Economic Resilience Action Plans: Toolkit for Plan Development Project Information Beginning in 2019 the Community Economic Development Program at Simon Fraser University (SFU CED) collaborated with the Selkirk Innovates and Community Futures Central Kootenay to support eight communities in the Kootenay Region to develop economic resilience plans. The plans were developed through community engagement sessions with local economic stakeholders including economic development practitioners, business owners, workforce specialists, local government officials, and others. The plans were intended to be iterative and should continue to be improved through successive engagement sessions and work completed by committees developed for this purpose. The work was funded by Selkirk College through a Rural Dividend Fund grant from the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations, and Rural Development (FLNRORD) as well as from the Regional Districts of Kootenay Boundary, Central Kootenay, East Kootenay, and Town of Golden and Columbia Basin Trust. The project was led by Dr. Jeremy Stone, then director of SFU CED. The following toolkit was designed and drafted by Dr. Stone in May 2020. Publication of this toolkit was delayed initially due to the COVID-19 pandemic, then by Dr. Stone’s death in 2022. Revisions were completed by Dr. Sarah-Patricia Breen, Regional Innovation Chair in Rural Economic Development at Selkirk College, following a plan developed with Dr. Stone. It is with gratitude to Jeremy that we publish this work, so that others may benefit from his ideas. Citation: Stone and Breen. 2025. Economic Resilience Action Plans: Toolkit for Plan Development. Selkirk Innovates. 1 Contents Project Information ........................................................................................................................ 1 Common Acronyms ...................................................................................................................... 3 How to Use this Toolkit ................................................................................................................. 4 1. Incident Quick Start Guide ..................................................................................................... 5 2. Economic Resilience Action Plan (ERAP) Overview ............................................................. 7 Economic Context ..................................................................................................................... 7 Principles and Priorities for Economic Resilience ..................................................................... 8 Connection to Existing Roles and Plans ................................................................................... 9 Connection to Emergency Management ................................................................................... 9 3. ERAP Governance and Activation ....................................................................................... 10 Leadership Structure ............................................................................................................... 10 Roles and General Responsibilities ........................................................................................ 13 Activating the ERAP ................................................................................................................ 16 Developing Incident-Specific Economic Recovery Plans (as required) ................................... 16 Activating the Business Emergency Operations Centre (BEOC) (as required) ....................... 17 Financing ERAP Implementation ............................................................................................ 17 Updating and Exercising the Plan ........................................................................................... 18 Examples of Economic Recovery Governance and BEOCs ................................................... 18 4. ERAP Action Group Plans ................................................................................................... 20 AG Plan Lead and Committee Members ................................................................................. 20 Quick Start Checklist and Protocols ........................................................................................ 20 Inventory of Existing Programs and Assets ............................................................................. 20 Action Plan for Future Preparation and Mitigation Activities.................................................... 21 4.1. AG: Business TA and Financing ................................................................................... 21 4.2. AG: Communications .................................................................................................... 25 4.3. AG: Economic Impact Assessment .............................................................................. 27 4.4. AG: Economic Infrastructure ........................................................................................ 29 4.5. AG: Local Procurement ................................................................................................ 31 4.6. AG: Psychosocial ......................................................................................................... 33 4.7. AG: Regulatory and Compliance .................................................................................. 34 4.8. AG: Structures and Access .......................................................................................... 36 4.9. AG: Workforce Support ................................................................................................ 39 2 Appendix: Fillable Plan Template ............................................................................................... 42 Common Acronyms AG – Action Groups for Economic Resilience ARIC – Applied Research and Innovation Centre at Selkirk College BCEDA – British Columbia Economic Development Association BCEMS – British Columbia Emergency Management System BEOC – Business Emergency Operations Centre CBT – Columbia Basin Trust CF – Community Futures DFA – Disaster Financial Assistance EDPN – Economic Development Practitioners Network EOC – Emergency Operations Centre EM – Emergency Management EMBC - Emergency Management British Columbia EPA – Emergency Program Act ERAP – Economic Resilience Action Plan ESS – Emergency Social Services FLNRORD – Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations, and Rural Development 1 PREOC – Provincial Regional Emergency Operation Centre RDI – Rural Development Institute at Selkirk College SFU CED – Simon Fraser University’s Community Economic Development Program TA – Technical Assistance At the time of writing rural development was part of this Ministry. At the time of publication rural development was part of the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation. 1 3 How to Use this Toolkit This toolkit was developed to accompany an in-person economic resilience planning process and help communities to fill gaps, expand their thinking about particular issues, and keep track of relevant questions to answer towards economic resilience. The toolkit explains each section of the plan and provides case studies, suggested activities, and other information to support the process of completing the plan. Nothing within the toolkit or the resulting plans is meant to be kept static. Users are encouraged to take or leave what they choose, and reorder sections as it suits their own needs. The goal is to support the organic development of plans tailored to local contexts and requirements. A blank, editable template with corresponding headings can be found in the Appendix. Communities go through this process on their own or can retain planning supports from organizations that specialize in this kind of work. It might be useful to have planners or experts in economic resilience to help review plans or facilitate planning sessions. However, the toolkit should provide enough direction to get through each section on their own if enough time and dedication is directed at the process. Importantly, economic resilience plans are not intended to exist separately and unconnected to other policy instruments. The ERAPs should be connected to plans and planning processes for emergency management and economic development so there is harmony between the various plans and policies. The ERAPs are intended to bridge plans that have typically not “spoken” to each other or have not been integrated. 4 1. Incident Quick Start Guide Economic resilience plans are meant to be provide basic and immediately actionable steps to respond to an economic disruption. They are also meant to be usable by anyone who might be picking up the plan for the first time. It often happens during disasters that those primarily responsible for economic response and recovery may be compromised by the disaster impacts or have been evacuated. For these reasons plans begin with an “Incident Quick Start Guide”. The following quick starts describe basic actions to be taken during the beginning of a disaster event. However, communities should expand or change these as they further develop their own protocols. At a minimum, these should be updated to identify specific Action Groups, individuals, or offices as relevant. When an economic disruption incident occurs, the Executive Leadership of the Economic Resilience Action Plan Committee should consider including following in their plans. Activation 1) If an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is activated for the area, immediately activate the ERAP. 2) If no EOC is activated, but an economic disruption is apparent, convene the Advisory Members of the ERAP Committee and decide on activating the ERAP. 3) For any incident in which the ERAP is activated, immediately stand up the Communications and Impact Assessment Action Groups and direct them to follow their protocols. Situational Awareness 1) Immediately deploy an Economic Liaison to the EOC, if it has been activated. Consult with the Economic Liaison to keep apprised of developments. 2) Immediately contact Political/Community Leadership to notify them of ERAP activation and maintain ongoing communication. 3) If not done during Activation, convene ERAP Committee Advisory Members to notify them of ERAP activation and maintain ongoing communication. 5 Immediate Response Activities 1) If deemed necessary, stand up the Business Emergency Operations Centre (BEOC). 2) Coordinate with the Communications AG and the Impact Assessment AG to develop a short-term communications plan to notify the business community and the public of developments. This may include launching incident-specific web tools and/or dial-in information hotlines. 3) Coordinate with Regional Municipalities and Partners to assess what additional information, resources, and supports may be available to provide to the community. 4) Stand up other Action Groups if obvious necessity exists, and direct them to follow their protocols. 6 2. Economic Resilience Action Plan (ERAP) Overview Plan Formation Plans should include a contextual section that describes the process by which the plan was developed and who was involved in crafting it. Plan Purpose A general statement of purpose should be included in plans to describe what the ERAP should be used for and why. For Example: The purpose of the ERAP is to provide guidance for the roles and activities necessary to prepare for, respond to, and recover from economic disruption. The term “economic resilience” will be used inclusively of all phases of emergency management related to such disruptions. Economic disruption takes many forms, and this plan assumes an All Hazards approach that is inclusive of natural disasters, technological and human-caused disasters, pandemics, major employer losses, economic downturns, or any other incident that may cause significant economic damage or may require active intervention by local and regional authorities. In other words, the ERAP is intended to be adaptable to every situation of economic disruption. In part, the ERAP serves as an immediate action plan for economic disruption, and can be used to initiate activities for effective response and early recovery. However, most incidents of economic disruption will require an incident-specific recovery plan, which will be developed with strategies and activities particular to that recovery. The ERAP enables and supports those plans, but does not include defined activities for every recovery herein. Economic Context Economic resilience plans benefit from having a contextual discussion of the economy at the beginning, including a description of local economy, key assets, economic vulnerabilities. This helps readers to understand the aspects of the economy that are important to the local community as well as strengths and vulnerabilities to be considered. This context can link to or draw from other plans (climate change, OCP, emergency management). Economic context can include the following: Description of the local economy: • Highlights of major sectors • List of major employers and description of their roles in the community (e.g. employment, philanthropy, etc.) • Trajectories of growth or change • Areas of special importance to vulnerable populations for employment or entrepreneurship 7 Highlights of important economic assets • Lists of important infrastructure, natural assets, or physical areas that are important to the economy. This is especially important to