i.	Preliminary Damage Assessment
Each particular emergency imposes varying assessment procedures. 
Nevertheless, the Emergency Response Team should consider in general the following points and fill up Form 8di:
•	Origin of the emergency
•	Potential for additional disruption or damage or casualties
•	Area affected by the emergency
•	Number of Human losses and casualties
•	Status of the physical infrastructure 
•	Inventory and functional status of the critical equipment
•	Items that can be recovered through the Disaster Recovery 
•	Business processes affected
•	Business processes recoverable
•	Items to be replaced
•	Estimated time to restore normal services if disaster procedures were not in place

In addition, if possible, the BIA and Critical and Essential Functions need to be reviewed, in order to detect  
•	Interdependency of equipment affected with functions
•	Functions affected directly
•	Functions affected through their interdependency to other affected functions

ii.	Identification of Potential Disaster Status (list of Criteria)
Based on the information specified above, the Crisis Management Team evaluates the situation and classifies the emergency as follows:

Impact from the event affects normal business operations

L1- Minor Continuity event:
Site operating normally  and
-	Incident limited to disruption of  a specific critical  function
-	No effect on other critical processes
-	Incident can be managed through normal operating procedures
-	Business process is interrupted but can be restored within 3 to 4 hours 
-	Incident expected to be closed within a day
-	No additional resources are required

L2- Momentous Continuity Event:

Site still operating normally in its majority, except in affected area, but
-	Incident affecting more than one critical function
-	Incident disrupting critical functions for more than one day
-	Incident can be managed through written recovery procedures (manually or other)
-	Critical Business processes will be restored within 72 hours
-	No additional resources are required, just extra hours to make up for unprocessed work within a week
-	Incident will be totally closed with no damage after one week

L3- Significant Continuity Event:

Possible situation:
-	Inaccessible areas in site
-	critical equipments  down 
-	infrastructure (power, telecomm…) affected 
-	casualties or life threatening situation
resulting in :
-	Significant disruption of multiple critical  processes for 3 to two weeks
-	Affecting the business of the bank and the image and relation with clients
-	Lack of resources and equipments
-	Need for activating DR site
-	relocation of staff to DR site or other branches

L4- Major Continuity Event:

Similar to Level 3 but for a period extending beyond the two weeks, or affecting more than one location, and impact of affected critical processes is greater. 


iii.	Disaster Declaration/ Non Declaration
			Whenever the event is rated between Level 3 and above then a disaster is to be declared and the BCP is to be invoked.

iv.	Handling Media
			The GM is the only person entitled to declare the disaster to the media. He releases information to the public, and handles interviews and press releases. The statement should answer the following questions:
•	What happened?
•	How did it happen?
•	What are we going to do about?

