What is COOP?

Continuity of Operations (COOP) is the effort within individual agencies to ensure they can continue to perform their mission essential functions during a wide range of emergencies. It’s the initiative that ensures that governments, departments, businesses and agencies are able to continue their essential daily functions. COOP requires planning for any event – natural, man-made, technological threats and national security emergency – causing an agency to relocate its operations to an alternate or other continuity site to assure continuance of its essential functions.

COOP is simply good business practice. COOP Plans address orders of succession, delegations of authority, continuity facilities, continuity communications, essential records management, human resources, testing, training, exercising, devolution, and reconstitution. FEMA offers guidance to non-federal entities here: http://www.fema.gov/pdf/about/org/ncp/coop/continuity_guidance_circular.pdf.

ADEM Planning supports the FEMA Continuity Plan Template for Non-Federal Entities. By following the format presented in this template, organizations will ensure that their continuity plans address the key planning elements that support effective continuity operations present in today’s all-hazards environment. FEMA’s Continuity Plan Template for Non-Federal Entities can be found here: https://www.fema.gov/pdf/about/org/ncp/coop/continuity_plan_federal_and_non_federal.pdf.

The template with instructions can be found here: https://www.fema.gov/pdf/about/org/ncp/coop/continuity_plan_non_federal.pdf.

To request a Microsoft® Word version (editable) please contact the National Continuity Programs, Continuity of Operations Division via e-mail at [email protected] or contact [email protected].

FEMA offers Independent Study courses related to continuity through the Emergency Management Institute (EMI). You will find them here: https://training.fema.gov/is/searchis.aspx?search=continuity. For further information about additional continuity and other courses, visit EMI’s website here: https://training.fema.gov/emi.aspx.

For further discussion with an ADEM Planner, reach out to us through the Contact ADEM form below.