scope:

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the NRSC developed a list of proactive steps that could be taken by service providers to prepare for a hurricane. In October 2006, the NRSC Hurricane Checklist was published as a resource to the industry and also submitted as part of the FCC proceeding requesting comments on the Hurricane Katrina Panel.

Over the course of several years, service providers found information contained within the NRSC Hurricane Checklist useful while responding to other emergency situations. As a result, this document was revised and republished in 2019 as the NRSC Emergency Preparedness and Response Checklist to provide general guidance regarding preparedness for and response to a wide array of emergency situations. As a result of expanding the Checklist to emergency situations beyond a hurricane, NRSC identified the value of referencing industry Best Practices supporting preparedness and response activity.

This Checklist was again revised following lessons learned from a record-breaking 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, and the recognition of intense hurricanes, wildfires, and other disastrous events. Additionally, based on cross-sector discussion, an industry role for "Power" was added to the checklist, acknowledging the importance of coordination outside the ICT industry during restoration efforts.

Purpose

This document provides general guidance regarding preparedness for and response to a wide array of emergency situations.