Sec.  202.2   Criteria and guidance.

   NS/EP  planning  in  government and industry with respect to effective
   conservation  and  use  of surviving telecommunications resources in a
   disaster,  emergency or postattack period must provide for orderly and
   uninhibited  restoration of services by the carriers and authoritative
   control of services allocation which will assure that priority will be
   afforded the most critical needs of government and the private sector with
   respect to these objectives.

   (a) The preservation of the integrity of characteristics and capabilities of
   the Nation's telecommunications systems and networks during wartime or
   non-wartime  emergencies is of the utmost importance. This can best be
   accomplished  by  centralized  policy development, planning, and broad
   direction. Detailed operations management will remain decentralized in order
   to retain flexibility in the use of individual systems in responding to the
   needs of national security, survival and recovery. Each Federal agency
   responsible for telecommunications systems operations, and the carriers, are
   responsible for planning with respect to emergency operations. Guidance in
   this matter has been issued from a number of sources and contained in:

   (1) Annex C-XI (Telecommunications), Federal Emergency Plan D (Classified).

   (2) National Plan for Telecommunications Support in Non-wartime Emergencies.

   (3) The National Communications System Management Plan for Annex

   C-XI (Telecommunications) Federal Emergency Plan D (Classified).

   (b) The continuity of essential communications services will be maintained
   through  the use of controls and operational procedures to assure that
   priority is given to vital services. NS/EP telecommunications services
   entail policies, procedures and responsibilities as described in parts 211
   and 213 of this chapter.

   (c) The Nation's telecommunications systems facilities are vulnerable to
   physical and radiological damage. Planning factors with respect to the
   resumption of services in a disaster or postattack period must consider the
   probable loss of facilities which formerly provided direct and/or alternate
   intercity services among surviving population centers. Since surviving areas
   and population centers would serve as the sources of support to crippled
   areas of the Nation, the resumption of services between and among surviving
   metropolitan areas will be a high priority with the carriers.