A broken water pipe or roof leak floods your offices?

A fire damages your building and prevents you from using your normal work facilities?

A lightning strike shorts out your servers and phone system?

Could you quickly recover and continue your operations? - You can with a Continuity of Operations Plan.

A COOP plan is a collection of resources, actions, procedures, and information that is developed, tested, and held in readiness for use in the event of a major disruption of operations. COOP planning helps prepare University units to maintain mission critical operations after any emergency or disaster.  COOP planning is required by Florida Statutes Section 252.365.

A COOP plan is not a one-time project with an established start and end date. Rather, it is a living document whereby it is essential that information and action plans in the COOP plan remain viable and current. It should be tested, at a minimum, once a year.

The information in the COOP plan describes the organization’s planning assumptions, objectives and protective measures and thus may contain protected or sensitive information.  This is recognized by statute and COOP plans are protected from release under the Florida Sunshine Laws.  

The success of the plan however necessitates that key personnel have immediate access.  All individuals with defined roles in the plan should be familiar with the COOP. Those who play an active role should continually ensure that adequate resources and capabilities exist for carrying out their roles.

University of Florida Resources

UF Department COOP Plan Template (2005)

Instructions for UF Department COOP Plan Template

COOP Plan Transmittal Memo

COOP Workshop PowerPoint

UF Related Resources

- UF IT Security Continuance of Operations Standards

- UF Health Science Center SPICE Program

State Resources from Florida Division of Emergency Management

COOP Implementation Guidance (PDF)

- COOP Training Workbook

COOP Coordinator Orientation (PowerPoint Document)


COOP Online Training Classes from FEMA

- FEMA Independent Study Class - IS-546 COOP Awareness

- FEMA Independent Study Class - IS 547 Introduction to COOP