Following a natural or manmade disaster many constituents may turn to their elected officials for help and guidance navigating the various federal, state, and charitable organizations offering help. Congressional caseworkers deliver compassion and expertise and often can effectively advocate for the individuals and families they represent. An impacted constituent may face a variety of challenges including housing, water supply, electricity, food, and medical care and financial assistance.
Caseworkers can help guide those in need to the specific resources that may be available. Experienced staff know that their ultimate success demands careful preparation, focused observation, and immediate and sustained response.
You can see and predict some disasters such as hurricanes coming while others like tornados or failed infrastructure may arrive with little warning. Either way, having the right tools and know how to respond to constituent needs is vitally important.
As recent hurricanes Helene and Milton approached, Congressional offices began preparing long before landfall. The lucky ones avoided a direct hit to their constituencies, but many will continue to help recovery efforts weeks, months, and years after the storms. For the majority of congressional offices, Intranet Quorum (IQ) is the system of record to track specific constituent casework. With flexible and comprehensive casework tracking capabilities, IQ enables caseworkers to capture vital information, organize it, and communicate with all relevant stakeholders in federal, state, and local organizations focused on disaster relief. IQ is the only Congressional casework solution backed by a live manned help desk, assigned and experienced consultants, and local IT field representatives ready to be deployed as needed following disasters.
Recently as storms approached, caseworkers across the southeast reached out to our teams to prepare. Together we tested and configured primary and backup equipment, reviewed process and response protocols, and ensured immediate response support would be available as needed.
Leidos is proud to offer these products and services in support of our customers and their constituents. No one looks forward to a disaster, but we know preparation is smart. Leidos stands ready to help our customers if disaster strikes.
If you know a storm is coming there are some steps you can take to prepare:
- Contact your IT services provider as soon as you suspect you may be impacted. Leidos House IT Services (HITS) customers can contact our help desk to review their options under that contract.
- Make sure your remote access VPN credentials are up to date and valid.
- Identify potential alternate sources for electricity and internet connectivity if you are cut off from normal connectivity.
- Make sure your primary and alternate computing devices are compliant with up to date operating systems, security, and application patches.Â
- Establish office protocols for team check in and alternate coverage in case one or more team members are unable to connect following the event.
- Update your Federal, State, and Local emergency office contact lists and distribute to staff in advance.
- Consider post-event communications options such as constituent telephone town halls, SMS messaging, official website updates, enewsletter publications, and social media messaging.Â
- As a last step, when possible, shut down computers and equipment before power is likely to be interrupted.Â
Of course, not all disasters come with advance notice. After the fact, you may need support getting back to normal operations. No matter how well you prepare, there are frequently surprises. Leidos stands ready to help all our IQ and HITS customers. We will be standing by to support you.Â