identify so that during disruptions economic response and recovery leaders can ensure that these assets are being protected, or can rapidly focus their activities on areas that need immediately and special attention. • Keystone or critical businesses that are important for meeting basic needs in the community, or that have important significance economically or culturally. These businesses may include obvious entities like grocery stores and pharmacies that provide basic survival needs, or may include specific bars, barber shops, or retail stores that are significant and important to local people. It is recommended to use a community-engaged asset mapping exercise or survey tool to get a deeper understanding of the community’s feelings regarding these businesses, especially with vulnerable populations who may rely on a different subset of businesses than typical residents. Description of economic vulnerabilities or areas of concern • In addition to describing what a community does well, or wants to preserve, it is important to identify the vulnerabilities and areas that may concern residents and leaders about the economy. Listing these here should help guide the community in mitigation and preparation activities that directly address existing gaps in resilience. Vulnerabilities and areas of concern might include describing populations that are inherently vulnerable to disruptions, areas of the economy that may be susceptible to particular hazards, overreliance on particular employers or sectors, etc. Principles and Priorities for Economic Resilience Principles and priorities are another area that guide the development of economic resilience plans and enable communities to better focus on the areas of most importance to them. It also assumes that each community has a limited amount of resources to put towards preparing for, or recovering from, economic disruption. Given this likelihood, it is important for communities to identify the elements of resilience or aspects of their economy that are the most important to address. These can be driven from the community engagement described in the Economic Context section above, or it can be driven by what the community feels that it has the best capacity to address. Principles and priorities may vary widely across different communities, but examples might include: • Increase resilience of small businesses that support vulnerable populations; • Focus on critical businesses that provide the basics of human survival such as food, medicine, clothing, materials for (re)building shelter, etc.; • Address the needs of storefront businesses in commercial corridors; • Take a regional approach, including adjacent and surrounding communities; • Focus on specific sectors that drive overall economic viability such as forestry, agriculture, tech, etc.; • Focus on workforce resilience first, and small business resilience second. 8 It is important to note that each of these choices have unintended consequences. A focus on one part of the economy or workforce will mean that others do not have the same access to resources and attention, which can have ripple effects in areas that are unanticipated. The principles and priorities should therefore be crafted methodically, based on evidence and key stakeholder input. Connection to Existing Roles and Plans As stated above, economic resilience plans are not intended to exist separately and unconnected to other policy instruments. This section identifies what other plans exist and how the ERAP integrates with them or references them. For Example: The ERAP exists outside of the BC Emergency Management System (BCEMS), but is intended as an enhancement to existing emergency management plans and roles. As such, this plan has been developed in connection with the Regional District of ________ Emergency Management Program (RDCK EMP) to find areas of coordination and collaboration for the increased resilience of the ___________ community. The ERAP operates as a bridge between existing economic development and emergency management plans, filling in the gaps of economic resilience that may exist between them. For the purposes of this plan, the additional plans reviewed and considered include: • _____________________________ • _____________________________ • _____________________________ • _____________________________ Connection to Emergency Management In addition to the plans referenced, it is important to demonstrate specifically how the ERAP committee works directly with Emergency Management, either locally or regionally. An organization chart and description of the relationships between these entities is helpful to show how collaboration is achieved. 9 3. ERAP Governance and Activation The governance and activation section of the plan identifies all of the major leads of the plan sections, and how they work together to activate and implement the plan. This should include a clear management structure that spreads responsibilities across the stakeholders and defines actions and roles. One of the core values of contemporary emergency management is a “whole-of-society” approach that spreads responsibilities across society and includes more participation and resources from typically underutilized actors or sectors. This is critically important because it reduces the likelihood of burnout for core economic stakeholders, while hopefully encouraging increased guidance from, and applicability to, traditionally marginalized communities or stakeholders who are not typically “at the table”. It is important to note that the structures are not simply for response and recovery from disruption, but also for mitigation and preparation. Another benefit of having diverse stakeholders involved is that it also develops buy-in from more community members to make economic resilience a priority. The following pre-developed structures have derived primarily from community engagements across multiple communities, where a generally consistent approach has been identified. This can be changed or adapted as needed, but it can serve as a relatively stable core for governance. Leadership Structure The ERAP is managed by the Economic Resilience Action Plan Committee (ERAP Committee), which is composed of local economic leaders, workforce leaders, business owners, emergency management organizations, representatives of vulnerable populations, and other relevant stakeholders. The ERAP Committee is responsible for the following overall functions: 1) Maintaining the plan and coordinating stakeholder participation. 2) Implementing the plan and standing up Economic Resilience Action Groups as necessary during times of economic disruption. 3) Promoting business and economic resilience practices during non-emergency times. 4) Liaising with regional emergency management organizations, as well as regional municipalities and partners, to coordinate economic resiliency efforts. 5) Reporting to political and community leaders on economic resilience and coordinating economic response/recovery with those leaders during emergencies. The general committee structure and its relations to external partners and agencies is shown below. The following diagram demonstrates a particular approach to establishing planning governance and identifying specific roles and leads. 10 Each color and flowchart section establishes various relationships and areas of control. These include: Purple / ERAP Committee The ERAP committee is composed of an “Executive Leadership” and “Advisory Members” who work together to develop and implement plans. They do this work through “Action Groups” that focus on specific areas of economic resilience. The “Executive Leadership” is identified separately because it generally important to have some core leaders who push the process and manage the various interlocking parts. There are no specific entities that are required to be the executive leaders, but it would generally make sense to have key economic leaders take on this role like municipal economic development agencies, Chambers of Commerce, Community Futures, workforce organizations, or other similar organizations. These organizations are usually in charge of caring for the economy anyway, and they usually have mandates that might include staffing or allocating resources to economic resilience. Similarly, it is important to have a short list of stakeholders who gets the “2am call” when a disruption occurs. For emergency management and local/regional government, it is important to have one or two core leaders to contact if there is an immediate need for economic triage. The Executive Leadership are those core leaders who get a call, communicate information to the rest of the Advisory Members, activate the plan, and stand up Action Groups as necessary. 11 “Advisory Members” include a potentially broad range of stakeholders who participate in planning and implementations as necessary. In addition to the “Executive Leadership”, Advisory Members include other core economic stakeholders like individual businesses, technical assistance organizations, financial institutions, trade associations, unions, etc., and may include more tangential groups that represent vulnerable populations (e.g. member associations for seniors, youth, New Canadians, LGBTQ communities, etc.) or potentially important partners and asset-holders like the local library, mental health organizations, major utilities, etc. The Advisory Members are the “workhorses” of each committee and will generally take on leadership roles of the Action Groups. They also contribute to the overall direction of the process and add important voices and resources. The total Advisory Member group could be of any size, from just a few people to 20 or 30 members. However, as with any committee, a balance between manageability and diversity of opinions should be considered. “Action Groups” are the individual working groups that address each component of the plan. They are led by Advisory Members, and may include a broader group of stakeholders outside of the formal ERAP committee. Action Groups drill down into specific needs for economic resilience, develop specific plans for all phases of emergency management related to their subject area, and are called upon to implement the plan in their area when an economic disruption occurs. For example, the Action Group dedicated to “Economic Impact Assessment” will focus specifically on how to measure economic impacts from disruption, collect/analyze/communicate data from various sources, and/or partner effectively to ensure that impact data needs are met. In the pre-disruption phases this group will focus on planning and filling resilience gaps related to impact assessments; in the postdisruption phase this group will be “stood up” and asked to manage the process for assessing impacts and communicating data. Although the diagram below indicates up to nine (9) Action Groups, it only reflects a cross section of typical functions necessary after disaster. The groups do not need to be structured this way. They can be tailored to your own needs and stakeholder relationships. Moreover, this is not meant to suggest the need for a complicated hierarchy of committees, but rather it is offered as a way to break down the many different needs for economic resilience into smaller actions and groups to support them. Red – Political/Community Leadership Above the ERAP committee itself, it is important to identify some level of accountability that can ensure the functioning and quality of the ERAP committee, while endorsing and supporting the work of the committee. This accountability may come through a city council or group of regional municipalities that adopts the official plan and/or requires periodic reports on progress. Alternately, accountability may be secured through a citizen advisory council that similarly receives updates from the ERAP committee and/or provides the committee with feedback. In either case, an accountability layer helps to validate and improve the work of the committee. 12 One important thing to mention is that the ERAP committee should not necessarily be owned by, or subject to, the accountability level. In other words, the committee should be an independent initiative of the economic community, but one that collaborates with government and society in a way that contributes to greater resilience more broadly. Green – Local/Regional Emergency Management During times of disaster, local, regional, and more senior levels of authority take the lead on response and recovery. However, their policy and resource limitations prevent them from dealing with issues of economic disruption. Therefore it is important for the ERAP committee to be closely allied with Emergency Management, while taking on their own roles in supporting the economy. This is especially true on the level of communications, in which Emergency Management and other entities involved in disaster recovery have to have consistent messaging. The specific details of any community’s relationship with Emergency Management will be detailed above in “Connection to Existing Roles and Plans”, but it is important to mention that having an official “Economic Liaison” in the Emergency Operations Centre during an incident, and closely allied with Emergency Management during planning processes and exercising of plans, will better ensure continuity and collaboration between the ERAP committee and relevant emergency management organizations. Blue – Regional Municipalities and Partners This space identifies that there are important relationships which exist beyond the community that is developing the plan. There may be regional municipalities that are depended upon through mutual aid agreements to deliver goods or services during an incident. There are also other partners regionally, provincially, or nationally that may support economic resilience such as universities, associations, foundations, and similar entities. They do not necessarily have a role in planning and implementation of the ERAP, but they play critical roles that should be mapped nonetheless. Roles and General Responsibilities The ERAP Committee, its partners, and relevant agencies all have various roles to play in economic resilience. Each area should define those roles, general responsibilities, and assigned organizations that are required. Blank table for roles and responsibilities for Leadership, Action Groups, and other key contacts can be found in the Appendix. For Example: Role Executive Leadership General Responsibilities The Executive Leadership of the ERAP Committee leads planning efforts and is the first point of contact for activating the plan in times of economic disruption. General responsibilities include: 1) Convening Advisory Members for plan development, revisions, etc. Assigned Leads & Organizations 13 Role Advisory Members Economic Resilience Action Groups Political and Community Leadership General Responsibilities 2) Identifying occasions for activation and activating the ERAP, including activating Action Groups as necessary. 