Practical guidance and planning tools help fire service leaders maintain critical operations during technology disruptions.
The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) has released the Digital Capabilities Resilience Guide: A Practical Framework for Capability Continuity During Digital Disruption, a new resource designed to help fire and EMS departments maintain essential services when technology systems fail or become unavailable.
Developed by Chief Cedric Patterson and retired Chief Sam Greif on behalf of the IAFC Terrorism and Homeland Security Committee, the guide emphasizes that cyber resilience is a leadership responsibility—not just an IT issue.
What Fire and EMS Leaders Will Learn
The guide outlines five phases of operational continuity, helping departments prepare for, respond to, and recover from digital disruptions.
Fire chiefs and emergency service leaders can use the guide to:
- Identify mission-essential capabilities that must continue during technology outages.
- Strengthen operational readiness by preparing for disruptions to critical digital systems.
- Maintain continuity of operations when technology becomes unavailable.
- Support recovery efforts and restore essential capabilities following a disruption.
- Improve long-term resilience by applying lessons learned to future planning.
Practical Tools for Department Planning
The guide includes six ready-to-use planning tools to help fire and EMS leaders incorporate digital resilience into their continuity of operations planning.
