planning fosters recovery and survival in and after emergency situations.
A COOP plan addresses emergencies from an all-hazards approach. A continuity of operations plan establishes policy and guidance, ensuring that critical functions continue and that personnel and resources are relocated to an alternate facility in case of emergencies. The plan should develop procedures for:
- alerting, notifying, activating, and deploying employees
- identifying critical business functions
- establishing an alternate facility
- roster personnel with authority and knowledge of functions
IUPReady is the tool we use here at IUP and is a continuity of operations planning tool that is specific to institutions of higher education. Its aim is to increase the institution's ability to keep operating in the face of disruptive events.
The IUP Emergency Management Office can assist departments throughout the campus to create their continuity plan that identify both strategies for coping with events when they occur, and preparations that can be done in advance.
The following links are additional plans that aid in emergencies.
IUP Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)