3) Standing up the Business Emergency Operations Centre (BEOC) as necessary. 4) Directing the development of Incident-Specific Economic Recovery Plans. 5) Providing an Economic Liaison to the incident Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) as necessary, as well as to ongoing emergency management planning sessions and programs. 6) Advising key stakeholders, including Political and Community Leadership, on situation specifics and best practices. 7) Coordinating high-level financing of economic resilience activities, as necessary. 8) Coordinating mutual aid agreements with Regional Municipalities and Partners. 9) Exercising the ERAP as necessary. Advisory Members of the ERAP Committee are representatives of the local economy, workforce, businesses, emergency management, vulnerable populations, and other relevant stakeholders. The Advisory Members are responsible for: 1) Supporting Executive Leadership in developing, revising, and executing the ERAP. 2) Providing guidance on activating the ERAP during atypical disruptions. 3) Leading Economic Resilience Action Groups. 4) Coordinating resources and community support from their own constituencies, funders, etc. The Economic Resilience Action Groups (AGs) are responsible for individual functions within overall economic resilience. Each AG is tasked with a specific area of resilience, and manages the activities related to that area in all phases of emergency management. General responsibilities include: 1) Identifying roles and responsibilities within the AG action area, including activities during all phases of emergency management. 2) Coordinating staff and resources for the AG during all phases of emergency management (with the support of Executive Leadership and Advisory Members). 3) Managing AG responsibilities during all phases of emergency management. 4) At the direction of Executive Leadership, standing up the AG during incidents and implementing the AG plans. 5) Reporting on AG activities, needs, and goals to Executive Leadership and Advisory Members as required. Political and Community Leaders act as a layer of accountability and support for the ERAP Committee, and may also serve in various implementation roles. General responsibilities include: Assigned Leads & Organizations Action Group Leaders The organizations listed here are the leads, and do not reflect every organization involved in each Action Group 14 Role Local/ Regional Emergency Management Regional Municipalities and Partners General Responsibilities 1) Developing and maintaining regulatory statues or other enabling policies that authorize the work of the ERAP Committee, as necessary. 2) Motivating community support for, and attracting resources to, the work of the ERAP Committee. 3) Coordinating incident-level economic responses and communications with the Executive Leadership of the ERAP Committee and following their advice when possible. 4) Identifying occasions for activating the ERAP and making recommendations to the ERAP Committee, as necessary. 5) Evaluating the performance of the ERAP Committee and providing feedback or recommendations, as necessary. Regional Emergency Management organizations are the leads in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from, many (but not all) hazards that cause economic disruption. In the cases of disasters that fall under the BC Emergency Management System, Regional Emergency Management organizations are the primary partners for coordinating all phases of emergency management. For the purposes of the ERAP, the general responsibilities of Regional Emergency Management organizations include: 1) Integrating an Economic Liaison into all phases of emergency management planning and implementation, as necessary. 2) Providing incident-level information and support when possible. 3) Coordinating communications with the ERAP Communications AG when economic impacts are present. 4) Exercising emergency management plans in coordination with exercising the ERAP, as appropriate. 5) Financing ERAP Committee operations when possible under the Emergency Program Act. Regional integration and support is necessary for the resilience of any regional municipality or community, as well as the resilience of the region as a whole. In many cases support will be necessary from adjacent communities, and ________ will also be able to provide support to those communities as well. There may also be external partners on whom ________ may rely upon in times of need for economic resilience support. Responsibilities of each municipality or partner is determined on a case-by-case basis, but in general they may include: 1) Providing resources and capacity when gaps exist during ______-area incidents. 2) Calling upon _______ in times of need. 3) Maintaining a collaborative network of economic resilience practitioners to coordinate regional plans and economic resilience activities. Assigned Leads & Organizations 15 Activating the ERAP As elsewhere, the details for local-level activation depends on the community. However, there should be basic protocols for activating the plan and standing up resources, while also deactivating the plan and standing down resources. It is important to note that not every economic disruption will be a “disaster” or an “emergency” as identified by government authorities. A major employer closure or a global economic downturn in a particular sector will not trigger an Emergency Operations Centre or a declaration of emergency. Therefore, it is important to have a protocol in place for activating the ERAP even in the absence of EOC or emergency management plans being activated. For Example: Activation refers to the activities or situations that trigger the implementation of the plan. The protocol for activating and deactivating the ERAP will be as follows: 1) Any time an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is activated, the ERAP Executive Leadership will immediately activate the plan. 2) In some cases of economic disruption, there will be no EOC activated. In these cases, the ERAP Advisory Members, Political and Community Leaders, or other members of the community may request that the ERAP Committee meet and decide to activate the plan. In such cases the Executive Leadership and Advisory Members will decide together whether activation is necessary. 3) When the ERAP is activated, the Executive Leadership will identify and stand up the Action Groups that are necessary. 4) As an incident concludes, or recovery resources are exhausted, the Executive Leadership will demobilize Action Groups (with input from Advisory Members). 5) As a whole, the ERAP Executive Leadership and Advisory Members will deactivate the plan. Developing Incident-Specific Economic Recovery Plans (as required) This section simply notes that the ERAP is not intended to replace incident-specific recovery plans that are usually needed to guide long-term recovery efforts. As noted above, major incidents will usually require incident-specific recovery plans that identify the long term strategies, activities, programs, and other logistics for recovering the economy from disruption. These plans are separate, stand-alone documents that are developed after the disruption occurs and is based on available information and projections at the time. They may be developed internally by ERAP Committee staff, or may be developed externally by contractors secured by the ERAP Committee. For Example: In cases of major economic disruption, the following protocols will be observed: 1) The Executive Leadership and Advisory Members will determine if a recovery plan is needed, and will identify if an external contractor is necessary to draft it. 2) The Executive Leadership with work with relevant agencies and funders to secure resources necessary to develop the plan. 3) The Executive Leadership and Advisory Members will support the development of the plan with information, interviews, etc., to ensure that the plan is both comprehensive and achievable. 16 Activating the Business Emergency Operations Centre (BEOC) (as required) This section identifies the protocol and location(s) for the Business Emergency Operations Centre (BEOC). The location chosen for a BEOC (and/or a business intake centre) should usually be a place that businesses already frequent such as a Chamber of Commerce facility, economic development or Community Futures office, etc. It is important to note that many generic spaces in an area like community centers, gymnasiums, etc., will already be reserved for other emergency management activities like housing displaced persons, managing emergency operations, etc. Moreover, places likely to get intense traffic from the public like a City Hall are poor choices for this function. A Business Emergency Operations Centre (BEOC) is usually stood up during an incident of economic disruption to serve as a coordinating centre for plan leadership and implementation. Executive Leadership, AG Leads, relevant Advisory Members, and support staff may work directly from the BEOC and/or meet regularly at the BEOC to coordinate efforts. The BEOC may also host or serve as an Intake Centre for businesses seeking assistance during economic disruption. Various forms of technical assistance and other supports may be provided from the Intake Centre during the economic recovery. The BEOC and the Intake Centre may be housed at the same site or different sites. For Example: The protocol for activating and deactivating the BEOC will be as follows: 1) The Executive Leadership will decide if an incident warrants a BEOC, and will stand one up as necessary. 2) As an incident concludes, or recovery resources are exhausted, the Executive Leadership will deactivate the BEOC (with input from Advisory Members). The locations identified for the _________ BEOC include: Primary Location: _____________________ Backup Location: _____________________ Online: _____________________ Financing ERAP Implementation Although dollars are usually allocated by various sources to support economic recovery, in the early days if an incident the onus is on local organizations to implement their plans and protocols on their own. Many of these organizations like Chambers of Commerce and workforce agencies will likely be able to contribute their own resources like staff, printing, etc., towards initial efforts. However, there is also often a need for surge hiring of business counselors, IT staff, etc., to get immediate activities going. It is important to identify what resources can be called upon to fund or resource initial response activities until other funding streams are available. This might include identifying: • Local trusts or foundations that can fund initial implementation; • Which organizations have economic resilience in their organizational mandates, and thus may pay for initial staff capacity or resources in the course of their work). 