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In late January 2025, Northern Ireland faced an unprecedented red weather warning, signalling a severe storm that threatened significant disruption.
This storm, the most significant in a century, posed a substantial risk to the infrastructure of 1,200 schools, potentially leading to power outages, data loss, and hardware failures. The government issued urgent advisories, urging people to stay indoors and avoid travel unless absolutely necessary.
Incident response
In response to this looming crisis, our colleagues, led by Alan George, Hosting and Cloud Director, and supported by Ken Taylor, Service Desk and Service Management Director, sprang into action. With only a few days' notice, they initiated emergency procedures designed to safeguard the schools' IT infrastructure. This involved close coordination with the Education Authority (EA) and individual schools to ensure a swift and effective response.
The team's preparation was meticulous. Alan said: “Using remote control and monitoring capabilities we ensured schools taken offline due to a power outage were returned to service as soon as the power was restored. This included working over the weekend to prepare replacement hardware that could be deployed to a school if needed, so that any disruption was minimal.”
Despite the government's travel restrictions, field engineers and EA personnel were ready to assist on-site if needed. This concerted effort meant that engineers could be dispatched to assist a school’s recovery if required.
An exceptional result
The results of these preparations were remarkable. Ultimately, the power outages affected 320 schools. By Monday, 288 schools had their IT services fully restored, thanks to the tireless efforts of Capita's team. The remaining schools were brought back online shortly after, with minimal disruption to their operations.
Ken said: “This incident not only demonstrated Capita's capability to handle large-scale emergencies but also highlighted the critical role of preparation and collaboration in mitigating the impact of unforeseen events. The team's swift and effective response serves as a testament to their professionalism and commitment to excellence."
Huge well done to all involved!
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