C O V I D - 1 9 V I R T U A L P A N E L S E R I E S

COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM SECURITY AND RESILIENCE

Resilient and Sustainable Transportation Systems (RSTS) Technical Services Program

presents

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 20203:00PM to 4:00PM Eastern

COVID-19 Virtual Panel Series

C O V I D - 1 9 V I R T U A L P A N E L S E R I E S

COVID-19 Virtual Panel: Operational Continuity & ResilienceWednesday April 29, 2020

• Welcome by Melissa Savage, AASHTO

• Opening Remarks by Jim Pappas, Deputy Director, Delaware Department of Transportation and CTSSR Vice Chair

• Federal UpdatesDavid Cooper, Transportation Security AdministrationNancy Pomerleau, Department of Homeland SecurityJason Carnes, Federal Highways Administration

• Continuity of Operations Plans by Emma Poon, Branch Chief, FEMA National Continuity Program – Policy, Plans, and Evaluation Division

• Supply Chain Resilience Mike Meyer, WSP, Principal Investigator of NCFRP Research Report 39: Freight Transportation Resilience in Response to Supply Chain DisruptionsGreg Slater, Maryland Department of Transportation, Secretary

• Building Physical and Organizational Resilience for State DOTs by Elizabeth Kemp, Resilience Program Manager, Colorado Department of Transportation

• Q&A

C O V I D - 1 9 V I R T U A L P A N E L S E R I E S

FEDERAL PARTNERS UPDATE

Continuity: Why You Should Care and How We Can Help

Emma PoonFEMA National Continuity Programs

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• Every day, individuals, organizations, communities, and governments provide

critical services and perform essential functions upon which citizens depend

• Continuity ensures that that these services and functions can be sustained

when normal operations are disrupted

Importance of Continuity Planning

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• Per Presidential Policy Directive-40, “the Secretary of Homeland Security…

through the Administrator of FEMA… will develop and promulgate continuity

planning guidance to state, local, territorial, and tribal governments, non-

governmental organizations, and private sector owners and operations of critical

infrastructure…”

• The CGC guides the whole community efforts

to develop and maintain the capability to ensure

continuity of operations (COOP), continuity

of government (COG), and enduring

constitutional government (ECG) during an

emergency that disrupts normal operation.

Continuity Overview

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• The whole community

directly contributes to the nation’s ability to continue performance of the NEFs.

• Disasters are local events, and if the state, local, tribal, or territorial government response capacity is disrupted, the effectiveness of the federal response is diminished.

Whole Community Continuity

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Continuity Lessons Learned• Whole-of-community preparedness is critical to improving continuity and

resilience; integration of continuity planning between federal and non-federal entities enables:

• Promoting interoperability and identifying interdependencies;

• Eliminating conflicting lines of authority;

• Providing for the performance of essential functions; and

• Preserving the statutory and constitutional authority of elected officials at all levels of government

• Create continuity plans and procedures that are succinct and functional (versus lengthy plans that are not read or utilized in an emergency)

• Incorporate continuity principles into daily operations to inform decision-making, improve safety, and increase resilience

• Strengthen devolution procedures. In a catastrophic emergency, onsite continuity personnel are likely to be disaster survivors, and may be unable to fulfill continuity roles and responsibilities

Continuity In Action

• On March 25, 2019, the Naval Support

Activity (NSA) Bethesda firehouse caught

fire

– No injuries

– Significant damage to the building

• Montgomery County (MD) and Naval District Washington put out the fire. Fire

services continued using mutual aid

agreements

• Within two days, NSA Bethesda resumed

operations an unused building on base

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Continuity In Action• Due to mudslides and a large fire in December 2017, the Santa Barbara

Foodbank enacted continuity strategies to continue their essential

functions

• Access to the food bank was impacted

– Staff were unable to report

– Fresh supplies was unable to be brought in

– Food was unable to be distributed through normal routes

• The food bank worked with other food banks in the state to ensure food

was delivered to those who needed it

• They requested volunteer assistance and local volunteers helped

distribute food instead of the regular staff

• Additional information can be found at https://foodbanksbs.org/the-foodbank-responds-to-thomas-fire-and-debris-flow/