17 • Additional resources to pursue from regional and provincial sources, as available. Updating and Exercising the Plan Every good plan is updated regularly, and exercised to test how well the plan might operate under live conditions. This section should provide a timetable for updates and exercises. A good practice is connecting the exercising of the plan with local or regional Emergency Management exercises, and then holding the ERAP exercise as a separate tabletop activity. Examples of Economic Recovery Governance and BEOCs • • Economic Recovery – Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, (Fort McMurray, AB, Canada): The May 2016 wildfires in Fort McMurray led to the largest wildfire evacuation in the province of Alberta’s history. The wildfire destroyed approximately 2,400 homes and buildings, and with damage costs reaching $ 9.9 billion, it is Canada’s most costly disaster. Collaboration between the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB), Economic Developers Alberta (EDA), Community Futures, the Red Cross, the Alberta government and other emergency response actors enabled many response measures to support the local business community and economy. Wood Buffalo Economic Development enabled the Back to Business Resource Centre, a one-stop shop for businesses to access government, business planning and office resources to assist in resuming operations. The economic pillar was a key component of RMWB’s recovery plan, including efforts to increase small business financing through aid from the Canadian Red Cross, along with workforce support for localized oil and gas production. The Economic Development branch of the municipality also engaged in activities related to in Business Welcome Walks for business returning to the community, as well as expos for business to connect with new clients. During the recovery, RMWB sought external consulting to evaluate their response and recovery measures and identify future preparedness and response actions based on lessons learned. o For more info: RMWB Recovery Plan | Wood Buffalo Economic Development Southeast Louisiana Fisheries Assistance Center (Jefferson Parish, LA, USA): Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, technical assistance organizations, state agencies, and industry associations were all providing resources for business recovery, but these were spread across vast geographies. Advocates in the commercial fishing industry realized that fishermen did not have enough information to know about or find all of these services, and due to mobility issues not all of them could make the rounds to so many different locations. In 2008, with a mix of State, Federal, and foundation dollars, non-profit lender Seedco Financial opened the SE Lousiana Fisheries Assistance Center. Initially established in a double-wide trailer, the center was a one stop-shop for services for commercial fishermen and brought together 9 different agencies and organizations into one space. Clients could access business technical assistance through the Louisiana Small business Development Center, licensing renewals with the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, financing through the SBA and other lenders, recovery resources through FEMA, and personal counseling resources through a State mental health initiative. A centralized intake process identified a client’s various needs, and then set up meetings throughout the facility with different providers. The Seedco office continued to operate as 18 • • an economic development hub and was a critical resource center following the BP oil spill in 2010. o For more info: Robin Barnes, Resilience Resolutions Business Recovery Centre (Joplin, MO, USA): Following the EF-5 tornado that hit the town of Joplin in 2011, one of the most devastating tornadoes in U.S. history, the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce established a Business Recovery Centre in the space that typically houses the Small Business Technology Development Center. It became a onestop shop for businesses to access resources related to technical assistance, loan applications, and updates regarding the recovery plan. Neighbouring chambers in the region sent their staff to support the operations of the center while the Joplin Chamber staff-persons engaged in on-the-ground check-ins with key businesses in the community. The Joplin Chamber also benefitted from prior planning; 20 years prior to the disaster, they had established a 501(c) (3) charitable foundation, through which they were able to use $800,000 in private donations towards short-term loans immediately following the tornado. o For more info: Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce Incident-Specific Recovery Plan, Grand Forks Flood (Grand Forks, BC): During the 2018 floods in Grand Forks, BC, The BCEDA was hired by Community Futures Boundary (CFB) to develop and implement an Economic Development Recovery Program (EDRP), including business assessments. Based on the business assessments and community engagement, they developed the Short-Term Recovery Report, which outlines four key areas in recovery efforts that need to be addressed, including: increases in human and financial capacity, business recovery, communications and marketing, and wayfinding. o For more info: BCEDA Recommendations for Grand Forks 19 4. ERAP Action Group Plans Each Action Group plan represents a functional area of the overall ERAP. These sections identify the planning and implementation actions needed to meet the goals of the particular function for economic resilience. The text and associated questions and recommendations below represent likely additions to the plan that can provide a good understanding and specific actions to take around any economic disruption incident. However, each AG section should be workshopped with relevant stakeholders to flesh out protocols and future mitigation/preparation actions. In the absence of multiple Action Groups, a single set of protocols, quick start actions, asset inventory, and future plans can be created. AG Plan Lead and Committee Members Each AG Plan should identify the lead person and organization, the core members of the AG team, and additional support or case management organizations relied upon during disaster. The latter of which encompasses organizations which may not be a part of the planning process, but are relied upon to implement protocols during an emergency. Quick Start Checklist and Protocols Each AG Plan should identify quick starts for anyone who is just receiving the plan for the first time, and/or provide detailed protocols for initiating works for economic recovery within this function. For detailed protocols, this would include drilling down into the quick starts and identifying specific roles and responsibilities for each action. It should be pointed out though that every incident is different, so there is only so much specificity that can be defined. The focus should instead be on developing flexible protocols that enable those responsible to learn and react in the moment, especially when incidents move quickly. Inventory of Existing Programs and Assets Each AG should have an inventory that identifies what existing programming, roles, or other assets are available. This might include: • Existing programming or assets that are specifically tailored to economic disruption. This might include local, regional, or external programming/assets. • Programming or assets that can be shifted for use during economic disruption. This may include programming/assets that exist for businesses, but can be easily transferred to use for economic disruption. • This might be specific individuals, agencies, or businesses with good communications processes that can help the ERAP boost their communications capacity. For each program or asset, there should be a description of 1) what it is, 2) who manages it, and 3) how it can be applied towards economic resilience. 20 Action Plan for Future Preparation and Mitigation Activities This section should identify the gaps in the current AG plan and the projected activities and timelines to fill those gaps. This is the roadmap for ongoing work in the particular AG function and will guide activities for the AG in the months and years to come. In many ways resilience is cumulative, so the more that is done to fill gaps and increase assets for dealing with economic disruption, the greater a community’s resilience will be come. Consequently, there is no right or wrong pace and type of activities to include here. It is important to just identify areas for growth and then consistently check them off the list over time. 4.1. AG: Business TA and Financing Scope of the Business TA and Financing AG Plan The Business TA and Financing AG Plan focuses on the informational guidance and financial products necessary to support businesses during economic disruption. Business technical assistance (TA) includes the necessary support for navigating business processes involved in recovery, and financial products include those that are specifically developed to support businesses in times of disaster. Quick Starts and Protocols Examples of Business TA and Financing quick starts might include: • Convene the AG committee. • Set up Business Intake Centre in conjunction with the BEOC. • Consult Economic Impact AG and determine TA and finance needs for impacted businesses. • Consult case management organizations to determine needs and resources for special populations. • Roll out Disaster Financial Assistance and related workshops, as necessary. • Roll out rapid-response finance programs, as necessary. • Feed concerns of businesses back to the ERAP Committee, as appropriate. Questions to ask for developing the Business TA and Financing detailed protocols include: • What are the core needs for technical assistance after a disaster? • What are the core financial products that businesses need after a disaster? • Who can provide the resources or activities required to meet these needs? How are they engaged? • How is this Action Group linked to other necessary Action Groups for information sharing and coordinating activities? Typical Response and Recovery Activities The following are typical Business TA and Financing Activities during and after economic disruption. These can help communities to better craft activities across the emergency management cycle. Pre-Disaster Business TA Programs: 21 • • • • Business continuity planning: Assisting businesses in developing their personal plans for economic disruption. Insurance seminars: Helping businesses to identify the right products and coverages to mitigate the impacts of disaster, including business interruption insurance. Business record keeping seminars: Assisting businesses in good record keeping practices, including ensuring that business records are backed up to the cloud. This can include helping business owners identify that many disaster programs are based on proving revenue losses, which cannot be demonstrated if businesses are keeping poor records or misrepresenting revenues on their taxes. Mitigation and preparation for business facilities and utilities: Assisting businesses in “disaster proofing” their business locations and having backups for major utilities and IT resources. Post-Disaster Business TA Programs: • “Business ambassador” programs: Providing one-on-one business TA supports to impacted businesses. These involve as much listening to business owners as it does information sharing. • Disaster Financial Assistance 101: Seminars on the basics of small business recovery, accessing formal Disaster Financial Assistance, and navigating the resources bureaucracies that exist during recovery. • Application technical assistance: In the vein of the Business Ambassadors programs, providing one-on-one support to businesses to help them complete applications for support. • Insurance claims seminars: Educating business owners on how to submit claims and navigate the claims process. This included making business owners aware of their rights, and how to identify mistakes in the adjustment and payment process. • Business closure and succession planning: Helping business owners understand how to close down businesses, liquidate assets, dissolve corporations, and retirement/succession planning. • Entrepreneurial development and support: Helping new entrepreneurs fill the gaps left by closing businesses, and start new businesses in a sometimes chaotic and changing environment. Post-Disaster Financial Products and Programs: • Rapid response loan products: Providing short-term cash infusions to enable quick actions by local businesses. These might include targeted products related to different needs including: o Lines of credit to replace inventory o Bridge loans to cover expenses while waiting for insurance payments, etc. o Equipment loans to replace core equipment needed for production/operation. • Small grant programs for particular needs: Grants can be used in situations that will not necessarily generate a direct link to repayment like equipment or inventory loans might. These are usually for soft costs like marketing or short-term operating gaps, or might 22 • • • • simply be small infusions that provide emotional or material comfort to specific sectors or populations. Workforce subsidies: Fund can be dispersed to businesses to subsidize employment and reduce layoffs. Loan restructuring: The need to restructure loans (by using interest only periods, payment holidays, extension of repayment terms, etc.) is usually quite high during economic disruption. Positive actions by banks or other financial institutions to ease the burden of existing debt can reduce defaults by those clients in the long run. Capitalizing revolving loan funds: Foundations, trusts, community forests, or other entities with flexible capital can capitalize revolving loan funds in financial institutions with specific targets for lending to impacted or vulnerable populations. Other supports to facilitate lending: Governmental agencies, foundations, and others can provide supports beyond direct capitalization to facilitate lending. This could include guarantees for defaults, the establishment of loan-loss reserves to back loans, and interest rate buy-downs to make capital cheaper to lend. Case Studies Recovery TA Programs • Community Futures Business Ambassador’s Program (Cariboo Chilcotin Region, BC, Canada): As part of the Wildfire Business Transition following the 2017-2018 wildfires, Community Futures Sun Country partnered with CF Cariboo Chilcotin and CF North Cariboo to initiate the Business Ambassador’s Program. Qualified business ambassadors were hired to provide on-the-ground support to businesses and leaders of