Business Continuity
The Federal Reserve System plays a major role in maintaining the stability and integrity of the nation's payments systems. Since the vast majority of dollars that move through the U.S. payments systems rely in some way on electronic networks, it is critical that we continuously revisit and update our Business Continuity plans.
The Reserve Banks constantly seek ways to minimize the likelihood of a service disruption. However, your business continuity plan should include your institution's preparations for an emergency situation, and the actions your institution would take during and immediately following a Federal Reserve business disruption.
National Business Continuity Information
- National
Business Continuity Guide
Because most of our services are managed nationally, we have developed this on-line guide, which should replace any previous Continuity Guides you may have received from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. We encourage all customers to widely distribute the addresses of the National Continuity Guide and this Local Information page within your institution, to bookmark the pages for easy reference in an emergency, and to retain a hard copy for your records. When we implement changes that affect how you access our business functions, or your required actions during a disruption, this on-line National Guide will enable us to provide updated information in a timely fashion.
Covered in the National Guide are:- Account Services
- National FedCash Services *
- National Check Services *
- Discount Window
- Electronic Access
- FedACH
- Reserves Administration
- Statistical Reporting
- Supervision and Regulation
- Treasury Services (including Treasury Direct, TT&L, Treasury Auction, Savings Bonds and FR-ETA)
- Fedwire Funds Transfer and Fedwire Securities Transfer
Boston Fed (Local) Business Continuity Information
Business Resumption Plans
The Boston Reserve Bank and the Federal Reserve System are committed to providing you and your customers with quality payment and other business services that are reliable and secure. Nonetheless, our services could be disrupted for a number of reasons, such as fire or water damage, or another event that prevents access to one of our buildings. We strongly encourage you to develop and refine your own business continuity plans that will facilitate the timely resumption of those business functions critical to your institution and your customers.
The Boston Reserve Bank subscribes to multiple energy and communications vendors to minimize chances of a communications or other disruption in the event of an outage. We maintain a state-of-the-art security system and continuously monitor and improve our facilities to prevent disruption to the building and our critical operations. In the event that our building did have to be evacuated, all of our critical business functions would be moved to a District relocation facility or remote processing locations. Designated staff regularly visit our relocation facility for test drills to evaluate our business resumption plans and to maintain familiarity with our business continuity procedures.
The Boston Reserve Bank has comprehensive procedures in place to assist in resuming critical business functions in the event of a disruption. We exercise these procedures on a regular basis to prepare our systems, staff and customers for recovery from all types of disruption situations. Our goal is to recover our systems and continue critical function processing the same day.
Information Sources
During an emergency or Federal Reserve business disruption, the Federal Reseve Bank of Boston will provide information to our customers and other stakeholders via the following means.
- www.bos.frb.org
The Boston Reserve Bank's public web site will be updated periodically during an emergency. - FedLine Broadcast Message
Subscribers to these services will receive messages via this facility.
Cash Services
In the Event of
A Business Disruption at the Federal Reserve
Federal Reserve Cash Services maintains comprehensive
business continuity plans that will be activated in
the event of a business disruption. The Federal Reserve
Bank of Boston's business continuity plans are aligned
with those of other Federal Reserve Districts to support
continuity of service. Please visit our National
Cash Services business continuity page for
more information.
If the normal provision of cash services is impaired, the First District will notify its customers via: FedLine broadcast message, the District's Emergency Information Line message, and email messages to customers that have provided Cash contact email addresses.
Accessing
Federal Reserve Cash Services
If your normal currency and coin ordering channels (e.g.,
FedLine for the Web) are unavailable, you
can also place orders by contacting your local Federal
Reserve office via telephone. Please see contact numbers
provided below.
If the Boston Reserve Bank becomes inaccessible for an extended period of time, your financial institution may be directed to place orders with other Federal Reserve offices. You may also be informed about restrictions on currency and coin orders and deposits, and may be directed to alternative pick-up and delivery points.
FRB Boston Cash Services Contact Numbers
| Customer Service: | 617-973-3816 |
| Currency and Coin Order Inquiries: | 617-973-3816 |
| Fax Orders - Currency and Coin: | 617-973-3825 |
| After-hours Emergency Bank Number: | 617-973-3602 |
| District Relocation Facility: | 617-928-6470 |
Pandemic Flu Planning Resources
The Federal Reserve System and the Federal Reserve Banks have incorporated pandemic flu planning into our business continuity activities.
We recommend the following official web sites that provide general information about pandemic flu, and resources that can help your institution develop an appropriate plan for your business needs.
- PandemicFlu.gov
Managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, this site is designed to serve as "one-stop access to U.S. Government avian and pandemic flu information." The site's resources include information about pandemic flu, as well as "Workplace Planning." - World Health Organization (WHO) Official Site
The WHO's Epidemic and Pandemic Alert and Response (EPR) site discusses the phenomena in general, and also provides specific information about avian flu.
Stay Connected
National
Business Continuity Guide
National
Cash Services Business Continuity
National
Check Services Business Continuity