Volume 17 (2023-24)

Each volume of Journal of Business Continuity & Emergency Planning consists of four 100-page issues both in print and online. Articles scheduled for Volume 17 are available to view on the 'Forthcoming content' page.

Volume 17 Number 1

Editorial
Lyndon Bird, Publisher
Best practices in supplier relationship management and response when supply is disrupted by cyber attack : An incident response framework
Cyrus Green

This paper explores the growing dependency of organisations on suppliers and the importance of supplier relationship management (SRM) in achieving sustainable competitive advantage. It highlights the various reasons organisations engage with suppliers, including accessing specialised expertise, cost savings, flexibility, risk mitigation and improved quality. The paper emphasises the need for organisations to adopt best practices in SRM to enhance their resilience to disruptions, particularly those caused by cyber attacks. It introduces a threat assessment process for organisations to evaluate the potential impact of supplier disruptions and proposes strategies for improving resilience through collaboration with suppliers. The article also discusses the significance of data sharing between organisations and suppliers, outlining different channels and methods for secure data exchange. It addresses the risks associated with data sharing, such as breaches, intellectual property theft, compliance violations and loss of control. Additionally, the article examines the impacts of supplier disruptions on organisations and emphasises the importance of establishing clear guidelines and policies for data sharing. It concludes by presenting a threat assessment process for supplier disruptions due to cyber attacks, including identifying critical suppliers, conducting risk assessments, analysing findings, developing mitigation strategies, implementing strategies and conducting ongoing monitoring.
Keywords: supplier disruption; supplier relationship management; supplier resilience; extreme disruption; cyber attack
How exercises help US communities meet the challenge of climate change: The FEMA National Exercise Division’s innovative exercise tools and resources
Nicole Nation, Catherine Welker, Jessica Stolz and Melissa French

The US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Exercise Division (NED) leads the nation in validating the capabilities of the whole community in support of the National Preparedness System. In response to the increased threat of climate change, the NED has developed new resources to help communities increase preparedness for severe weather and natural disasters in the long term. This paper provides an overview of two such resources to help communities identify and prepare for climate-related events: the Long-Term Community Resilience Exercise Resource Guide (ERG) and the Climate Adaptation Exercise Series (CAES). These resources help communities develop and conduct exercises to increase their climate literacy, develop climate adaptation and mitigation plans, and leverage data on future climate conditions to inform decision-making. Exercises provide an opportunity for communities to build resilience by discussing and better understanding climate change and to plan for, adapt to, and mitigate the associated risks and hazards. The ERG provides guidance, tools and resources, and the CAES provides a consistent framework that FEMA regions can tailor to address unique, region-specific climate concerns. The results collected from these exercises, in turn, identify strengths to leverage and areas to improve, informing plans of action for a path forward for the next 20, 30 and 50 years.
Keywords: adaptation; climate change; exercise; preparedness; resilience
Assessing disaster recovery programme maturity : A practical approach
Kevin Finch

The process of measuring the overall maturity of a disaster recovery programme can be accomplished by measuring the maturity of the individual processes that make up the programme, and then looking at the results in aggregate. For each process, two aspects require particular attention: the maturity of the process itself, and the extent to which the process is utilised through the organisation as a whole. This paper discusses the process of measuring process maturity, and outlines a practical methodology for applying that process to the appraisal of disaster recovery programmes. It discusses the importance of looking at how widespread different disaster recovery processes are in the business, and outlines a practical approach to conducting programme appraisals.
Keywords: disaster recovery; maturity; assessment; metrics; measurement; programme improvement
Active shooters: History, planning and action to ensure a proper fire and emergency medical service response
Randall W. Hanifen

Given the numerous active shooter and hostile events (ASHE) happening each year, it is important for fire and emergency medical service (EMS) agencies to share the lessons learned from such events. This paper discusses the elements needed for an effective fire and EMS response, beginning with the unified command/collaboration approach with law enforcement that allows for the proper management of such events. The article further defines the command and control elements, as well as the proper staffing and actions needed from fire and EMS to remove, triage, treat and transport victims effectively.
Keywords: active shooter; unified command; rescue taskforces; ASHE; mass casualty
Lessons from Hurricane Ida: Addressing gaps in emergency preparedness planning to protect residents in independent living facilities
Jeanie Donovan and Meredith Mcinturff

This paper describes how Hurricane Ida exposed gaps in emergency preparedness planning and coordination in New Orleans, particularly related to the health and safety of the residents of multi-storey independent living facilities designated for seniors and persons with disabilities, where at least ten lives were lost due to the power outages and extreme heat that occurred following the storm. As this paper discusses, New Orleans Health Department leaders responded by taking swift policy action, working with the mayor, city council and community stakeholders to ensure better coordination, preparation and accountability for owners and operators of certain independent living facilities. The article recommends that states and localities with individuals living in independent living facilities should consider similar policy interventions as part of their disaster cycle planning activities.
Keywords: emergency preparedness; public health; independent living facilities; access and functional needs
Using enterprise risk management to strengthen organisational resiliency : One institution’s story
Melanie J. Lucht

This paper discusses how Carnegie Mellon University launched a cyclical enterprise risk management framework that incorporates both emergency preparedness and response and business continuity into its purview, to deliver greater organisational resiliency. The paper goes on to describe the governance structure that defines roles and responsibilities throughout the organisation, before discussing how faculty, staff and students are engaged and educated to sense risks, and to collaborate with leadership at all levels in prioritising risks for deep-dive assessments and employing feedback loops to support continuous process improvement. As the paper will show, these cyclical practices support organisational resiliency and a greater sense of risk consciousness.
Keywords: enterprise risk management; organisational resiliency; business continuity planning; business impact analysis; three lines of defence; feedback loops; risk consciousness; risk sensing; risk assessment; risk prioritisation; risk profiles
Building community resiliency and trust: A framework
Dave Brand

This paper outlines the context of emergency management in Canada and identifies some of the key factors that have contributed to public emergency preparedness initiatives reaching a saturation point. Readers will gain insight and actionable suggestions from the proposed Community Resiliency Framework. Readers will learn how emergency management agencies can engage and collaborate authentically with communities and leverage existing preparedness initiatives with new methodologies to increase community resiliency.
Keywords: community; resiliency; trust; engagement; collaboration; empowerment
Fuel planning for beginners
Elizabeth ‘Eli’ King and Johanna Hanson

As rapid inflation, continuing supply chain disruptions and the war in Ukraine impact petroleum prices worldwide, fuel supply disruptions have become an increasing concern. This paper describes Washington State’s geographical, political and organisational context as it influences fuel disruption planning, as well as the history and philosophy of Washington’s fuel-planning programme. Finally, the paper discusses planning best practices and gives some examples of their real-world use.
Keywords: fuel; disruption; emergency; planning