not-for-profit organizations. They assisted with conducting impact assessments on their operations and facilitated access to recovery programs that would meet the needs of each business or organization. The Business Ambassador’s Program was an important wrap-around service that accompanied CF Sun Country’s loan programs, enabling them to provide social support and technical assistance to business owners during the stressful and challenging phase of recovery. This initiative received $200,000 from Northern Development Initiative Trust and $140,000 from the Cariboo Beetle Action Coalition for initial funding. Western Economic Diversification provided an additional $1.3 million to help businesses with long-term rebuilding. o For more info: CF Sun Country • Basin Business Advisors (Columbia Basin Region, BC, Canada): Servicing the business community across the Columbia Basin in BC, Basin Business Advisors provides entrepreneurship support and economic capacity building for existing businesses and agriculture producers. BBA works primarily one-on-one with business owners to provide advising and assessment services to business owners. During the COVID-19 pandemic, BBA is supporting local business owners through hosting webinars so businesses can share practices with one another. They have also supported businesses in pivoting activities when ‘normal’ operations are no longer possible, as well as advising business owners on key steps to preserve assets and stabilize their personal situation where possible in the event that they need to close their business. Funded by Columbia Basin Trust, the BBA program is administered and managed by Community Futures Central 23 Kootenay. Delivery of the program is done in partnership with Community Futures in the Basin. o For more info: Basin Business Advisors Mitigation and Preparation Programs • Business Resilience Program (Port Coquitlam, BC, Canada): The City of Port Coquitlam’s Emergency Preparedness division runs the Business Resilience Program to support disaster preparedness for business communities. Following a prolonged power outage in 2016,the City’s emergency manager Tara Stroup realized the important need for specific communication with the business community during emergencies. Initial programming activities included recruiting students and volunteers to conduct surveys and engagement sessions with the business community, in order to learn more about the vulnerabilities of local businesses. From there, they cobbled together funds to develop a directory of business support services to disseminate to businesses and began holding workshops on business continuity planning and related topics. Much of the content was sourced from speakers or companies that volunteered their time. The city has also created an online registry of businesses, an emergency preparedness toolkit for businesses , and a memoranda of understanding with local contractors for post-disaster procurement to better ensure circulation of recovery spending dollars to local firms. The city has won awards from the Union of BC Municipalities and the Insurance Bureau of Canada for this work. o For more info: City of Port Coquitlam Business Preparedness | Business Continuity Workshops – Tricity News Article • Markham Small Business Centre Seminar: Business Insurance Basics (Markham, ON, Canada): Operated by the City of Markham in partnership with the provincial government of Ontario, the Markham Small Business Centre provides free and confidential business advice to entrepreneurs in the area. In addition to individual and group support services, SBCS hosts seminars on topics that are relevant for small businesses, especially those in the start-up and early stage growth phases. One of these seminars focused on Business Insurance Basics, featuring a presentation by an accredited insurance broker. Topics that were covered included: How to think about your business insurance needs; Understanding what coverage is available like property coverage and types of liability coverage; Costs of business insurance and pricing factors; Business insurance through the business life cycle; and, What to expect at a time of claim o For more info: Markham Small Business Centre • Business Continuity Support, (City of Penticton): The City of Pencticton’s Economic Development Department holds a yearly forum for the local business community. In 2019 the forum consisted of various emergency-preparedness sessions, including cybersecurity, fire and flood safety, crime prevention, and business continuity planning. o For more info: Futurebiz Penticton Forum 2019 Recovery Finance Programs • Disaster Bridge Loan Program (State of Louisiana, Louisiana USA) – Immediately following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (2005), the State of Louisiana established a Disaster Bridge Loan Program for small businesses. 24 • • • • Unity Pivot Loan – Vancity Credit Union (BC, Canada) During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Vancity Credit Union developed a pivot loan for businesses in need of adapting their services or operations. Loans are available to both members and non-members of the credit union, at no payment and interest-free for six months, with an option for paying only interest for the following six months. It is open to businesses that have been in existence for at least two years, and recently profitable immediately prior to COVID-19. Emergency Grants (National Endowment for the Humanities, USA): National Endowment for the Humanities has provided culture and heritage organizations damaged by disasters with Emergency Grants. Funding from these grants has been used for a variety of critical needs, including replacing collection materials, purchasing new equipment to address humidity problems after floods, and protecting collections against future earthquake damage. Following Hurricane Harvey, NEH put forth $1 million in emergency grants to institutions that had been damaged. Disaster Assistance Fund (Province of New Brunswick): After natural disasters such as the flooding from Post-tropical Storm Dorian which caused severe damage and loss of power for many small businesses and homeowners, the Province of New Brunswick provided Disaster Assistance Fund provides financial assistance throughout the 24 municipalities that had been damaged. Small businesses and non-profit are eligible for up to $500,000 for recovery. Business owners are expected to pay a deductible of $5000, waivable for applicants facing severe financial hardship. Business Recovery Grant/Loan Program (Louisiana Recovery Authority, Louisiana USA) – Through a partnership with the State of Louisiana’s Department of Economic Development, this program provided immediate financial relief for small business to restart or continue post-Hurricane Katrina and Rita. Grants were awarded to and administered by community-based nonprofit organizations located in the most impacted communities. 4.2. AG: Communications Scope of the Communications AG Plan The Communications AG Plan focuses on the protocols necessary to ground-truth and validate information regarding the economic disruption, ensure that all economic stakeholders are on message and communicating in a manner that is not contradictory, and shaping messages around economic status and needs in a way that meets the goals of the overall economic response as defined by the ERAP committee. Quick Starts and Protocols Examples of communications quick starts might include: • Convene the AG committee. • Assign Communications Liaison to work with the EOC Information Branch, if established. • Reach out to Political and Community Leaders to implement communication protocols about the local economy. • Assign News and Social Media Coordinator to collect information from news reports, social media posts, etc. and begin to vet it as true or false with relevant authorities. 25 • • Establish communications tools for communicating with businesses and the public (e.g. website, social media platforms, phone lines, etc.) Identify a media spokesperson for the economic response and recovery. Questions to ask for developing the detailed communications protocols include: • What are the core needs for communications during economic disruption? • Who can provide the resources or activities required to meet these needs? How are they engaged? • What are the main sources of rumors and how can they be countered? • How do the needs of businesses get promoted to government and society, and who are the most persuasive voices? • What are the best communications platforms (e.g. print, radio, Facebook, static websites, etc.) and how can they be developed or adapted pre-disaster for maximum impact after disaster. • How is this Action Group linked to other necessary Action Groups for information sharing and coordinating activities? This is especially important for connecting to the Impact Assessment AG and determining how to communicate known impacts. Typical Response and Recovery Activities The following are typical Communications response and recovery activities during and after economic disruption. These can help communities to better craft activities across the emergency management cycle. • Provide daily briefings to the press on economic impacts and the pace of economic recovery. • Set up a hotline, website, or resource guide that is updated with new information and resources for economic recovery. • Scan social media to better understand rumors about the disaster and research those to either counter or bolster the commonly held beliefs. • Craft messaging around reopening and make the “Open for Business” announcement. • Craft messaging, based on input from other AGs, on the needs for the business community and communicate them to the public. Also provide similar briefing notes to politicians and other key stakeholders. Case Studies • • Colorado Business Emergency Operations Center: The state of Colorado’s BEOC operates as a part of the Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Management. It provides information on recovery resources for the private sector, FAQ’s for businesses on where to find emergency-related information and updates. The center’s website also has a registry of businesses that may be contacted for their services or equipment during a time of an emergency. Wood Buffalo Business Recovery Hotline (Wood Buffalo, AB): Immediately following the wildfires of 2016, Economic Developers of Alberta set up the business recovery hotline. Entirely funded by the Canadian Red Cross, It was the initial step of the business and 26 • • • economic recovery plan for the municipality of Wood Buffalo. Key objectives and actions included: o Contact approximately 4,000 companies with current RMWB business licenses; o Update contact information on these companies; o Collect information on their specific needs after the wildfire; o Provide resources to help with their identified needs; o Assess their eligibility for Red Cross Small Business Relief Funding in the amount of $1,000; and o Advise of the eligibility status and provide further instructions as needed. Social media usage after disaster – Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo: Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Emergency Operations Center – During the Ft McMurray Wildfire in summer 2016, 88,000 residents had to be evacuated. The Regional District of Wood Buffalo’s communications department used social media platforms to send current updates and important messages to community members. Through Hootsuite, the communications team monitored incoming messages and stayed updated on what current hashtags were circulating related to the wildfires in order to ensure that their messaging was widespread. Toolkit for Integrating Call Centres into Disaster Response and Recovery: During a time of disaster, call centres can be utilized to provide community members with fast and important information while taking the burden off of 911 phone lines. The International City/County Management Association and the 311 Synergy Group produced a toolkit for local governments interested in setting up their call centres for communication during disasters. #NOKTogether – Business resources for North Okanagan: A collaboration of 16 partners, including regional Community Futures, municipalities, chambers of commerce, First Nations communities and educational institutions, the #NOKTegether website serves as a streamlined communication and engagement tool for addressing the effects of Covid-19 on North Okanagan business. 4.3. AG: Economic Impact Assessment Scope of the Economic Impact Assessment AG Plan The Economic Impact Assessment AG Plan focuses on the protocols necessary to understand the short-and long-term economic impacts of the disaster on local businesses and the workforce. This includes both collecting primary data as well as analyzing and communicating mixes of primary and secondary data that is collected after a disaster. Quick Starts and Protocols Examples of quick starts might include: • Convene the AG committee. • Receive reports on damages and impacts from Economic Liaison to the EOC • Deploy rapid assessment survey to businesses • When possible, deploy ground assessment teams to visit business and pursue deeper qualitative interviews with owners or staff. 