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• Continuity planning can increase resiliency in the following areas:

• People

• Identification of essential personnel based on the essential functions

• Understanding which and how personnel are essential can:

• Ensure available personnel are assigned to the most critical tasks to ensure the continuation of functions and services

• Identify who can stay home to telework and who must be physically at a location to perform tasks

• As more people are impacted, a “Graceful Degradation” of functions can be enacted to phase down from all functions to only the essential ones

• Leadership

• Orders of succession

• Delegations of authorities

• Recommend 3 deep and at least 1 out of area

Continuity In Action – Infectious Disease

Considerations

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• Continuity planning can increase resiliency in the following areas:

• Facilities

• Continuity of Operations is NOT “Relocation of Operations” It is function specific.

• Not all incidents involve relocation and not all people should relocate

• In an infectious disease situation, relocating everyone to another location together will not mitigate risks or impacts

• Alternate sites and capabilities CAN be used in different ways

• People that can telework, should work from home

• People that MUST be in a physical location to do their task, can be dispersed to every location the organization has, alternate sites included

• Do not relocate everyone to any one location

Continuity In Action – Infectious Disease

Considerations

19

• Continuity planning can increase resiliency in the following areas:

• Communications

• Having alternate means of communication is critical

• Not just classified communications equipment or satellite phones

• Conference bridge capabilities/capacity

• Video chat capabilities/capacity

• IT Infrastructure

• VPN capabilities/capacity

• Ability to access essential records/files

• Even though continuity plans may not be activated immediately, continuity planning offers strategies and capabilities that have been developed to make organizations resilient in the fact of any incident

Continuity In Action – Infectious Disease

Considerations

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• Reconstitution planning should be done a part of a comprehensive

continuity planning process

• Reconstitution activities begin once continuity activities occur. This starts

the process to return to normal operations as quickly as possible

• Planning considerations:

• What is the process and procedure to ensure that the facilities are safe?

• Who is responsible for ensuring that the facility is safe?

• How is the facility being rendered safe?

• Is there a priority for which areas of the facility will be rendered safe first?

• Who decides when the incident is over and the organization can resume normal operations?

• Have you notified critical stakeholders of your return to normal operations?

Reconstitution – Infectious Disease

Considerations

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• Planning considerations (continued):

• What is the status of your personnel?

• Were any impacted by the incident?

• What are the policies for those that cannot immediately return to work?

• How will you address staffing short falls if personnel do not return permanently?

• How do you message to everyone that it is safe to return to work?

• Are all personnel returning at the same time? Or are personnel being phased back slowly, depending on how quickly the facility can be rendered safe?

• Ensure that an after-action review of the effectiveness of continuity plans and procedures is conducted and documented in a Corrective Action Plan

Reconstitution – Infectious Disease

Considerations

22

Continuity Guidance Circular

• FEMA led a whole community effort to review and revise the CGC, including a National Engagement period.

• The CGC guides whole community efforts to develop and maintain the capability – not just for states and locals! The CGC is flexible and adaptable for a broad range of audiences, threats, and capabilities.

• The CGC serves as a resource for Federal

and non-federal entities to appropriately integrate and coordinate continuity efforts.

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• The CGC is designed to present the overarching guiding principles behind the incorporation of continuity planning throughout the whole community by:

CGC Overview

• Describing the fundamental theories

and concepts to unify the application of continuity principles, planning, and capabilities across the Nation;

• Describing Federal and non-federal

continuity efforts;

• Outlining roles, responsibilities, and

coordinating structures; and

• Describing processes for building and

maintaining continuity capabilities.

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• The Continuity Assessment Tool (CAT) is a resource for organizations and jurisdictions to assess their continuity plan and program against the requirements for a viable continuity program and plan as outlined in the Continuity Guidance Circular (CGC).

• The CAT assists organizations and communities in identifying areas of strengths, areas for improvement, best practices, and lessons learned.

• Entities should use the Tool on a regular basis as a method for determining whether gaps exist in an organization’s continuity plan and program, allowing the opportunity to better prioritize and resource continuity needs and gaps.

