Disaster Recovery Guide for Money Exchange Staff

Disaster Recovery: Staff Response Guide

Essential protocols for Money Exchange operations during outages and emergencies.

What Constitutes a Disaster?

IT & Systems

Network failure, software crash, server outage, or power loss.

Physical Threats

Fire, flooding, earthquake, or facility damage preventing access.

Security Incidents

Robbery, break-ins, cyber-attacks, ransomware, or fraud attempts.

Top 3 Protection Priorities

CASH ASSETS

Secure physical cash in safes immediately.

CUSTOMER DATA

Lock screens and secure physical documents.

SYSTEM INTEGRITY

Disconnect compromised networks if instructed.

Scenario: System/Network Outage

STOP TRANSACTIONS

Do not attempt to force payments. Halt all exchanges immediately to prevent data mismatch.

NOTIFY & WAIT

Inform customers queueing. Contact IT Support within 5 minutes.

MANUAL MODE (IF AUTH)

Only switch to manual receipts if authorized by the Branch Manager.

Physical Threat: Robbery Protocol

SAFETY FIRST

Do not resist. Do not make sudden moves. Keep hands visible.

COOPERATE

Give exactly what is demanded. Do not volunteer extra info.

AFTERMATH

Lock doors immediately after they leave. Call Police (911) + Head Office.

Facility Issues: Power Outage / Fire

Secure Cash Drawers

All cash must be moved to the main safe immediately if power fails for > 10 mins.

Evacuation Protocol

If fire alarm sounds: Limit exposure. Lock safe if safe to do so. exit via designated path.

Ups/Backup Battery

Use the 15-min UPS window to gracefully shut down servers/PCs.

Escalation Chain

Level 1: Teller

Identify issue. Inform Supervisor immediately.

Level 2: Branch Manager

Assess severity. Authorize manual mode? Contact Regional IT.

Level 3: Head Office / Ops

Company-wide alerts. Notify regulators/partners. PR management.

Customer Handling During Outages

DO: INFORM CLEARLY

Place "System Down" signage immediately. Apologize for the inconvenience. Offer to call them back.

DON'T: ESTIMATE TIME

Never promise "It will be back in 10 minutes" unless confirmed by IT. Avoiding false hope prevents anger.

Manual Operations & Compliance

KYC IS MANDATORY

Even without the system, you must physically check ID cards. Take photocopies if possible.

PAPER TRAILS

Use pre-printed triplicate manual receipts. Customer gets one, Branch keeps two.

DATA ENTRY LATER

All manual transactions must be entered into the system immediately upon restoration.

Prevention & Preparedness

Regular Backup

Ensure end-of-day backups run successfully.

Emergency Contacts

Keep printed list of IT, Manager, and Police numbers accessible.

Mock Drills

Participate in quarterly fire and system outage drills.

Staff Action Card

Is cash secure?

Have customers been informed?

Is Head Office notified?

Are we recording manual transactions?

Are we safe (physically)?