27 Questions to ask for developing the detailed protocols include: • What types of data are necessary for measuring economic impact? How can they be collected? • What is the baseline for economic activity in the area? Who has that data and where is it held? How can it be accessed in times of economic disruption to compare impacts? • What partners can provide research support, including research design, interviewing and community engagement, surveys, secondary data compiling, data analysis, and reporting on data trends, etc. This may include formal researchers, but may also include local newspapers or other entities that engage with the public. • Who typically collects data after disasters and how can this data be integrated into reporting? • How is data used for decision making after disasters, and how can data be provided in a way to improve those processes. • How is this Action Group linked to other necessary Action Groups for information sharing and coordinating activities? This is especially important for connecting to the Communications AG and determining how to communicate known impacts. Typical Response and Recovery Activities Simply measuring changes in GDP and jobs is a limited approach to measuring overall impact, and often obscures more meaningful changes that are happening to individual businesses and workers. Examples of data collection approaches after disasters include: • Develop online or phone surveys that capture the following: o Direct impacts on business location, inventory, and equipment; o Status of business: open, closed, returning, etc.; o Status of demand and market access: how have customers and purchasing changed; o Cash flow status and needs; o Status of insurance payouts and other supports; o Status of supply chain and business inputs; o Status of employees and their return to work; o Feelings about the future and potential for recovery; o Unmet needs. • Deploy teams to visit businesses and count open, closed, etc. May also deliver surveys. • Carry on deeper one-on-one interviews with business owners to understand the personal and business impacts on entrepreneurs. Use this to better tell the stories of business owners and understand the finer grained impacts. • Scour official or institutional sources for additional data not captured locally. • Produce briefing notes and/or impact updates to maintain up-to-date information flows on impacts, and influence policies or resources. 28 Case Studies • • • Impacts on Businesses during COVID-19: In March 2020, BC Chamber of Commerce, BC Economic Development Association (BCEDA), Community Futures and Small Business BC launched a survey to understand specific impacts on businesses during COVID-19. The survey also captures needs and recommendations of actions that the government should be taking in order to assist businesses. Economic Impact and Recovery Assessments (Fort McMurray, AB, Canada): Following the May 2016 wildfires in the Wood Buffalo region, Economic Developers of Alberta (EDA) provided support to the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo in three phases: 1) Establishing a Woof Buffalo Business Recovery Hotline to register business and provide immediate resources and relief; 2) Deployment of an Economic Opportunity Assessment Team to conduct qualitative assessments of economic challenges and opportunities for the RMWB; and 3) compilation of a report “Embracing New Economic Realities” which included a set of recommendations from 200 businesses specific to short, medium and long-term recovery. o For more info: Economic Developers Alberta Tourism Kelowna Impact Surveys (Kelowna, BC): After the 2003 wildfire, Tourism Kelowna conducted three Tourism Outlook Surveys to determine the intermediate impact on the tourism industry. A Traveler Intention Survey (TIS) interviewed 500 domestic tourists by telephone was also completed. These measured not only impacts to businesses, but also future outlooks for subsequent tourism seasons. o For more info: Hystad and Keller, 2008 4.4. AG: Economic Infrastructure Scope of the Economic Infrastructure AG Plan The Economic Infrastructure AG Plan focuses on the preservation and recovery of key utilities, major infrastructures, and sensitive sites that are important to the economy. Although the recovery of these are usually governed by plans or authorities elsewhere, the Economic Infrastructure AG acts as an advocate for the business community to ensure that key infrastructure necessary for economic functioning is maintained. Quick Starts and Protocols Examples of Economic Infrastructure quick starts might include: • Convene the AG committee. • Pull up the pre-developed lists of sensitive sites and provide to Emergency Management to determine impacts and recovery plans. • Receive reports on infrastructure impacts and activities from Economic Liaison to the EOC. • Survey leads or owners of economically sensitive sites to understand impacts and/or needs. • Contact utilities and determine return times for compromised lifelines. • Pass information to Communications AG to disseminate publicly. 29 Questions to ask for developing the detailed Economic Infrastructure protocols include: • What is the core infrastructure necessary for economic functioning? What are the bridges, roads, airfields, rail lines, utilities, agricultural and employment lands, and commercial corridors that are critical for the economy? • Who owns and maintains this infrastructure? How is this infrastructure protected to reduce vulnerability to disaster? • If compromised during disaster, are there plans for their recovery? Who is in charge of this recovery? • Are there backups for or redundancies for infrastructure. For example, if there are lost utilities, are there generator back-up programs or sources identified for small businesses. If there is a loss of a major truck route, how will supply chains be rerouted? • How is this Action Group linked to other necessary Action Groups for information sharing and coordinating activities? Typical Response and Recovery Activities • • • • Develop a list of economically sensitive sites. This might include key attractions or amenities that serve the tourism industry, water flows that are used by businesses like breweries or agriculture, etc. It might also include a list of utilities, transportation modes/routes, and similar core infrastructure that businesses rely on. Liaise with Emergency Management to determine the impacts on economic infrastructure and better understand the long-term recovery. Liaise with the Communications AG to better inform the business community on the progress of returning the infrastructure to use. Work with partners to launch generator programs or secure access to water trucks to fill short term gaps in utilities for critical businesses. Reach out to provincial or national associations for help with restoring infrastructure not covered by Emergency Management (e.g. work with tourism associations to rebuild bike trails, or farming associations to rehabilitate impacted lands, etc.). Case Studies • • • Oil Spill Economic Infrastructure Analysis (Vancouver, BC, Canada): In 2015 the City of Vancouver produced a report of the potential economic impacts that a tanker spill would have along the Burrard Inlet. The report includes an inventory of major industries that would be impacted, including commercial fishing, inner harbour transportation, oceandependent tourism and recreation and port activities. An inventory of major waterfront events that occur annually are also included to demonstrate the vulnerability of this resource if an oil spill (or major flooding) were to occur. Airport-to-Airport Mutual Aid Programs (USA): Mutual aid programs like the Southeast Airports Disaster Operations Group (SEADOG) connect equipment and staffing between airports in times of disaster to provide continuity of operations. Generator deployments (Hurricane Sandy): Through a pre-placed contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, professional services firm WSP quickly deployed 22 generator sets ranging in size from 200-1000 kW along with large quantities of low voltage cabling 30 in Long Island, N.Y. In addition, WSP deployed 11 generators sets and associated cabling as part of the firm’s disaster response and recovery efforts in support of the New York Office of Emergency Management and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 4.5. AG: Local Procurement Scope of the Local Procurement AG Plan The Local Procurement AG Plan focuses on the promotion of local businesses during times of disaster, specifically in terms of local procurement. This includes preparing and advocating for local businesses to provide goods and services to government during response and recovery, as well as promoting local businesses and building a culture of buying locally amongst residents during rebuilding. Quick Starts and Protocols Examples of quick starts might include: • Convene the AG committee. • Activate any local government procurement policies focused on local procurement during times of disaster. • Activate or repurpose any “Buy Local” program and work with the Communications AG to maintain the Buy Local message to the public. • Disseminate any lists of approved/preferred contractors for economic recovery activities, if possible. Questions to ask for developing the detailed protocols include: • Is there already a culture of buying locally? Are there Buy Local programs that can be adapted to promote a post-disaster local purchasing message? • Are there local procurement policies within government agencies? How can these be developed or adapted to encourage post-disaster procurement? • How equipped are local businesses to accept contracts from government during response and recovery? What technical assistance do they need to get prepared? • How is this Action Group linked to other necessary Action Groups for information sharing and coordinating activities? Typical Response and Recovery Activities • • • • Develop lists of local contractors and businesses that provide post-disaster services for provision to residents. Pre-approve businesses for post-disaster procurement based on continuity plans, certifications, etc. Promote local businesses through post-disaster Buy Local campaigns and education messaging that highlights the benefits of buying locally (e.g. multiplier effects, decreased fraud and increased accountability, etc.). Work with local governments to legally preference small businesses for provision of goods and services after disasters. 31 • • • • Support local businesses to take on contracts through one-on-one technical assistance, pre- and post-disaster. Create lists of open businesses and/or provide maps that indicate who is open after a disaster. Develop bright signage for businesses to demonstrate that they are “Open for Business” after a disaster. When the time is right, encourage political leaders to announce that the area is “Open for Business” and encourage surrounding communities to purchase goods and services in solidarity. Case Studies Local Procurement Policies: • City of Nelson Local Procurement Policy: Adopted in 2015, the City of Nelson, BC has prioritized local procurement in its policy under Principle 8: “Give preference to local suppliers of goods and services, assuming compliance with relevant legislation such as NWPTA and AIT, and assuming their pricing, quality and experience are comparable with non-local suppliers. Local shall mean a permanent business that operates from a property that is owned or rented by the business within the boundaries of the West Kootenay area as defined in Schedule C.” • City of Yellowknife Local Procurement Policy: Adopted in 2018, the City of Yellowknife’s local procurement policy includes a target to spend at least 85% of its total annual expenditure locally, for businesses physically operating in Yellowknife and holding a valid business license. • Local Flood-Related Service Providers (Wood Buffalo, AB, Canada) – Four years after the Fort McMurray wildfires, the Spring 2020 flooding in Fort McMurray has required the evacuation of more than 13,000 people. During this time, the Economic Development Center of Wood Buffalo collaborated with the Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce, Northeastern Alberta Aboriginal Business Association, Fort McMurray Construction Association, and Building Industry Land Development Wood Buffalo to create a single list of local companies that can provide services for flood mitigation, remediation and restoration. Whereas many local companies did not benefit from recovery business following the wildfires in 2016 due to pressure from insurance providers to use preferred businesses from outside the community, following the 2020 flooding residents and the public and private sectors have been encouraged to contract locally for recovery. The list of local contractors will be shared with insurance providers to distribute. o For more info: Economic Development Center of Wood Buffalo | News Article: Fort McMurray Today Procurement technical assistance for disaster contracting • Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centres provides tips for local companies to make sure their business is procurement-ready during a disaster. FEMA is legally required to contract with businesses located in the affected area when feasible and practical. The U.S. government has a national Disaster Response 32 • • Registry where companies can list their services in the event that they may be needed during a disaster. Norcal PTAC (Northern California, USA): Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs) are located across the country to support businesses in getting contracts with local, state and national governments. Northern California’s PTAC, hosted by Humboldt State University, provides