| N |
| NATURAL THREATS |
Events caused by nature causing disruptions
to an organization. |
| NAWAS |
National Warning System |
| NCCEM |
National Coordinating Council on Emergency
Management (local directors) |
| NCOIC |
Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge |
| NEHRP |
National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program |
| NEIC |
National Earthquake Information Center |
| NEMA |
National Emergency Management Association
(state directors) |
| NENA |
National Emergency Number Association (911) |
| NETC |
National Emergency Training Center |
| NETWORK ARCHITECTURE |
The basic layout of a computer and its attached
systems, such as terminals and the paths between them. |
| NETWORK OUTAGE |
An interruption in system availability as
a result of a communication failure affecting a network of
computer terminals, processors, or workstations. |
| NFIP |
National Flood Insurance Program |
| NGA |
National Governor's Association |
| NHRAIC |
Natural Hazard Research and Applications
Information Center |
| NLEEC |
National Law Enforcement Emergency Channel |
| NOAA |
National Oceanic Administrative Agency |
| NODE |
The name used to designate a part of a network.
This may be used to describe one of the links in the network,
or a type of link in the network (for example, Host Node or
Intercept Node). |
| NONESSENTIAL FUNCTION/DATA |
Business activities or information which
could be interrupted or unavailable indefinitely without significantly
jeopardizing critical functions of an organization. |
| NONESSENTIAL RECORDS |
Records or documents which, if irretrievably
lost or damaged, will not materially impair the organization's
ability to conduct business. |
| NORAD |
North American Aerospace Defense |
| NOUE |
Notice of Unusual Event |
| NPSPAC |
National Public Safety Planning Advisory
Committee |
| NRC |
Nuclear Regulatory Commission |
| NSDD |
National Security Decision Directive |
| NTSB |
National Transportation Safety Board |
| NUDET |
Nuclear Detonation |
| NUREG |
Nuclear Regulation |
| NWS |
National Weather Service |
|
|
| OFF-HOST PROCESSING |
A backup mode of operation in which processing
can continue throughout a network despite loss of communication
with the mainframe computer. |
| OFF-LINE PROCESSING |
A backup mode of operation in which processing
can continue manually or in batch mode if the on-line systems
are unavailable. |
| OFF-SITE STORAGE FACILITY |
A secure location, remote from the primary
location, at which backup hardware, software, data files,
documents, equipment, or supplies are stored. |
| OFM |
Office of Financial Management |
| OIC |
Officer in Charge |
| ON-LINE SYSTEMS |
An interactive computer system supporting
users over a network of computer terminals. |
| OPERATING SOFTWARE |
A type of system software supervising and
directing all of the other software components plus the computer
hardware. |
| OPS |
Operations Unit |
| ORGANIZATION CHART |
A diagram representative of the hierarchy
of an organization's personnel. |
| ORGANIZATION-WIDE |
A policy or function applicable to the entire
organization and not just one single department. |
| OSC |
On Scene Commander |
| OSCCR |
On Scene Command and Coordination Radio |
| OUTAGE |
See Systems Outage. |
| OUTSOURCING |
The transfer of data processing functions
to an independent third party. |
|
|
| PAD |
Protective Action Decision |
| PAG |
Protective Action Guide |
| PAR |
Protective Action Recommendation (FNF) |
| PAR |
Personnel Action Request |
| PARALLEL TEST |
A test of recovery procedures in which the
objective is to parallel an actual business cycle. |
| PAZ |
Protective Action Zone |
| PDS |
Professional Development Series |
| PERIPHERAL EQUIPMENT |
Devices connected to a computer processor
which perform such auxiliary functions as communications,
data storage, printing, etc. |
| PF |
Protection Factor |
| PGE |
Portland General Electric |
| PHYSICAL SAFEGUARDS |
Physical measures taken to prevent a disaster,
such as fire suppression systems, alarm systems, power backup
and conditioning systems, access control systems, etc. |
| PIO |
Public Information Officer |
| PLATFORM |
A hardware or software architecture of a
