COMMUNITY RESILIENCE

Summary of Workshops on Private Sector Business and Property Owner

Requirements for Recovery and Restoration from a Disaster

Partners in Emergency Preparedness Conference

April 14, 2009

Presented by Steve Stein and Ann Lesperance

Presentation Outline

BackgroundObjectives of Private Sector WorkshopsApproachPre-workshop InterviewsKey Workshop FindingsConclusions Follow-on Activities

Background

Interagency Biological Restoration Demonstration (IBRD) Program

Established in 2006 as a collaboration between DHS and DOD’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA)

Goal is to work with interagency organizations, including state and local representatives, to reduce the time and resources required to recover and restore wide urban areas, military installations, and other critical infrastructures following a biological incident

Seattle urban area selected as demonstration region

Engagement with stakeholders through IBRD pointed to need to further examine the role of the private sector in supporting community resilience

Objectives of Private Sector Workshops

Assess private sector readiness to restore property and recover business operations

Understand what businesses and private property owners “want and need” from federal, state and local government to support recovery and restoration from a disaster

Use information shared during the workshops to support the development of guidance or other resources identified as high priority to enhance the ability of the private sector to recover and restore operations after such a disaster

Key Question: What is the ability of private sector businesses, building owners, service providers to restore property and recover business operations in the aftermath of a wide area dispersal of anthrax?

Source: SFD

Approach

Literature reviewInvited key playersConducted baseline assessment interviewsFacilitated 3 workshops in August 2008

Businesses

Building owners and operators

Critical service/infrastructure providers

Rated issues raised to establish prioritiesAssessed interest in continued engagement

Participant Interest in this Activity

Opportunities to improve public-private sector communications and intelligence sharingBest practices for recovery and restoration from a biological incident and opportunity to learn from what others are doingGuidance on standardizing plans, procedures and training to address biological incident recovery and restoration Better understanding of how to manage the expectations of their employees, clients and public

Pre-workshop Interviews Businesses

Recovery Planning90% have all hazards plans; only 20% have specific guidance on recovery and restoration from biological release

50% do not know whether their suppliers have recovery plans in place; 40% know that their vendors have recovery plans, and some actively communicate with strategic vendors about plans

CommunicationsJust 16% share their recovery plans with the building owners

90% have mechanisms for communicating with clients and service providers during an event and recovery (e.g. HAM radio, satellite phones, email lists, call lists)

Mutual Aid Agreements80% have formal agreements (e.g. SLAs) with key vendors, such as fuel suppliers for generators

60% have agreements with neighboring businesses, although most are informal, verbal agreements

20% have agreements with contractors for biological decontamination services

Insurance and Liability20% have addressed coverage and liability issues for biological incident with insurance providers

Pre-workshop Interviews Private Building Owners and Managers

Recovery Planning55% have plans that address disaster recovery/business continuity36% said plans cover a biological incident

Communications33% have shared recovery plans with tenants, and some conduct joint trainingNearly all plan to use standard communication tools such as call trees, websites, and email lists (e.g. SenWordNow) ) to reach tenants during event recovery

Mutual Aid Agreements60% have mutual support agreements (informal and formal) with adjacent building owners 50% percent have formal (e.g. SLAs) and informal agreements with key vendors to provide recovery and restoration services, primarily for janitorial, mold remediation, or other basic services20% have “looked at” agreements to support recovery from a biological incident

Insurance and LiabilityMost (60%) unsure whether their companies had addressed these issues with insurance providers

Pre-workshop Interviews Critical Service Providers

Recovery PlanningAll have all hazards plans in place to support continuity of operations 13% have plans that address a biological incident, although half address pan flu

CommunicationsAlmost all have plans for communicating with businesses and building operators during recoveryMajority rely on phone and email from major account representatives

Mutual Aid Agreements88% have formal or informal agreements with neighboring service providers for collaboration during R&R (e.g. utilities in other regions)

Liability and Insurance50% self-insured therefore not relevant to their organizations; others did not specify or know

Anthrax Scenario and AssumptionsNational Planning Scenario tailored for PNW :

Covert aerosolized anthrax attacks by an organized worldwide terrorist group

Tens of thousands of people exposed Thousands of deaths

President & WA Governor declared state of emergency

Significant contamination in affected areas, including critical infrastructure, commercial, military & private property

Approx contamination areas = 10 sq miles each500 buildings contaminatedPorts affected (Seattle, Tacoma)Local government operations relocatedBasic services affectedLocal businesses affectedLocal military installations affected (Ft Lewis/McChord AFB)

Scenario for discussion and planning purposes only. It does not represent an actual threat.

Scenario for discussion and planning purposes only. It does not represent an actual threat.

For Workshop or Exercise Purposes Only

Anthrax Scenario: 3 Months Later

Panic has calmed, streets in contaminated areas are largely deserted

Many transportation corridors are closed to traffic.  Limited transportation corridors including I-5 are open.