resources for small businesses on how to sell to government agencies during fires, hurricanes and other disasters. City of Surrey: Invest Surrey has been proactive in supporting local business to retool processes to respond to Covid-19. The has included developing an online marketplace to connect buyers of personal protective equipment, and local manufacturers. Buying Locally • Shop Joplin! Campaign (Joplin, MO, USA): In 2011, an EF5 multiple-vortex tornado swept through the town of Joplin, Missouri, destroying more than 8000 homes and businesses and claiming 162 lives. The Municipality and Chamber of Commerce immediately started promoting local businesses, which evolved into the Shop Joplin! Campaign. Bright green signs were provided to businesses to highlight that they were “Open for Business”. Due to these efforts, 450 impacted businesses re-opened and 250 new businesses opened after the tornado hit. • Creating directories or other public facing services to get customers to businesses o City of Abbotsford added a GIS layer of Open Businesses during COVID-19 to their Economic Development Site Finder website. o Houston, Open for Business Google Doc during COVID-19. Shared with the public for viewing, the document is updated daily. Businesses that are members of the Chamber of Commerce are listed first and highlighted in green. o Store to Door (Surrey, BC, Canada) 4.6. AG: Psychosocial Scope of the Psychosocial AG Plan The Psychosocial AG Plan focuses on supporting the mental health of business owners and the workforce during disaster. This is geared primarily to making sure that psychosocial supports are integrated into other programming across response and recovery activities. Quick Starts and Protocols Examples of quick starts might include: • Convene the AG committee. • Establish psychosocial staff presence in BEOC/Intake Centre. • Cross-train staff in BEOC/Intake Centre to refer clients • Coordinate with Business TA and Finance AG to embed counseling in other businessrelated events • Identify speakers who have lost businesses to speak on their experiences Questions to ask for developing the detailed protocols include: 33 • • • • What local capacity exists for supporting the mental health of business owners and the workforce? Who can be called upon to provide mental health services to businesses owners and the workforce? What additional resources can be shared (e.g. toolkits, information packets, etc.) to support business owners and the workforce during economic disruption? How is this Action Group linked to other necessary Action Groups for information sharing and coordinating activities? Typical Response and Recovery Activities • • • • • Create a messaging campaign targeting business owners that highlights the need for mental health supports and encourages business owners to seek help if they are feeling suicidal or emotionally challenged beyond their capacity. Disseminate resources that can help family members and colleagues identify business owners in mental health distress. Disseminate resources that support business owners in getting access to mental health supports. Bring trauma and grief counselors into the BEOC/intake centers to support business owners on site. Survey or interview business owners to better understand their mental health challenges and work with counseling organizations to get the right supports in place. Case Studies • • “Superfriend” Supports (Australia): This informational toolkit for “Supporting colleagues through loss and hard times” was developed by an insurance industry organization following the Australian wildfires in 2019. The “Superfriend” organization is primarily focused on reducing suicides in Australia, and adapts their resources to reduce suicide and improve mental health following various disruptions. Louisiana Spirit Crisis Counseling Program (Louisiana, USA): Funded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and administrated by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA), Louisiana Spirit is often activated immediately following a presidential declaration that includes the provision of individual assistance through the Crisis Counseling Program (CCP), which is based on short-term intervention to promote resilience, empowerment, and recovery. Following the BP Oil Spill, the Southeast Louisiana Fisheries Assistance Center incorporated Louisiana Spirit into its economic response operations to work with commercial fishermen experiencing mental health impacts from the closure of the fisheries and destruction of commercial fishing habitats. 4.7. AG: Regulatory and Compliance Scope of the Regulatory and Compliance AG Plan 34 The Regulatory and Compliance AG Plan focuses on reducing the barriers to return for businesses after disaster, primarily by temporarily relaxing bylaws or bylaw enforcement, reducing or eliminating fees, and/or by streamlining permitting processes to encourage rebuilding. Quick Starts and Protocols Examples of quick starts might include: • Convene the AG committee. • Review pre-developed list of bylaws and enforcement protocols and decide which ones can be relaxed to meet current needs. • Contact provincial or national associations to gather surge support for permitting and inspections, as needed. • Work with the Economic Impact AG to better understand the barriers for businesses in rebuilding or reestablishing commerce. Questions to ask for developing the detailed protocols include: • What bylaws or other policies are often relaxed in time of disaster? • What bylaws or other policies in our community can be relaxed in time of disaster? • What are the needs of business and industry after a disaster and how might our bylaws and policies impact those (positively or negatively)? • What fees or other financial barriers can be removed to promote rebuilding or reestablishing businesses? • What provincial or national associations can support us in permitting and inspections? • What Provincial or Federal laws or policies might inhibit rebuilding or reestablishment of commerce, and how can we advocate for their relaxation or change during disasters? • How is this Action Group linked to other necessary Action Groups for information sharing and coordinating activities? Typical Response and Recovery Activities • • • • Waive or relax various bylaws or policies to change rules around: o Temporary structures, especially for business use. o Home-based businesses. o Parking in commercial districts. o Noise bylaws, especially concerning business or industrial activities. o Zoning for particular uses in particular areas. Waive fees and extraneous permitting rules for targeted commercial rebuilding. Increase the number of planners, inspectors, and other staff (typically through reciprocal municipal agreements or volunteer capacity from associations) to streamline and quicken permitting processes. Advocate to senior levels of government to waive bylaws, fees, etc., to remove barriers that cannot be addressed by local government. 35 Case Studies • • • • Resilient City Zoning (Santa Rosa, CA, USA): To expedite the rebuilding of sites that were damaged in the October 2017 wildfires in Santa Rosa, California, the City established the Resilient City office and created Resilient City Zoning (-RC) for impacted areas. The zoning is combined with primary zoning in place for the district and provides for streamlining the permitting process and expedited review for reconstruction or repairs of damaged properties. Fees for planning permitting, temporary housing structures and demolition are waived for the site. Construction Permitting Waivers (Joplin, MO, USA): During the recovery of the deadly tornado that hit the town of Joplin in 2011, the district successfully convinced the state government to waive the normal bidding process for building projects. Contractors were able to immediately begin construction of critical temporary buildings such as schools and healthcare facilities. Temporary Moratorium on Evictions during COVID-19 (San José, CA, USA): San José City Council enacted a moratorium on evictions of renters who have been impacted by COVID-19. Renters seeking protection from eviction must demonstrate that they have been impacted by COVID-19 and that they have suffered a substantial loss of income due to the pandemic or government response measures. Evaluation of Commercial Sites (Santa Rosa, CA, USA): The Tubbs wildfire in October of 2017 was at the time the most destructive wildfire in California history. The city of Santa Rosa had a large backlog of permit applications for commercial developments. They brought in planners from across the state to review 100 projects in one weekend in order to alleviate the backlog. o For more info: City of Santa Rosa 4.8. AG: Structures and Access Scope of the Structures and Access Plan The Structures and Access Plan focuses on facilitating the return of businesses to their physical locations, either through accelerated re-entry following evacuation, or through the identification of alternate business sites while rebuilding occurs. Quick Starts and Protocols Examples of quick starts might include: • Convene the AG committee. • Coordinate with Economic Impact Assessment AG to understand impacts to commercial buildings, and needs for alternate commercial spaces. • If an evacuation has occurred, launch phased re-entry program prioritizing business reentry. • Review list of alternate commercial spaces identified pre-incident and determine which are available or compromised. • Roll out plans for alternate locations for businesses and assist them in accessing these resources. Questions to ask for developing the detailed protocols include: • Does Emergency Management have a phased re-entry plan for evacuation and does it privilege business return? 36 • • • • How are businesses inspected after disaster? Is there an expedited process to get commercial space cleared for reopening? What commercial sites are available for businesses to move into if their primary sites have been compromised? What locations can be repurposed by the City or others to provide temporary space for business activity? How is this Action Group linked to other necessary Action Groups for information sharing and coordinating activities? Typical Response and Recovery Activities • • • • • Identify vulnerable commercial locations in the area and encourage property and business owners to reduce vulnerabilities on site and prepare for relocation during times of disaster. Develop a phase re-entry plan following evacuations that priorities businesses. It is possible to link this to continuity plans or other incentives for businesses to better prepare for disruption. Maintain a list of vacant or open commercial properties and provide it to businesses that have lost their locations during disaster. Encourage property owners to waive or defer rent when businesses are inactive due to disaster. Identify areas in which to triage businesses during disaster. Examples might include areas to establish “container districts” to house businesses, or buildings in which businesses can establish kiosks or otherwise meet with customers. Case Studies Commercial Reentry • “Jumpstart Jefferson” Re-entry Program (Jefferson Parish, LA, USA): During hurricane season, Jefferson Parish’s business owners must register their businesses to apply for re-entry in the event of an evacuation. A tiered system has been developed to prioritize re-entry of critical businesses in preparation for residents’ return. In order to be granted re-entry, business owners must have been registered and received a vehicle placard from the parish. The program automatically recognizes and sends certain applications, like hospitals and critical infrastructure to the administrator to be reviewed for inclusion in tier 1. This registration could be paired with other certifications or evidence of a business continuity plan. o For More Info: Jumpstart Jefferson • Ready NC Re-entry Certificate (North Carolina, USA) The North Carolina Business Emergency Operations Center manages the process of certifying businesses that are considered essential for disaster recovery. Certificates are only relevant when restrictions on movement have been put in place through curfews, evacuation orders, etc. In order to apply for a re-entry certificate, business owners email the BEOC office to request a certificate. If accepted, they receive access to the BEOC website in order to complete additional registration. The BEOC determines what level of need the business fulfills (Life, Health or Economic Well-being) and therefore at what phase of re-entry the business can resume operations in the community. 