• The CAT replaces the Continuity Assistance Tool, dated September 2013.

What is the CAT?

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• The CAT is intended to be completed on a regular basis by the continuity planning team and other partners who may have an important part in the success of the program.

• There are three sections for evaluation, corresponding to the three chapters of the CGC: Getting Started, Building a Capability, and Maintaining a Capability.

• Each section of the CAT includes continuity activities and supporting tasks critical to the corresponding chapter of the CGC.

• Supporting tasks are further divided according to the five areas found within the State Preparedness Report: Planning, Organization, Equipment, Training, Exercise (POETE).

• The CAT uses a 10-point scoring system to determine the progress against each continuity activity or supporting task identified in the Tool.

Using the CAT

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• FEMA has developed a supporting Continuity Resource Toolkit that provides continuity examples, tools, and templates (www.fema.gov/continuity-resource-toolkit)

• FEMA continues to update continuity training and other supporting materials, tools, and templates.

• CGC translated into Spanish: Furthers capacity building efforts following Hurricane Maria by providing continuity guidance and resources in native language

• Continuity Plan Template and Devolution Planning Guide/Template:

Developed in coordination with whole community stakeholders to provide structure, recommended content, and planning factors for planners

• BPA/BIA Users Guide: Developed to assist in conducting a BPA/BIA

• New introductory online continuity course

• Reconstitution Planning Fact Sheet coming out soon

Available Continuity Resources

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FEMA-CGC@fema.dhs.gov

www.fema.gov/continuity-guidance-circular

Discussion and Questions

Freight Transportation Resilience in Response to Supply Chain Disruptions: Potential Challenge and

Roles for State Transportation Agencies

Michael D. Meyer, WSP, Senior Advisor

AASHTO CTSSR COVID-19 Virtual Panel

April 29, 2020

• Includes all aspects of a disruption that is of concern--

-access to facilities and markets, labor availability and

safety, financial impacts, public/private sector

interaction, etc.

The Supply Chain(s)

• Multiple supply chains----obviously medical supplies

and equipment, and food (e.g., toilet paper).

However, will clearly affect others as well as supply

and demand centers shut down.

“The modern supply chain is snapping; The coronavirus

exposes the fragility of an economy built on outsourcing and

just-in-time inventory”

“Coronavirus Is a wake-up call for supply chain management”

“Coronavirus has disrupted supply chains for nearly 75% of U.S.

companies”

“Global airline carriers, including United, Delta and American,

have suspended flights and cut down on routes. And some of

the world's busiest airports have turned into ghost towns.”

Never before have supply chains been so much

in the public eye.

“Small businesses in hard-hit areas like Seattle are reporting a

drop in customers as big tech companies tell their employees

to stay home. Others are facing dwindling inventory with less

good shipping from China.”

“With Coronavirus, Disruptions to U.S. Energy Storage Supply

Chain Come Home”

“The Food Supply Chain is Breaking”

International Headlines

South China Morning Post, April 26, 2020

China Belt and Road Plan Hits Roadblock as Virus Pinches Supply of

Materials and Workers

Supply Chain Disruptions are Pushing Out Existing Project Timelines in

Indonesia, Pakistan and Bangladesh

Impact of COVID-19 Outbreak on Border Closures and Global Freight

Movement

World Bank

“The exposure of global logistics—which together with transport account for

10 to 12 percent of global GDP, or more than $8 trillion—has become starkly

visible in the crisis. COVID-19’s economic impact will be felt most strongly in

countries whose value chains are closely linked to epicenters of the disease,

as disruptions in transport supply chains affect production nodes and cause

cascading shortages of product”

Copyright: IHS Markit; used with permission

Renewed Focus on Logistics Last-Mile Delivery Service during

COVID-19 Pandemic Disruption

Looking to Transportation Technology Solutions during the

Coronavirus Pandemic

“Freight is still moving, and people are still working, but the freight

peak we saw with all the panic buying has passed. Volumes are

starting to go off a cliff.”

What Does A Coronavirus Pandemic Recovery Look Like For The

Trucking Industry?