particular model or family of computers (i.e., IBM, Tandem,
HP, etc.) |
| PORTABLE SHELL |
An environmentally protected and readied
structure that can be transported to a disaster site so equipment
can be obtained and installed near the original location. |
| PROCEDURAL SAFEGUARDS |
Procedural measures taken to prevent a disaster,
such as safety inspections, fire drills, security awareness
programs, records retention programs, etc. |
| PLAN MAINTENANCE |
The periodic and regular review and updating
of a contingency plan. |
| PLANNING SOFTWARE |
A computer application designed to assist
in the development, organization, publication, distribution,
and maintenance of a contingency plan. |
| PPP |
Population Protection Planning |
| PREPARADNESS |
Those activities, programs, and systems that
exist prior to an emergency which are used to support and
enhance response to an emergency or disaster. |
| PRER |
Peacetime Radiological Emergency Response |
|
|
| R |
Roentgen |
| RAC |
Regional Assistance Committee |
| RACES |
Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services |
| RADEF |
Radiological Defense |
| RAG |
Radiological Assessment Group |
| RDO |
Radiological Defense Officer |
| REAC/TS |
Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training
Site |
| RECIPROCAL AGREEMENT |
An agreement between two organizations with
compatible computer configurations allowing either organization
to utilize the other's excess processing capacity in the event
of a disaster. |
| RECORD RETENTION |
Storing historical documentation for a set
period of time, usually mandated by state and federal law
or the Internal Revenue Service. |
| RECOVERY ACTION PLAN |
The comprehensive set of documented tasks
to be carried out during recovery operations. |
| RECOVERY ALTERNATIVE |
The method selected to recover the critical
business functions following a disaster. In data processing,
some possible alternatives would be manual processing, use
of service bureaus, or a backup site (hot or cold-site). A
recovery alternative is usually selected following either
a Risk Analysis, Business Impact Analysis, or both. SIMILAR
TERMS: Backup site, backup alternative. |
| RECOVERY CAPABILITY |
This defines all of the components necessary
to perform recovery. These components can include a plan,
an alternate site, change control process, network rerouting
and others. |
| RECOVERY MANAGEMENT TEAM |
A group of individuals responsible for directing
the development and on-going maintenance of a disaster recovery
plan. Also responsible for declaring a disaster and providing
direction during the recovery process. |
| RECOVERY PLANNING TEAM |
A group of individuals appointed to oversee
the development and implementation of a disaster recovery
plan. |
| RECOVERY TEAM |
SEE Business Recovery Team. |
| RECOVERY TIME |
The period from the disaster declaration
to the recovery of the critical functions. |
| RELOCATABLE SHELL |
SEE Portable Shell |
| REP |
Radiological Emergency Preparedness |
| REM |
Radiation Equivalent Man |
| RESPONSE |
Those activities and programs designed to
address the immediate and short-term effects at the onset
of an emergency or disaster. |
| RI |
Radiological Instrument |
| RIM&C |
Radiological Instrumentation Maintenance
and Calibration |
| RISK |
The potential for harm or loss. |
| RISK ASSESSMENT/ANALYSIS |
The process of identifying and minimizing
the exposures to certain threats which a organization may
experience. SIMILAR TERMS: Risk assessment; impact assessment;
corporate loss analysis; risk identification; exposure analysis;
exposure assessment. |
| RISK MANAGEMENT |
The discipline which ensures that an organization
does not assume an unacceptable level of risk. |
| RM |
Radiological Monitor |
| RPO |
Recovery Point Objective. |
| |
The point in time to which data must be restored
in order to resume processing transactions. RPO is the basis
on which a data projection strategy is developed. |
| RRT |
Radiological Defense Response Team |
| RX |
Reactor |
|
|
| SAE |
Site Area Emergency |
| SALVAGE & RESTORATION |
The process of reclaiming or refurbishing
computer hardware, vital records, office facilities, etc.