37 o For More Info: Ready NC Alternate Sites • ReSTART/Container Mall (Christchurch, New Zealand): The 2011 Christchurch earthquake killed 185 people and caused widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure, including the city’s central business district. Most of the central city was cordoned off to the public to tear down hazardous unstable buildings and remove debris of fallen structures. TheRestart the Heart Trust was established to reinstate retail businesses in the pedestrian shopping area, including a large department store. With an interest-free loan of $3.36 million from the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal Trust, the ReSTART initiative installed temporary retail shops made from shipping containers, which were able to withstand the aftershocks that the city experienced. The container mall was managed by the Central City Business Association, leasing retail space to tenants through 6-month contracts. ReSTART was well-loved by the public and remained open for years after the city cordons were removed in 2014, until the trust money wound up in 2018. Many tenants re-opened in other parts of the city or other towns. o For more info: Christchurch Central City Business Association • Temporary Business Park (High River, AB) – Flooding of the Highwater River in June 2013 decimated High River’s downtown area. Businesses were gutted and closed with no timeline in place as to when they could return to their storefronts. An economic recovery task force that included the Town of High River, Community Futures, McBride Group, Bow Valley College, the Downtown Business Association and the High River Chamber of commerce did outreach with the business community to better understand their challenges and priorities. The idea of a temporary business park emerged from the surveys. CP Rail agreed to lease the rail line right of way to the Town for $1 per year, and Sprung Structures constructed a 30x400 ft membrane building laid out in a strip mall format for each business to have its own frontage. Through funding from the provincial government, the temporary park provided rent-free space to business owners, some of whom were able to return to their storefronts after one year. o For more info: Town of High River Economic Development | Okotoks news article • Buy-Local Aisles (London Drugs, BC, Canada) – During COVID-19, small retail businesses have been especially impacted by the pandemic. According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, only 21% of small businesses are currently open at the time of writing. To offer support to local businesses that are closed due to being non-essential or lacking the capacity to adjust operations in order to continue serving their customer base, the BC-based company London Drugs has transformed their centre aisles into shelf-space for local businesses to sell their merchandise. To be eligible, businesses must be considered non-essential and currently not operating at full capacity. 38 4.9. AG: Workforce Support Scope of the Workforce Support Plan The Workforce Support Plan focuses on meeting the needs of impacted workforce, and making sure that a robust workforce exists for business and industry locally. This may include supporting workers directly with their own disaster-related issues, and/or working with business to increase supports and hiring of local employees. Quick Starts and Protocols Examples of quick starts might include: • Convene the AG committee. • Coordinate with Economic Impact Assessment AG to determine impacts on workforce. • Survey own clients within the Workforce AG network to determine impacts on workforce. • Roll out workforce support programming. • Advocate for workforce support to applicable agencies and senior government. Questions to ask for developing the detailed protocols include: • Who are the most vulnerable populations in the workforce? Are there organizations or supports tailored to them during economic disruption? • What are the core needs for families to maintain their jobs (e.g. transportation, daycare, equipment/PPE, etc.) and how can those be preserved or replaced after disaster? • Do members of the workforce have their own personal continuity plans and how can we help them to get prepared? • Do businesses see themselves as responsible for supporting their own workforce and how can we encourage them to do so? • What can businesses do to attract and retain their workforce following evacuations? • What workforce programming is usually delivered after disasters and how can we prepare for them? • How is this Action Group linked to other necessary Action Groups for information sharing and coordinating activities? Typical Response and Recovery Activities • • • • • Survey the workforce pre-disaster to better understand vulnerabilities to economic disruption. Encourage workers to have their own personal continuity plans. Encourage businesses to have detailed information on their employees’ next of kin or likely evacuation points, and have resources in place to facilitate their return postdisaster. Develop or incentivize workforce transportation options if they do not exist, such as bussing for workforce from surrounding areas, or informal transport options like private vans or carpooling. Develop or incentivize daycare options if they do not exist. 39 • • Develop or incentivize workforce housing options if they do not exist, such as trailers/RVs for businesses to house workers, or subsidies to move essential workers into temporary accommodations. Facilitate hiring of out-of-work residents into clean-up and recovery jobs, and advocate to response and recovery companies to hire local workers. Case Studies New Orleans Office of Workforce Development Job Placement Program (New Orleans, LA, USA): The New Orleans Office of Workforce Development’s JOB1 program provides employment and training services. They are federally funded through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. After disasters, they inquire with employers regarding work availability. The job board also maintains a database and provides lists to municipal offices for rapid response jobs. o For more info: New Orleans Office of Workforce Development • Free door-to-door transit for healthcare workers (Metropolitan Council, MN, USA): During the COVID-19 pandemic, public transit services across the world have been significantly reduced in order to practice safe distancing to prevent the risk of spreading the virus. In Minnesota, the regional transit system for the seven counties surrounding the Twin Cities has begun providing free door-to-door service for healthcare workers to and from the hospital and their homes. The service makes use of Metro Mobility shuttle bus fleets, which have seen an 80% decline in ridership of individuals with mobility challenges during COVID-19. Without taking away from providing service for essential trips for those riders, this new service is available for individual healthcare workers or those able to travel in small numbers. This service is funded from the council’s budget, although it may receive additional support from the federal CARES act. o For more info: Metro Mobility Service Center • Workforce Solutions mobile response center (North Central Texas): Workforce Solutions of North Central Texas is a state-funded agency that provides unemployment services, job training, job placement, and other services for employers and workers in both urban and rural regions. In addition to 12 regional locations, Workforce Solutions also has a Mobile Workforce Unit (MWU) that is deployed to communities in need, job fairs, or other locations where increased access to services is necessary or beneficial. The MWU is essentially a large RV with 13 computer stations and employment assistance associates who provide job searching, resume development, and training support. It has been used during disaster recovery operations throughout the region, providing on-site service to employers following wildfires, tornadoes, and the West Fertilizer Plant Explosion. o For more info: Mobile Workforce Unit • Community Workforce Response Grant (BC, Canada): The provincial government offers funding for communities dealing with major labour market disruptions, due to natural disasters or closure of major employers. It is specifically focused on mill closures or curtailments. Applicants can receive up to $300,000 per proposal for skills training, employment assistance services, financial supports for childcare and transportation and a training alliance. o For more info: Community Workforce Response Grant • Southwest Airlines After 9/11 (Dallas, USA): In the U.S., airline ridership dropped to zero in the first few days after 9/11. Ridership only returned to 80% of pre-9/11 levels, and short-haul domestic flights to nearby cities were especially affected. While many • 40 • • US-based airline companies’ response was to lay off their workers soon after the 9/11 attacks, Southwest Airlines took a different approach. Committed to their strong “employees-first” culture that is embedded in the company, the airline refused to layoff their employees. Despite losing millions of dollars every day and suffering extreme losses in their stock price, they prioritized protecting the jobs of their employees who remained loyal to the company. In 2003, although they were ranked fourth in company size among U.S. airlines, Southwest Airlines’ profits were greater than the combined revenues of the three largest companies. Childcare for essential workers during COVID-19 (Joplin, MO, USA): In the town of Joplin, Missouri, the Joplin Family YMCA has provided emergency childcare services to essential healthcare workers, paid for on a weekly basis. Mother’s Restaurant (New Orleans, LA): Following Hurricane Katrina, Mother’s Restaurant in New Orleans (home of the World’s Best Honey Baked Ham) tracked down their evacuated employees, and provided them with FEMA trailers on site so that they could return home and work together again. 41 Appendix: Fillable Plan Template Plan Area: Version: Area Name Date Created / Updated 1. Incident Quick Start Guide (EDIT TEXT AS REQUIRED) Activation 1. If an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is activated, immediately activate the ERAP. 2. If no EOC is activated, but an economic disruption is apparent, convene the Advisory Members of the ERAP Committee and decide on activating the ERAP. 3. For any incident in which the ERAP is activated, immediately stand up the Communications and Impact Assessment Action Groups and direct them to follow their protocols. Situational Awareness 1. Immediately deploy an Economic Liaison to the EOC, if it has been activated. Consult with the Economic Liaison to keep apprised of developments. 2. Immediately contact Political/Community Leadership to notify them of ERAP activation and maintain ongoing communication. 3. If not done during Activation, convene ERAP Committee Advisory Members to notify them of ERAP activation and maintain ongoing communication. Immediate Response Activities 1. If deemed necessary, stand up the Business Emergency Operations Centre (BEOC). 2. Coordinate with the Communications AG and the Impact Assessment AG to develop a short-term communications plan to notify the business community and the public of developments. This may include launching incident-specific web tools and/or dial-in information hotlines. 3. Coordinate with Regional Municipalities and Partners to assess what additional information, resources, and supports may be available to provide to the community. 4. Stand up other Action Groups if obvious necessity exists, and direct them to follow their protocols. 2. Economic Resilience Action Plan Overview Plan Formation Description How was this plan created? Plan Purpose What should this plan be used for and why? Economic Context Description of Local Economy Who created this plan? Important Economic Assets Economic Vulnerabilities 42 Principles and Priorities for Economic Resilience Connection to Existing Roles and Plans Connection to Emergency Management What is most important for your community? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. … How does this plan relate or connect to other plans? How does this plan connect to Emergency Management? 3. ERAP Governance and Activation Leadership Roles and Responsibilities Role Contact Person ERAP Executive Leadership Contact Details Advisory Members Action Groups Roles and Responsibilities Action Groups Applicable Members (Yes/No) Business TA and Lead Finance AG Members Communications AG Lead Members Economic Infrastructure AG Lead Members Contact Details Lead 43 Action Groups Impact Assessment AG Applicable (Yes/No) Members Members Local Procurement AG Lead Members Psychosocial AG Lead Members Regulatory and Compliance AG Lead Members Structures and Access AG Lead Members Workforce Support AG Lead Members Other Key Contacts Other Key Contacts Contact Details Contact Person Contact Details Political and Community Leaders Regional Emergency Management Regional Municipalities and Partners 44 Activating the ERAP What conditions or events will trigger the ERAP? The protocol for activating and deactivating the ERAP will be as follows: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Activating Incident-Specific Economic Recovery Plans Delete if not required In the cases of major economic disruption, the following protocols will be observed: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Activating Business Emergency Operations Centre Delete if not required The protocol for activating and deactivating the BEOC will be as follows: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. The locations identified for BEOC include: Primary Location: _____________________ Backup Location: _____________________ Online: _____________________ 4. ERAP Action Group Plans Replicate for Each Required AG Action Group Name: The protocol for activating and deactivating this Action Group are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 45 The quick start actions for this Action Group are: What are the key actions? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Inventory of Existing Programs and Assets for this Action Group What existing programming, roles, or other assets are available? Program or Asset Name Details Action Plan for Future Preparation and Mitigation Activities for this Action Group What are gaps in the current plan that should be addressed? 46