Pooling Freight Is Helping Shippers Maximize Spend During the

Coronavirus Pandemic

Countering the Dreaded Supply Chain Bullwhip Effect in a

COVID-19 World

Electronic Imports Supply Chain

International Local/Regional Distribution

Domestic Distribution Local/Regional

NCFRP 50: Factors Contributing to Supply Chain Resiliency

• Physical infrastructure

• Logistical

• Financial

• Communication/transactional/informational

• Regulatory/oversight

• Institutional

Developing and sustaining a product

supply chain is a multi-actor process, and

is only as strong as its weakest link, be it a

physical, logistical, transactional,

informational, regulatory or institutional

one.

Such as ……

Truck parking

Weight and hour restrictions

Last mile delivery hours

Conveying information to transportation system users

Interacting with supply chain participants to

understand needs

DOT employee availability (absenteeism) for essential

services and employee protection

And for those DOTs with responsibilities for ports,

airports, short line rail, and state police…..

• Responding to widely varying and uncertain

demands…very hard to plan for demands that can

vary widely, almost on a daily basis

• Maintaining and protecting social capital

associated with facilities

• Planning for recovery to “normal” operations

Methodologies to Estimate the Economic Impacts of Disruptions to

the Goods Movement System, NCHRP Report 32

COVID-19 most likely represents a transformational

moment in time for our society that will have significant

consequences to how we live, work, and play…..this will

importantly affect transportation and in particular supply

chains.

Potential shifts in:

• Products

• Sourcing (from the perspective of dependency)

• Modes

• Mode substitution (e.g., technology)

• Flexible and resilient transportation

• Last mile delivery options

NCFRP Report 39: Freight

Transportation Resilience in Response

to Supply Chain Disruptions

NCFRP Project 50

Purpose

Develop guidance for supply chain stakeholders to

help plan for, mitigate, and adapt to supply chain

disruptions with the aim of enhancing freight

transportation system resilience.

• Clear distinction → “resilience” as part of incident response and

“resilience” as part of a broader network or systems performance

perspective.

• Both public agencies and major transportation firms have in place

plans and operational strategies for the former and thus feel like they

are fully prepared to handle incidents and recovery efforts.

• Most of those interviewed have not been engaged in the second,

much broader, perspective of “resilience” with respect to the freight

sector.

• Public agencies → focus on disruptions to the transportation systems for

which they are responsible.

Observations

• Freight network resiliency during times of disruption typically defaults to

the private sector with some localized support from federal, state, and

local governments in times of need.

• Business continuity → strategically managing freight movements along

supply chains and investment in risk minimization strategies.

• From a system resiliency perspective → important to understand each

supply chain stakeholder’s priorities before, during, and after a

disruption.

• In this context, enhanced collaboration with the private sector has not

occurred outside the context of emergency response.

Observations

• At their core, successful resiliency efforts are carried forward by trained and experienced stqff → strategy: mentor and train employees.

• Public/private interaction → communications and information

exchange are critical.

• Ensuring infrastructure resilience → cannot be accomplished solely by

restoring a system to its previous state after a disruption, particularly in

circumstances in which essential transportation assets are already

vulnerable from lack of maintenance.

• Interviewees emphasized the importance of redundant infrastructure

for critical transportation assets and, if necessary, a plan for cargo

diversion alternatives that help maintain business continuity.

Observations

Classifying Disruptions

Disruption Events Cargo Movement Modes Impacted Geographical Scope Resiliency Category

• Bridge Failure • Domestic Freight • Air - Airport • Local • Physical Infrastructure

• IT Failure/Cyber Attack • International Freight • Roads - Bridges/Tunnels • Regional • Logistical

• Earthquake • Passenger • Roads - Highways • National • Transactional/Financial

• Fire/Explosion • Emergency Military • Marine - Ports/Terminals • International • Communication/Informational

• Flooding • All • Marine - Locks/Rivers • All • Regulatory/Oversight

• Hurricane • Marine - Channels/Harbors • General

• Labor Strike • Rail - Line Haul

• Lock Closure/Failure • Rail - Terminals/Stations

• Terrorism• Pandemic • Multiple Modes

• Tornado • All

• Climate Change

• Tsunami

• General

“In a world of just-in-time delivery, supply chains and

the manufacturing processes they support are

vulnerable to natural and manmade disruptions that

could result in major delays and disrupted freight

flows.”

