Your Task
In this module, you will create one or two scenarios of special circumstances to be included in your final contingency plan. Each one should be realistic and specific to Walmart, inc. You may find the process and procedures are similar to other risks you considered back in your risk assessment table (refer back to that table to assist you in determining the special circumstances) **SEE ATTACHMENT***
Submission Requirements
Submit your scenarios in Word, utilizing two or more scholarly references and the most current APA format, including a heading, title page, in-text citations, headings, and a references page.
These scenarios can be marked as an appendix to your overall plan should be 400- to 500-words.
Your assignment should include the following.
Title and description of the possible special circumstance scenario(s).
Overview of the impact it would have on the business or organization.
Overall process/procedures that should be followed in the event the scenario occurs.
Any specific details that should be considered to address the special circumstance by the organization.
Professional Communication
The assignment is written in a professional tone and organized in ways that facilitate reader understanding. The text has been proofread and checked for grammar and punctuation. Sources are cited appropriately using APA guidelines. Your name and course number are included in the header.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The 2000s have thus far brought both technological advancements and unthinkable catastrophic events. The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the Deepwater Horizon Spill of 2010, and more recently, the COVID-19 Pandemic of 2020 are some of the best examples. Besides being huge events, all share a common characteristic: special circumstances. Each disaster required businesses, organizations, and society to pivot quickly and adapt to a new environment. Special circumstances can either make or break an organization. Some are not equipped to meet the new challenges while others learn to adapt and create new ways of doing things. An important part of your disaster recovery plan is to consider the “unthinkable” and incorporate a process for it.
Special circumstances may be found in many types of industries. The following are a few of those types of organizations:
Industrial (hazardous materials and chemicals)
Medical facilities (patient information, equipment)
Museums or archives (with high dollar or rare one-of-a-kind items)
Hazardous Materials
Hazardous materials can be found in many different sectors including the chemical sector. There are several hundred thousand U.S. chemical facilities across the United States. These range from petrochemical manufacturers to chemical distributors. These facilities use, manufacture, store, transport, or deliver chemicals along a complex, global supply chain. There are four distinct components in the chemical sector:
Basic chemicals
Specialty chemicals
Agricultural chemicals
Consumer products (CISA, Nd).
Hazardous materials present a serious risk to an organization. Therefore, companies often have separate hazardous materials contingency plans along with the original. Such a plan might include the following:
The chemical composition of the substance
Fire and explosive potential
Health hazards to employees and those in surrounding areas
Emergency protocols
Special precautions and procedures for handling the substance.
Health Care and Public Health Sector
The Healthcare and Public Health Sector focuses on population health and provides the response and recovery actions needed after large-scale hazards such as terrorism, infectious disease, and natural disasters (CISA, Nd.). This is a vast industry that includes numerous types of healthcare facilities and insurance companies. A key function is assigned to the healthcare insurance companies who need to safeguard any medical history records. Failure to secure the information properly would result in a violation of HIPPA. Most of this information is now stored electronically, therefore proper cybersecurity measures should be taken to keep this information safe. Some of the safeguards that should be taken are:
Healthcare services should implement a secure sign-on system that limits access to patient information.
Regular training for all employees on the requirements of confidential health information.
Procedures should be in place for individuals seeking their health records to provide adequate identification such as SSN and/or photo ID.
The data storage system should be regularly monitored for any red flags.
Communications Sector
When disaster strikes, typically, the first thing to go are communications. Cell towers get knocked out, internet service is disabled, and anything digitized becomes unusable. The Communications Sector is an integral component of the U.S. economy, underlying the operations of all businesses, public safety organizations, and government. Over the last 25 years, the sector has evolved from predominantly a provider of voice services into a diverse, competitive, and interconnected industry using terrestrial, satellite, and wireless transmission systems. The transmission of these services has become interconnected; satellite, wireless, and wireline providers depend on each other to carry and terminate their traffic and companies routinely share facilities and technology to ensure interoperability (CISA, Nd).
A good example is the 2018 Camp Fire – one of California’s deadliest wildfires. The City of Paradise lost approximately 90% of the town and over 85 civilian deaths. While the city emergency first responders had a plan and felt they were prepared, their emergency alert system was voluntary. Not all residents and businesses opted in and when that failed, many police and fire personnel were left going door to door amidst the flames to try and warn them to evacuate. Furthermore, cell service was lost not long after the first evacuation orders went out. This resulted in congested roads, chaos, and a large loss of life.
All businesses and organizations have some communications systems that support their functions. While communications should be built into the contingency plan, special circumstances can arise where cascading impacts will result. In other words, a communications outage could impact other business functions. For this reason, may businesses will also create a separate crisis communications plan to support the overall contingency plan. Again, planning for the unthinkable is the goal.
