Disaster Preparedness

Disaster PreparednessCalcasieu Parish Public Schools

Sheryl Abshire

AdministrativeCoordinator

of Technology

Lake Charles,Louisiana

Disaster Background• Hurricane Rita struck the Louisiana / Texas border on

September 24, 2005 as a category 3 storm with 120 mph sustained winds

• Calcasieu Parish was hit by the hurricane eyewall and the east quadrant which has the strongest winds

• Many schools in Calcasieu Parish received extensive roof and water damage. The lack of power afterwards promoted mold & mildew growth

• 24 hours after Rita hit, the CPSB web& email servers were back up andproviding information to evacueesacross the country

• 34 days later, CPSB schools reopened

Top 10 Hurricane Tips

• 10 – After eating MREs for a week, frozen burritos CAN be a real treat

• 9 – It takes at least 300 “C” batteries to power-up a server

• 8 - Make sure the fish on your computer screen are from a screen saver and not real fish

• 7 - Food packets are more important than data packets after the storm


• 6 – Having a tree in your server room doesn’t necessarily mean it’s Christmas

• 5 - Help raise recovery funds by starting a lottery to use the one working computer to check email

• 4 – Most chainsaws & generators do not have USB or Ethernet ports


• 3 – Although getting back to nature is good, mold & mildew are poor electrical conductors inside computers

• 2 – Consider pitching a new show to the networks called Extreme Makeover: Server Room

• 1 – After a hurricane, dial-up Internet IS considered broadband access

Preparing for the Unexpected

• A plan needs to exist before its needed; making one on the fly is too late

• Know your mission critical operations

• Play out scenarios – see how the plan can fit different situations

• Think creatively

• Pay attention to details

Preparing for the Unexpected

• Strategic Purchasing Decisions– Natural Gas Powered Generator to maintain

essential systems– Use of rack mounted servers to systems can

be moved out in case of disaster– Standardization of equipment and services– Redundant backup systems

Communication is critical

• Communicate to district staff what needs to be done and when

• What information will need to go out after an event

• How will information be distributed to staff & stakeholders

• Have emergency contact numbers & check-in for staff – they could wind up anywhere in the U.S.

Tech Staff Evacuation Locations

Staged Shutdown

• Develop a staged shutdown that moves in steps from simple preparedness to ceasing operations

• Protect assets while staff is available to do the work

• Shutdown must be staged so that mission critical operations are the last to be stopped

• Shutdown should be designed so that it can be reversed if needed

Example – 72 Hours Before

• Email staff to power down computers at the end of the day

• Backup any critical data on personal computers

• Unplug computers from electricity

• All of these are easily reversed if not needed

Stage One Email


• All steps from earlier stage• Move critical servers to protected areas• Move computers off of floor and cover to

protect from water• Backup of mission critical data is performed• Informed service providers and key

technology providers of planned shut down and needed assistance

Stage Two Email


• All critical data center servers moved out of impact area

• All network infrastructure is shut down

• Data backups are sent out to areas outside of the impact area

• Arrange for alternate data center locations

Lessons Learned….Moving Forward

• Public relations requires a single point of contact• Mis-information will kill you. You must have a

consistent delivery of information across multiple channels….web, email, press, toll free number

• Community-wide partnerships are essential – especially your communications providers, community leaders & first responders

• There’s no room for egos


• Scale to the worst case potential disaster• Update your business continuance plan• Evaluate effectiveness of processes…use

common sense• Payroll is THE mission critical system• Electronic deposit should be mandatory• Pre-determine and connect with necessary

national vendors to restore critical systems


• Coordinating restoration of services with local authorities…CPSB badges, credentials, pre-determined authorized accesses, etc.

• Stockpile survival necessities – bottled water, flashlights, canned foods, etc.

• Plans for deliveries after disaster

Lessons Learned….Moving Forward• Plan for evaluating, repairing damaged equipment• Planning for facilities…example doorway sizes to roll out

server racks• Redundant back-ups in other off site locations• Set goal to move a data systems out within a 4 hour

period• Plan for systematically bringing data services back on line• Key staff with strong leadership and the ability to think

creatively is critical to success

CONTACT INFORMATION

• Sheryl AbshireAdministrative Coordinator of [email protected]

• Scott SchonefeldTech Support Center [email protected]

Calcasieu Parish Public SchoolsLake Charles, Louisianahttp://www.cpsb.org

http://www.cpsb.org/presentations

Disaster Preparedness

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