….needing the participation of all those involved in

providing the institutional and system capacity to

support the needs of society during a major disruption.

MDOT RESPONSE TO COVID-19: PRESERVING THE SUPPLY CHAINAASHTO Committee on Transportation System Security & Resilience

April 29, 2020

• To Preserve the Supply Chain, you need to protect those who make it run

• Providing Personal Protective Equipment

• Face Coverings, Hand Sanitizer, Disinfectant wipes, and Gloves, where needed

• Thoroughly Cleaning Facilities and Service Vehicles

• Adjusting Services to Reduce Exposure

• Implemented Cashless Tolling, Reduced Transit Service, and Closed MVA Branches

• Facilitating Essential Economic Activity

• Delivering Key Services

• Completing Critical Infrastructure Projects

KEY FOCUS AREAS

MDOT SHA

• Travel volumes down for passenger vehicle and truck activity • Average weekly travel volumes down 49% compared

to last year• Truck volumes down 22% compared to last year

• Efforts to support trucking operations and the supply chain • Maintaining restroom access at Welcome Centers

and expanded hours based on coordination with local government and increased volumes

• Executive Order to temporarily waive/modify hauling permit restrictions to support movement of critical supplies

• Maintaining highway maintenance and construction operations• Currently 343 active projects valued at $3.5B

MDTA

• Maintaining Travel Plaza (Chesapeake and Maryland Houses) services for carryout food and restrooms

• Completing Key Infrastructure Projects ahead of schedule (Chesapeake Bay Bridge Re-decking)

• Dynamic Message Signs to emphasize Stay at Home Order and Cashless Tolling

MDOT MVA

• Continue to facilitate on-line services to the public

• 248,379 transactions since Mar 13th

• Processing emergency in-person transactions

• 271 emergency issues resolved since closing all branches

• Conducted 179 CDL tests since Mar 13th

• Relaxed insurance penalty requirements to assist businesses with stagnant fleets

MDOT MPA

• Maintaining operations at all 6 terminals at the Port of Baltimore

• Deep cleaning at key areas during temporary closures

• Proactively collaborating with the Steamship Trade Association (STA) and the International Longshoreman’s Association (ILA) to mitigate exposure

• Deterring symptomatic workers from coming to work

• Screening employees coming to the Port

• STA worked with ILA to implement temporal scanning starting 4/9 at certain facilities

• Quarantining symptomatic employees and contact tracing to limit spread

• Preparing to handle a potential cargo surge

MDOT MTA

• Balanced transit service reduction with demand of essential industries

• MARC Commuter Trains & Commuter Bus reduced by more than 50%

• Light Rail, Metro, and Local reduced by more than 30%

• Working collaboratively with 30 major employers (Under Armour, Amazon, FedEx, UPS, and Hospitals) to ensure service reductions do not severely impact their workforce

• Operating an employee Shuttle to specifically support several hospitals

• Further protecting operators by:

• Supplying PPE of masks, hand sanitizer, and gloves

• Sanitizing facilities and service vehicles daily

• Bus facility and vehicle high-contact areas are cleaned at least 2x per day

• Implemented rear-door boarding on Local Bus; requiring contactless ticketing

• Working with Airlines, Rental Car/Parking Management Companies, and other Tenants to provide financial relief

• Worked with TSA to temporarily remove Amazon facility from Security Identification Area (SIDA)

• This will expedite Amazon’s ability to onboard nearly 2,000 employees

• Supporting COVID-19 Response Efforts

• 500,000 Test Kits from South Korea

• FEMA Cargo Shipments

MDOT MAA

CURRENT TRAVEL STATISTICS

The trends outlined in the chart are based on raw data that is meant to provide an indicator of the system as a whole. The raw data is preliminary and subject to change.

Weekly averages were used for comparison in the absence of daily data.

