A winter snowstorm swept over a large part of the United States in January, leading to frigid temperatures, power outages and other hazardous conditions.
In the nation’s capital, a right-to-shelter mandate requires the government to provide expanded shelter access during hypothermic and hyperthermic weather conditions. But there are many other services the government needs to deliver amid an extreme weather event, and emergency planning preparation helped equip it to ensure operational continuity, according to Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Stephen Miller.
Mayor Muriel Bowser announced on Jan. 23 that a State of Emergency had been declared, set to begin Jan. 24. On Jan. 25, Bowser announced that district government would operate in a modified posture starting the following day, with essential employees reporting to work as scheduled and non-essential employees working remotely where possible. The Office of the CTO (OCTO) team, led by Miller who serves as OCTO director, coordinated with Bowser to prepare for potential impacts to the workforce and government systems. The mayor’s emergency declaration allowed the OCTO team to move more quickly, Miller said.
Previous emergency planning, in coordination with other impacted agencies, informed officials as to which systems, processes and teams are essential, he said. At the agency level, continuity of operations plans guide response.
“We identified very early what our critical systems are,” Miller said.
Emergency communications networks and 911 systems stayed online and the call center remained fully staffed. OCTO technicians supported District of Columbia Public Schools’ technology infrastructure and the district’s Emergency Command Center. The Security Operations Center and Network Operations Center run 24/7 at OCTO to maintain security and support network infrastructure, respectively.
“What we’re doing is we’re monitoring that critical infrastructure,” Miller said, underlining that this includes reporting on the operational posture of agencies and impacts they are facing that could affect services. “Because we want to make sure our people, our places, our procurement, our processes, are all still running exactly the same as they would without this ice storm that we saw.”
Different agencies played an essential role in operational continuity, he said. The Department of Public Works was charged with ice and snow removal. The school system, led by the chancellor of District of Columbia Public Schools and the superintendent of education, addressed teaching and learning impacts and reopening. DC Health was charged with keeping hospitals operational, and the Department of Human Services was responsible for ensuring vulnerable populations had access to support, including warming sites. The district’s fire response and public safety officials helped people in emergencies, including being stuck in the snow. The Government Operations team includes OCTO, human resources and procurement staff.
For a government entity, it is critical to ensure that operations continue running, Miller said, because things like payroll and procurement cannot be disrupted. The district’s IT team is designed so that it can operate “behind the scenes” of government, he said.
“All of these things are possible because we’re making sure these systems are up and running,” Miller said.
District government applied COVID-19-era lessons about quickly pivoting to a remote or hybrid work environment when needed, and communicating proactively about the forecast and expectations.
“Before an event like this happens, we have that brief window to start adjusting,” the CTO said of preparations, which could include changes to the government’s firewall, ensuring applications and systems are accessible, and making sure technology is operating as expected.
Lessons and new ideas for improved response that emerged during this event will be integrated into longer-term plans to improve resilience during the next storm. D.C. government will document what has been learned, including both successes and failures, to inform future response efforts, Miller said. For example, during this event, there were some minor power outages; these may lead to enhanced monitoring for quicker remediation times.
Washington was not the only government impacted by the storm. In Baltimore, the Office of Emergency Management activated its Emergency Operations Center ahead of the storm to support citywide response efforts. In Berks County, Pa., all county buildings were closed to the public; employees working in 24/7 operations were directed to “follow protocol,” and other staffers were advised to telework if possible. In Anne Arundel County, Md., government buildings and offices were closed to the public and telework-eligible employees were expected to work remotely, while “emergency and essential employees” were expected to work as scheduled.
“Prepare and practice,” Miller advised other governments. Tabletop exercises, for example, can be done in the summer to help prepare a government for winter storms. The other strategy he recommended is to document and catalog data and classify potential data sharing issues prior to an emergency, so that operational decisions can be made quickly and information can be shared as needed for coordinated response across a government.
