BLACKOUT 2003 Retrospective Canadian Telecommunications Emergency Preparedness Association CTEPA Cav

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BLACKOUT 2003RetrospectiveCanadian
Telecommunications Emergency Preparedness
Association(CTEPA)Cavie-Ann De CordovaJohn
Gray

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CTEPA MEMBER COMPANIES
OTA
Teleglobe
MTS
CAPTS
SaskTel
ACTQ
Telesat Canada
CTEPA
TELUS
Sprint Canada
Aliant
Bell Canada
Allstream
Rogers Wireless
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CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
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August 13, 2003
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(No Transcript)
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Were All In This TOGETHER

• No Electricity, Fuel
• Catch 22
• Telecom Services will be impacted
• All Infrastructures rely on telecom services
• Emergencies
• Service outages

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August 14, 2003
Montreal
Ottawa
Toronto
Detroit
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August 14 2003 . . .
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Communications What Worked Well

• How Telco Communicated
• Conference Bridges established within minutes
  for
• Telecom Emergency Response Teams
• Corporate Communications
• Communications with other Carriers
• Telco Industry is used to demonstrating emergency
  response through daily events, well practiced
  plans exercises

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(No Transcript)
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Communications What Worked Well

• Government interface
• Industry Canada (IC) Coordination Centres
• City of Toronto
• Provincial EMO
• Ottawa Emergency Operations Centres (EPC)
• IC representative present at Ontario EMO EOC
• Infrastructure Interfaces
• Links with Hydro One and IMO (IESO)
• Infrastructure Working Group (CBA,CEA,CTEPA,PSEPC)
  

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Communications Lessons Learned

• Reliance on power and telecommunications
• Increased Cellular use deteriorates system
  quickly
• Paging system impacted immediately
• Reliance on access to Corporate Network
  internal BCM plans, Corporate plans, call
  information (call trees etc.)

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Govt Media Communications Lessons Learned

• Conflicting Communications
• Government advising non-essential staff not to
  report to work
• Telecom Staff expected at work to maintain
  service
• Employees forced into Teleworkering impacts
• cordless phones- no electricity, no contact)

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Telecom Personnel What Worked Well

• Telecom BCRPs were invoked from preplanning
• Focus on customer facing groups/call centres
• Personnel rose to the challenge
• creative endeavours to maintain power supplies
• maintained operation of critical networks in
  extreme conditions

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Telecom Personnel Lessons Learned

• Unsure about Essential Personnel
• Notification to Critical Infrastructures

Power alert Save or Be Sorry Residents and
businesses across the GTA urged to voluntarily
cut back on electricity usage today Aug. 18,
2003. 0759 AM NICOLAAS VAN RIJN STAFF REPORTER
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Telecom Operations What Worked Well

• Switches, lines, remotes, transport maintained to
  best extent possible
• Standardization of procedures (broadcast-voicemail
  , email to staff)
• Centralized source for dispatching personnel or
  supplies out of province or impact area
• Rural areas had source of fuel from farmers
• Purchase of alternate power sources (i.e.
  generators, UPS, increase in battery capacity due
  to past emergencies)

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Portable generators available
Fuel needed to provide energy
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Operations Lessons Learned

• Telco believed fuel supply problems were not
  expected
• Monitoring large number of sites/problem areas is
  complex ()
• Some generator connectivity non-existent or not
  standardized
• Problems off-loading fuel connections,
  electrical pumps
• Generator towing capacity of vehicles legal
  requirements
• Automotive specialists needed for diesel
  generators
• Access to Leased sites closed or impeded
• Use and delivery of jerry cans legal
  requirements

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Recommendations

• Refuelling
• Ensure that telecommunications is considered as a
  Priority for both diesel and gasoline
• Update diesel fuel suppliers contracts contacts
  however during a State of Emergency, all
  contracts are null void
• Continue interface with government and
  infrastructure agencies regarding prioritization

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Recommendations (cont)

• Internet, Cellular and Pagers
• considerations for Wireless Priority Access for
  designated cell phones
• paper copies of back-up procedures ready and
  useable
• Business Continuity Plans
• encourage ownership of at least 1 landline home
  phone for all essential personnel - NOT
  CORDLESS
• emergency activation procedures
• owned vs. leased buildings and expectations

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Recommendations (cont)

• Discuss energy saving messages with government
  prior to issuance (communications)
• Must plan for and take into account that
• the newer the technology the more reliance on
  power ie. cellular phones and cordless wireline
• existing telecom networks are backed up with own
  power supply
• time sensitive but reliable
• Require down time and maintenance regularly

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Were All In This TOGETHER

• No Electricity, Fuel
• Catch 22
• Telecom Services will be impacted
• All Infrastructures rely on telecom services
• Emergencies
• Service outages
• Provincial Plan
• Prioritization
• Exercised

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BLACKOUT 2003Retrospectivehttp//ctepa.saskte
lhosting.net/index.htmlCavie-Ann De
CordovaJohn Gray