CONCLUSION

• Continuing to facilitate economic activities is critical on our path to recovery

• Governor Hogan’s Four Building Blocks for Recovery:• Expanded Testing Capacity – on track

• Increased Hospital Surge Capacity – ahead of schedule

• Ramping Up Supply of PPE – on track

• Robust Contact Tracing Operation – on track

• Last Friday, Governor Hogan announced that “Low Risk” businesses and activities may be able to start to re-open early May

Resiliency of DOTs during COVID 19:The “Circle of Life”

Lizzie Kemp, Resiliency Program Manager

AASHTO Adopted Definition

Resiliency:

“The ability to prepare and plan for, absorb, recover from, or more

successfully adapt to adverse events.”

How Events Disrupt our System

Events disrupt

how our system

works.

Building resiliency

into how we do

things minimizes

the disruption.

Source: AASHTO CTSSR – Steering Committee

The 4 Rs: Attributes of Resiliency

❑ Robustness – the strength of an asset or system to withstand relevant threats

❑ Redundancy – the presence of a backup system or plan

❑ Resourcefulness – ability to identify, diagnose and treat problems with available resources

❑ Rapidity – ability to restore functionality in a timely way

Source: The Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research

Physical and Organizational Resiliency

Resiliency for a DOT can be:

Physical – the ability of the physical assets to perform to an acceptable level when subject to a hazard event;

and/or

Organizational – an organization’s capacity to mamke decisions and take actions to plan and respond to a hazard event to achieve a desired result.

Both are important!

Source: Bruneau – 2003

Resiliency of DOTs During COVID-19

Some observations / questions for thought…

(more questions than answers)

DOT Resiliency during COVID 19 - Observations

We’re definitely not on the outside of this circle anymore –we’re deep in the inner circle right now.

-Ed Sniffen, Hawaii DOT Deputy Director of Highways on COVID-19

DOT Resiliency during COVID 19 - Observations

The COVID 19 pandemic has largely been a challenge for DOTs from an “operational resiliency” perspective.

The 4 R’s -- Attributes of Resiliency During COVID 19

How resilient have we, DOTs, been as organizations during the COVID 19 crisis? How can we improve?

❑ Robustness: Are we strong well-managed organizations at the ready to respond to change?

❑ Rapidity: Have we been fast to respond? Why or why not?

❑ Resourcefulness: Do we have pre-established strong relationships with other sectors to aid in response? Have we been adaptable? (changing construction / freight movement schedules).

❑ Redundancy: Do we have different ways of accomplishing day to day business that are approved? (teleworking, eg.; crosstraining in case someone critical is out sick?)

Emergency Response and Ongoing System Delivery

How do we keep our people safe and paid, and still deliver our critical mission for the public?

• Would pre-planning have helped – get policies in place when they’re needed?

• Did we stand up an incident command?

• How are we communicating with our staff?

Emergency Response and Ongoing System Delivery

How do we continue day to day project delivery in the midst of a crisis?

• Are there opportunities to do more during this down time? Lemonade out of lemons? (e.g. with less traffic, more can be accomplished on roadway project delivery in a shorter time)

• What operational / policy changes do we need to make to accommodate changed circumstances and keep business going?

• Have we been adaptable?

• Lessons learned to take forward after the crisis is over? -- How do we do things better going forward?

Emergency Response and Ongoing System Delivery

How is the system we’ve built working for emergency responders in the face of crisis?

• Could we have built it originally in a way that would work better when crisis happens?

• If not, how do we make sure we do better at that going forward?

• Would pre-planning have helped? Are our policies and procedures adaptable?

• What are our lessons learned?

• Was our Emergency Response efficient and effective? How could it be better?

Thank You – Any Questions?

Lizzie Kemp, Resiliency Program Manager

elizabeth.kemp@state.co.us

C O V I D - 1 9 V I R T U A L P A N E L S E R I E S

Q&A

C O V I D - 1 9 V I R T U A L P A N E L S E R I E S

THANK YOU!

202-624-3638 msavage@aashto.orgE M A I LP H O N E

For any questions, please contact:

Melissa Savage at AASHTO