Executive Order  No. 475: Mandating Continuity of Government and Continuity of Operations exercises within the Executive Department

WHEREAS, the security of the Commonwealth is dependent upon our ability to ensure continuity of government in the event of a terrorist attack, natural disaster, or other emergency;

WHEREAS, effective preparedness planning requires the identification of functions that must be performed during such an emergency, the assignment of responsibility for developing plans for performing those functions, and the assignment of responsibility for developing the capability to implement those plans;

WHEREAS, to accomplish these aims, the Governor directed each secretariat within the executive department to develop a Continuity of Government Plan identifying an official line of succession for vital positions; prioritizing essential functions which should continue under all circumstances; designating an alternate command site; and establishing procedures for safeguarding personnel and resources;

WHEREAS, the Governor also directed each secretariat and agency within the executive department to develop a Continuity of Operations Plan establishing emergency operating procedures; delegating specific emergency authority to key personnel; establishing reliable, interoperable communications; and providing for the safekeeping of critical systems, records, and databases;

WHEREAS, one hundred and two Continuity of Government and Continuity of Operations plans have been developed by the Office of the Governor and every secretariat and agency within the executive department;

WHEREAS, these Continuity of Government and Continuity of Operations plans have been submitted to and remain on file with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and are ready to be put into operation in the event of a terrorist attack, natural disaster, or other emergency;

WHEREAS, to achieve a maximum state of readiness, these plans have been incorporated into the daily operations of every secretariat and agency in the executive department;

WHEREAS, each executive department agency with critical functions has exercised its Continuity of Operations plan and tested its alert and notification procedures, emergency operating procedures, and the interoperability of communications and information systems; and

WHEREAS, each secretariat has exercised its Continuity of Government plan, and tested its ability to prioritize and deliver essential functions, operate at an alternate facility, and implement succession plans and delegations of authority in an emergency; and

WHEREAS, these regular exercises will continue to ensure that vulnerabilities in the Continuity of Government and Continuity of Operations plans are identified, reviewed, and corrected, and will help to secure an effective response by each secretariat and agency in the event of a terrorist attack, natural disaster, or other emergency;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Mitt Romney, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Supreme Executive Magistrate, do hereby order as follows:

Section l: Each secretariat and agency within the executive department shall continue to consider emergency preparedness functions in the conduct of its regular operations, particularly those functions which would be essential in a time of emergency.

Section 2: Each secretariat within the executive department shall conduct activities on a quarterly basis that support the implementation of its Continuity of Government and Continuity of Operations plans and shall submit a quarterly report to the Executive Office of Public Safety detailing the actions taken to implement these plans.

Section 3: Each agency within the executive department shall conduct activities on a quarterly basis that support the implementation of its Continuity of Operations plan and shall submit a quarterly report to the Executive Office of Public Safety detailing the actions taken to implement such plan.

Section 4: Each secretariat within the executive department shall regularly, and in no event less than once per calendar year, conduct trainings and exercises to put into practice its submitted Continuity of Government and Continuity of Operations plans.

Section 5: Each agency within the executive department shall regularly, and in no event less than once per calendar year, conduct trainings and exercises to put into practice its submitted Continuity of Operations plan.

Section 6: These trainings and exercises shall be designed to simulate emergency situations which may arise, and shall be designed to test the effectiveness of the various components of the Continuity of Government and Continuity of Operations plans. These exercises must, at a minimum, include transfer of command functions to an emergency relocation site and the use of emergency communication systems.

Section 7: Each secretariat within the executive department shall incorporate findings from these trainings and exercises into its Continuity of Government and Continuity of Operations plans, and based on these findings, shall regularly, and in no event less than once per calendar year, update these plans. Likewise, each agency within the executive department shall incorporate findings from these trainings and exercises into its Continuity of Operations plan, and based on these findings, shall regularly, and in no event less than once per calendar year, update its Continuity of Operations plan.

These plans shall be submitted to and remain on file with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. In addition, the Executive Office for Administration and Finance shall submit a quarterly report to the Executive Office of Public Safety on the status of its review of executive department communication and information systems.

Section 8: The Executive Office of Public Safety shall submit an annual report to the Office of the Governor regarding the status of the Continuity of Government plan of each secretariat within the executive department, and the status of the Continuity of Operations plan of each secretariat and agency within the executive department.

Given at the Executive Chamber in Boston this 3rd day of January in the year of our Lord two thousand and seven and of the Independence of the United States, two hundred and thirty.

Mitt Romney, Governor

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

William Francis Galvin

Secretary of the Commonwealth