Departments should plan ahead by creating a Continuity of Operations Plan

A Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) is a business continuity plan designed to sustain essential functions within a department following an emergency or incident. It is not an emergency response plan, rather it facilitates deliberate and preplanned actions in response to an interruption of normal operations. 

“The goal of a COOP program is to have university departments that are resilient and capable of continuing to provide services when an incident occurs that disrupts normal operations,” said Elvis Rosario, emergency planner for Virginia Tech Emergency Management.

The COOP, if implemented, is designed to be activated within the first 12 hours after an incident has occurred and provides guidance to sustain operations for up to 30 days. It addresses the following disruptions of normal business operations:  

• Loss of access to a facility, or portion of a facility
• Loss of personnel/reduction in workforce
• Loss of services due to equipment or utilities failure

A COOP should address departmental specific information which includes team notification procedures, succession of leadership, delegations of authority, essential space and equipment needs, implementation procedures, and a communications plan. 

Virginia Tech Emergency Management manages the COOP program.  All departments are required to update their COOPs annually. See University Policy 1005 and University Policy 5615.

These plans and updates are due annually in March. For 2025, COOPs need to be submitted by March 17. All university departments have a designated COOP coordinator who is responsible for maintaining an updated plan for the department through the emergency planning portal.

Those with questions on COOP should contact Virginia Tech Emergency Management at 231-4873 or oem@vt.edu.