following a disaster. |
| SALVAGE PROCEDURES |
Specified procedures to be activated if equipment
or a facility should suffer any destruction. |
| SAMPLE PLAN |
A generic disaster recovery plan that can
be tailored to fit a particular organization. |
| SAR |
Search and Rescue |
| SARA |
Superfund Amendment and Reauthorization Act |
| SATELLITE COMMUNICATION |
Data communications via satellite. For geographically
dispersed organizations, may be viable alternative to ground-based
communications in the event of a disaster. |
| SBA |
Small Business Administration |
| SCAN |
State Controlled Area Network |
| SCM |
Survivable Crisis Management |
| SCO |
State Coordinating Officer |
| SCOPE |
Predefined areas of operation for which a
disaster recovery plan is developed. |
| SECURE |
State Emergency Communications |
| SERC |
State Emergency Response Commission |
| SERVICE BUREAU (CENTER) |
A data processing utility that provides processing
capability, normally for specialized processing, such as payroll. |
| SHADOW FILE PROCESSING |
An approach to data backup in which real-time
duplicates of critical files are maintained at a remote processing
site. SIMILAR TERMS: Remote Mirroring |
| SIMULATION TEST |
A test of recovery procedures under conditions
approximating a specific disaster scenario. This may involve
designated units of the organization actually ceasing normal
operations while exercising their procedures. |
| SKILLS INVENTORY |
A listing of employees which lists their
skills that apply to recovery. |
| SM |
Student Manual |
| SOPS |
Standard Operating Procedures |
| SPI |
Superintendent of Public Instruction |
| SSC |
Seismic Safety Commission. |
| STAND-ALONE PROCESSING |
Processing, typically on a PC or mid-range
computer, which does not require any communication link with
a mainframe or other processor. |
| STARC |
State Area Command (National Guard Headquarters) |
| STRUCTURED WALK-THROUGH TEST |
Team members walk through the plan to identify
and correct weaknesses. |
| SUBSCRIPTION |
Contract commitment providing an organization
with the right to utilize a vendor recovery facility for recovery
of their mainframe processing capability. |
| SYSTEMS DOWNTIME |
A planned interruption in system availability
for scheduled system maintenance. |
| SYSTEM OUTAGE |
An unplanned interruption in system availability
as a result of computer hardware or software problems, or
operational problems. |
|
|
| TD |
Training Document |
| TECHNICAL THREATS |
A disaster causing event that may occur regardless
of any human elements. |
| TELECOMMUNICATIONS |
Any transmission, emission, or reception
of signals, writings, images, and sounds of intelligence of
any nature by wire, radio, optical, or other electromagnetic
system. |
| TEMPORARY OPERATING PROCEDURES |
Predetermined procedures which streamline
operations while maintaining an acceptable level of control
and auditability during a disaster situation. |
| TEST PLAN |
The recovery plans and procedures that are
used in a systems test to ensure viability. A test plan is
designed to exercise specific action tasks and procedures
that would be encountered in a real disaster. |
| THREAT |
Threats are the events that cause
a risk to become a loss. Threats include natural phenomena
such as storms, earthquakes, and floods as well as man-made
incidents such as fire, sabotage, power failures, and bomb
threats. |
| TLD |
Thermoluminescent Dosimeter |
| TM |
Technical Memorandum |
| T3 |
Title 3 (SARA) |
| TR |
Technical Report |
|
|
| UBC |
Uniform Building Code |
| UDAC |
Unified Dose Assessment Center |
| UHF |
Ultra High Frequency |
| UNINTERRUPTIBLE POWER SUPPLY
(UPS) |
A backup power supply with enough power to
allow a safe and orderly shutdown of the central processing
unit should there be a disruption or shutdown of electricity. |
| UPLOADING |
Connecting to another computer and sending
a copy of program or file to that computer. SEE ALSO Downloading. |
| USAR |
Urban Search and Rescue |
| USCG |
United States Coast Guard |
| USDA |
United States Department of Agriculture |
| USEFUL RECORDS |
Records that are helpful but not required
on a daily basis for continued operations. |
| USER CONTINGENCY PROCEDURES |
Manual procedures to be implemented during
a computer system outage. |
| UTC |
Utilities & Transportation Commission |
|
|
| VHF |
Very High Frequency |
| VITAL RECORDS |
Records or documents, for legal, regulatory,
or operational reasons, cannot be irretrievably lost or damaged
without materially impairing the organization's ability to
conduct business. |
| VOICE RECOVERY |
The restoration of an organization's voice
communications system. |
| VUNERABILITY |
The degree to which people, property, resources,
and commerce as well as environmental, social, and cultural
activity are susceptible to harm or destruction. |
|
|
| WAARNG |
Washington Army National Guard |
| WACO |
Washington Association of County Officials |
| WAN |
Wide Area Network. |
| |
Like a LAN, except that parts of a WAN are
geographically dispersed, possible in different cities or
even on different continents. Public carriers like the telephone
company are included in most WANs; a very large one might
have its own satellite stations or microwave towers. |
| WANG |
Washington Air National Guard |
| WARM SITE |
An alternate processing site which is only
partially equipped (As compared to Hot Site which is fully
equipped). |
| WEIC |
Washington Emergency Information Center |
| WMD |
Weapons of Mass Destruction |
| WNG |
Washington National Guard |
| WNP-2 |
Washington Nuclear Project Number 2 |
| WPPSS |
Washington Public Power Supply System |
| WSEMA |
Washington State Emergency Management Association |
| WSEO |
Washington State Energy Office |
| WSP |
Washington State Patrol |