TITLE:
Homes for Good’s Comprehensive Emergency Preparedness Program
SITUATION & NEED
Coordinated Consulting Services (CCS) was hired by Homes for Good hired to develop a continuity of operations plan (COOP) and high consequence infection disease (HCID) annex during the beginning months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Homes for Good was working hard to navigate the changing work environment and manage the business impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. They sought a consultant to take the COVID-19 response procedures they had started to develop and create a continuity of operations plan with a pandemic response component.
NEED:
Homes for Good is a public-private hybrid organization that provides low-income, affordable housing and services to vulnerable populations in Lane County, Oregon. It is critical that they can continue essential functions during business disruptions, improving their ability to continue services to high-risk populations. In May of 2020, Homes for Good’s Leadership Team determined they needed assistance to develop a COOP to guide the Agency’s response to COVID-19. The Leadership Team requested that CCS develop a continuity of operations plan with a tiered-pandemic response structure.
SOLUTION
In the summer of 2020, CCS concurrently completed a continuity of operations plan and a high consequence infection disease plan for Homes for Good. Following FEMA’s Continuity Guidance Circular and Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101, the COOP established policies and procedures according to an all-hazard approach. The COOP established a response structure aligned with the Incident Command System and customized for Homes for Good. Roles and responsibilities, emergency communications, procedures for each phase of a continuity response, and information on plan maintenance, storage, and training were documented in the COOP.
The HCID Annex, is an Annex to the COOP and captures information needed to respond to and continue operations during a high consequence infectious disease outbreak, including outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics. The annex provides the tiered approach that Homes for Good leadership were looking for, using the Pandemic Intervals Framework.
Having establish a base plan (COOP) for the Agency and solved the immediate need for a pandemic plan, Homes for Good opted to undergo two assessments – a hazard and vulnerability analysis (HVA) and a full business impact analysis (BIA). In the spring and summer of 2021, CCS conducted a hazard vulnerability analysis to evaluate and determine the relative risks of natural, technological, and human-caused hazards in the Agency’s operating area. Homes for Good has facilities in multiple locations across Lane County and multiple assessments were done to account for the varying risks within the county, from coast to urban to rural foothills. In the summer and fall of 2021, CCS assessed and prioritized all of Homes for Good’s business functions through an agency-wide BIA. Functions from each division were prioritized according to critical recovery time objectives and types of impacts to the agency. The BIA included an assessment of information technology systems and applications for each essential function.
With a greater understanding of Homes for Good’s hazards and essential functions and resources, CCS worked with the Agency to develop an integrated preparedness plan (IPP). In the winter of 2021, CCS lead an Integrated Preparedness Workshop for Homes for Good Leadership. Input from the workshop was used to develop the IPP with four years of preparedness schedules. Homes for Good has used the IPP to guide their continuity preparedness work, ensuring they engage in preparedness activities to address the top risks in their HVA.
During 2022 and 2023, Homes for Good has worked with CCS to create a portfolio of preparedness plans to address their top hazards, including hazards related to climate change. Homes for Good’s preparedness portfolio includes the following functional and hazard-specific annexes:
- high heat,
- wildfire and poor air quality,
- floods,
- winter weather,
- cybersecurity, and
- workplace violence.
- Resident evacuation template and training
Following the development of the COOP and each annex, Homes for Good has partnered with CCS to provide virtual staff training on the new plans and procedures. These trainings include a discussion-based activity related to the new plan and procedures (i.e., a “mini-tabletop exercise”).
OUTCOME
Homes for Good has built a comprehensive emergency preparedness program, improving their resilience and their ability to serve vulnerable populations during emergencies and disasters. The Agency has an ongoing relationship with CCS to address their preparedness needs. Homes for Good and CCS follows the Agency’s IPP to strategically manage their preparedness portfolio, including updating documents as scheduled and working to develop new content and annexes to meet Agency priorities.