Seattle and King Co governments have been reconstituted elsewhere in King Co and essential services are being provided

The Ports are operating but well below capacity

Contamination “knock down” processes using mist of low pressure water has been used in outdoor areas to try and reduce external contamination levels with some success

Businesses within the contamination zones remain largely closedCharacterization continues and some businesses on the edge of the contamination zones have begun to move forward with decontamination effortsCompetition for scarce decontamination resources and personnel is beginning

Source: Ecotech

Key Findings from WorkshopsBusinesses

Participants: Boeing, Costco, Port of Seattle, Premera Blue Cross, Safeco Insurance, Unified Grocers, Unigard

Top Concerns

1. Lack of guidance for continuity planning (especially for small businesses)

2. Inconsistent messaging from multiple sources

3. Uncertainty about prioritization of restoration

4. Access to limited remediation resources

5. Indemnification/liability if not property is not decontaminated properly

Other Issues/Needs

Reduction in workforce

Impacts from regional dependencies

Timing of recovery

Businesses/employees having confidence to return

Testing and sampling approaches

Ability to influence suppliers/insurance company clients to plan

Access to financial support for R&R

Key Findings from WorkshopsBuilding Owners and ManagersParticipants: Able, ABM, Beacon Capitol Partners, CBRE, CAC Real Estate Management, Tishman

Speyer, Institute of Real Estate Management, McKinstry, Metzler Realty, Wright Rundstad, Washington Real Estate Holdings, The Ashforth Companies, Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Seattle and King County, Rental Housing Association of Puget Sound

Top Concerns

1. Lack knowledge of anthrax cleanup protocols and contractors

2. No clear path to provide two-way communications

3. Lack general education/information on anthrax

4. Need access to financial support and incentives Insurance coverage for acts of domestic terrorismLow-cost loans and deferrals required to support mortgages without rental incomeRelocation assistance to keep it local

5. Need for timely clean-up and uncertainty about restoration prioritization approachCommercial building owners likely to walk away in ~6 monthsResidential owners have ~2 months or people will not return to the building

Key Findings from Workshops Building Owners and Managers (cont)

Other Issues/NeedsToolkit for facility planning for a biological event for integration into existing plans

basic health informationanthrax response and remediation information remediation service vendorskey government contactsrisk management planning

Indemnification – need federal backing to limit liability if tenants return

Source: SFD

Key Findings from WorkshopsCritical Service Providers

Participants: Harborview Medical Center, Virginia Mason Medical, Tacoma Power, Puget Sound Energy, Seattle City Light, Seattle Public Utilities, King Co. Metro Transit, WA State DOT

Top Concerns1. Communications

From trusted, credible source (e.g. local health office)Two-way with private sector to ensure their priorities are understoodMedia must be a partner to ensure consistent messagingPublic education to manage fear

2. Assuring worker safety and allaying fearsEducation on treatment, risks, and safetyRapid healthcare response is key

3. Uncertainty about command and control during recovery and restoration

Who would be in charge?How would transition from response to recovery occur?How would recovery and restoration prioritization decisions made?

Source: Seattle Daily

Key Findings from WorkshopsCritical Service Providers (cont)

Other Concerns/Needs

Understand approach and responsibility for transportation system restoration

Opening key transportation corridors, ensuring clean routes not re-contaminatedDecontamination of vehicles (public transit, trucks)

Need for planning that looks at interdependencies across sectorsCritical businesses may not have continuity plansRestoration prioritization must consider these interdependencies

Legal and regulatory waivers on case-by-case basisIdentify essential supplies and services and plan to get them to those in needExpand cleanup resources and capabilities to support competing demands and reduced work force

Source: WSDOT

Conclusions from Workshops

Communications is key to private sector R&RMust come from a trusted, credible source; for many, CDC a credible voice in a biological incidentOne message Two-way between private sector to command and control

Source: Washington National Guard

Prioritization of R&R activities needs to be better understood and informed by private sector needs

Timing is critical to stay or go decisionNeed quick, clear direction from government on non-occupancyDesire to understand how to access limited remediation resources

Need for education and resources on anthrax/bio incident restoration that enable businesses to make decisions and actIndemnification and legal liability issues a concern to allFinancial support for R&R a key concern for businesses (particularly small) and building owners

Value of Workshops

Captured significant information that can be incorporated into the IBRD ProgramIdentified several areas where opportunities exist to enhance resilience Participants uniformly indicated the discussions were valuable to them—enhanced their thinking

Follow-on Activities

Support from DTRA/DHS to develop materials or otherwise respond to top concerns identified in workshops

Educational/information briefs on anthrax and the effects of exposureBasic decontamination methods recommended by public health and CDC for businesses, home, family and petsLists of credible cleanup contractorsInformation on efficacy and the potential reactions to medicationsGuidance and model plans for business continuity planning for small / medium businesses Recommended approach to 2-way communication/information sharing between businesses and governmentInformation brief on Stafford Act opportunities and limitations

Questions?

Steve Stein, Director

Northwest Regional Technology Center

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

steve.stein@pnl.gov

(206) 528-3340

Ann Lesperance, Deputy Director

Northwest Regional Technology Center

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

ann.lesperance@pnl.gov

(206) 528-3223