Proactive Emergency Planning AACSB Conference 2007

1. Pro-active Emergency Planning:Pro-active Emergency Planning:
Case Studies in AdaptationCase Studies in Adaptation
Tom GeraceTom Gerace
December 14, 2007December 14, 2007

2. AgendaAgenda
Emergency planningEmergency planning
Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina
Importance of adapting any plan to realityImportance of adapting any plan to reality
Lessons learned and plan revisionsLessons learned and plan revisions

3. BackgroundBackground
Tulane UniversityTulane University
Freeman School of BusinessFreeman School of Business

4. BackgroundBackground
Freeman School of BusinessFreeman School of Business
– 2 buildings on Tulane’s main campus2 buildings on Tulane’s main campus
– Houston campusHouston campus

5. Emergency PlanningEmergency Planning
IT emergency planIT emergency plan
School-wide emergency planSchool-wide emergency plan

6. The “norm”The “norm”
Several hurricane scares each seasonSeveral hurricane scares each season
– June 1 through November 30June 1 through November 30
The drillThe drill

7. August 29, 2005August 29, 2005
Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina

8. ImpactImpact
The city and the campus were fine post-The city and the campus were fine post-
stormstorm
Then the levees brokeThen the levees broke
– Worst man-made disaster in U.S. historyWorst man-made disaster in U.S. history

11. Major issuesMajor issues
We could not return to New OrleansWe could not return to New Orleans
Staff, faculty, and students spread outStaff, faculty, and students spread out
across the countryacross the country
Communications were impactedCommunications were impacted
– PhonePhone
– E-mailE-mail
– Web siteWeb site
How to continue operations?How to continue operations?

12. Houston programsHouston programs
Houston programs continued operationsHouston programs continued operations
Houston campus instrumental in ourHouston campus instrumental in our
business continuitybusiness continuity

13. AdaptationAdaptation

14. Major technology issuesMajor technology issues
Web siteWeb site
– Information disseminationInformation dissemination
Restoring e-mail communicationsRestoring e-mail communications
Restore and distribute data from backupsRestore and distribute data from backups
Researcher access to subscriptionResearcher access to subscription
databasesdatabases

15. The work of getting back to workThe work of getting back to work
The human considerationsThe human considerations
The workThe work
– One example: Office of UndergraduateOne example: Office of Undergraduate
EducationEducation
– Rebuilding classroomsRebuilding classrooms

17. Lessons learnedLessons learned
Emergency plan revisedEmergency plan revised
– Improved communicationImproved communication
– Expand business continuityExpand business continuity

18. Emergency planningEmergency planning
Collect and update alternate contactCollect and update alternate contact
information for all constituentsinformation for all constituents
Formalize call-tree for post-event check-inFormalize call-tree for post-event check-in
Business continuityBusiness continuity
– Base of operationsBase of operations

19. Emergency planningEmergency planning
Technology continuity checksTechnology continuity checks
– Backup web server off-siteBackup web server off-site
Quick DNS change if neededQuick DNS change if needed
Off-site spinning backupsOff-site spinning backups
– Key databases and dataKey databases and data
Review tape backup proceduresReview tape backup procedures
– Revise for diversity of restore proceduresRevise for diversity of restore procedures

20. ConclusionConclusion
The most difficult step is getting startedThe most difficult step is getting started
– The next most difficult step is keeping theThe next most difficult step is keeping the
plan currentplan current
Doing nothing is not an option.Doing nothing is not an option.