The Association for the Improvement of Minorities in the Internal Revenue Service
Annual Business Meeting and Training Seminar
Business Resumption and Emergency Preparedness Plan
(Rev. 5/22/02011 draft)
Background-
With the ever increasing natural disasters, fires, utility disruptions physical and security threats, implementing an emergency and business resumption plan are essential to a security program. Properly developed plans can reduce the threat to personnel, property and other assets while minimizing business disruption.
Business Resumption –
A Business Resumption Plan is a guide to orderly re-establishment of operations after an incident. The objective of the plan is to resume processing of critical functions as quickly as possible and eventually resume all normal operations.
Matters to Address: 1) Asset management 2) Procedures for business resumption in case of human incapability/absence 3) Alternate site (see hotel’s policy) and 4) Staff to coordinate/assist persons with making alternate travel plans.
Asset Management/ Inventory –
In order to account for physical assets:
A current and complete listing of all inventory items should be maintained and stored in at least three different locations at all times. Key individuals are as follows:
1) Asset manager – compiles list, ensuring accuracy and currency. It is necessary to
work closely with the Treasurer in terms of account codes, acquisitions and deletions
for any reason. This person will also be responsible for providing copies of the asset
listing to the others noted below on a 6-month basis.
NSVP/ President (optional), Executive Secretary and National Treasurer on a
quarterly basis regardless of changes, i.e. Whether are additions or deletions.
2) National Senior vice President- keeper of the list as the person responsible for the
organization’s assets
3) Executive Secretary – secondary keeper of the list as the person responsible for the
organization’s official records.
4) Treasurer – obtains a list in order to reconcile to the financial records (income
statement - purchases and balance sheet- assets)
5) National President (optional)
This plan should include the names of the persons above along with their addresses and contact numbers (home, work and cell).
This listing is the responsibility of the asset manager. As this listing is updated, this information should be provided to the above named persons holding these positions. This listing should also include the latest date revised and the values at the time of purchase or the estimated value at the time of write off, whichever is prompting the update.
This inventory listing should be audited annually by an unrelated third party to the process. This includes reconciling it to the financial accounts and taking a physical inventory.
The committee also recommends an electronic medium for inventory tracking, such as a bar code tracking system. This is critical as inventory acquisitions increase and the assets acquired become obsolete.
Insurance
Due to the expansion of assets distributed through out all of the organization over the country, having insurance is also very important to readily restore all losses, regardless of type, that is whether it is through theft, accidental breakage, or misplacement. (This does not negate an individual’s responsibility in exercising due diligence.)
Additionally, insurance coverage is critical during shipping to and from the storage area to the designated point, while in storage, and during the event. This area of responsibility will rest with the National Senior Vice President or designee.
Human Resources
Human resources order for business resumption purposes- Follow AIM-IRS existing policy:
1)National President
2)National Senior Vice-President
3)Executive Secretary
4)Chairperson of the Advisory Board
5)Xxxxxx
Financial
Follow existing policies for assess to financial assets. In case of human incapacity of the National President, National Senior Vice President, National Treasurer, then the fiscal responsibility will fall to the chairperson of the Advisory Board and the Executive Secretary.
Written instructions to the bank accounts custodian(s) are needed as standard policy for use in the case of an emergency only in order to implement the aforementioned order. A separate directive from the National President is in order to implement this deviation.
Occupancy Emergency Plan
Generally, the Annual Business Meeting and Training Seminar (ABMTS) is held at an independent commercial facility. It is important to inquire about the pre-establishment of such a plan/system with this facility in the contracting process.
Each plan year the President should appoint a designated official to oversee this process. All possible situations should be addressed so that personnel will know the proper procedures to follow. Situations and incidents such as: bomb threats, explosions, demonstrations, utility disruptions or failures, natural disasters, disruptive weather, fires, accidents, and etc, may occur. The designated official shall be responsible for ensuring that conference participants are provided information relative to the plan for use in case of an emergency. This plan should also include evacuation procedures.
Emergency management planning must include not only recovery of critical information systems and applications but must also address issues such as human resources, security, and vital records (See the Business Resumption Plan for details.)
To safeguard the effectiveness of this plan, the designated official will develop, maintain and test the occupant emergency plan prior to the annual meeting, where appropriate. At a minimum, such a discussion should be shared with the hotel personnel for clarification.
Emergency Contact sheet-
Each year the emergency contact sheet will be designed specific to the conference.
During Registration each person will receive an emergency contact sheet to complete in case of an emergency. Completing an emergency form is optional. The sheets will be maintained by the Registration committee during the conference. Forms will be destroyed at the conclusion of the conference.
Emergency Preparedness
Designated official – appointed by the National President
CommandCenter – designated location by the National President
Important telephone numbers – see attached phone tree
Hotel emergency plan – will be acquired from the hotel upon accepting the contract and given the designated official.
Evacuation procedures – designed to the specifications of the hotel’s emergency
plan by the designated official in order to test and disperse instructions during the
conference.
Sharing the emergency plan policy with conference participants
Provide written procedures within registration packet (should be short and concise)
Open forum (also briefly address at the OPENING SESSION)
Design and test plan to include the following criteria:[1]
Include floors monitors with identifying head apparel
Command Team white
Captains blue
Elevator monitors red
Stairway monitors green
Physically challenged yellow
Designated monitors duties:
During pre-conference activities
During the day conference activities
During the night conference activities
During sleep hours
During post-conference activities
Alternates to monitors
Designated areas
Accountability process – include in the registration process where persons are staying if not at the conference site, that is where and who to contact
Contact information for participants/monitors for distribution in case of an emergency
Plan with the hotel (policy of how to account for) in terms of those participants registered at the hotel and/or training facility
Floor monitors for after hours
Process and procedures of how to handle persons with physical challenges
Alternate site- see hotel’s emergency plan
Alternate travel plans-
ABMTS – In the event of a disruption during the annual conference meeting, each individual will be responsible for their individual arrangements.
Executive Board Planning Meetings- The corresponding secretary will make the necessary arrangements for changes in travel arrangements. In the absence of this position, the NSVP or designee will make the necessary arrangements.
ABMTS- IRS Phone Tree[2]
National President[3]RVP – North Atlantic / National Senior Vice-President / Executive Secretary
Regional Representative -1 / Asset Manager / Parliamentarian
Regional Representative -2 / Assistant to Asset Mgr. / CFC Treasurer
RVP – Southeast / Recording Secretary / National Treasurer
Regional Representative -1 / Correspondence Secetary / ABMTS Financial Coord.
Regional Representative -2 / Asst. Financial Coord.
RVP – Mid-Atlantic / Asst to the Asst Financial Coord
Regional Representative -1 / Recording Secretary
Regional Representative -2
RVP – South Atlantic
Regional Representative -1
Regional Representative -2
RVP- Mid West
Regional Representative -1
Regional Representative -2
RVP - Central
Regional Representative -1
Regional Representative -2
RVP- Western
Regional Representative-1
Regional Representative -2
[1] Only necessary if a plan is not in place at the hosting facility where the event is being held.
[2] Revise annually to reflect the applicable names and contact information of the persons holding the respective position
[3] In the absence of the National President, the chairman of the Advisory Board with carry out this task.