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NATIONAL ENGAGEMENT - PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS:
EVACUATION AND SHELTER-IN-PLACE
August 9, 2018
FEMA’s National Integration Center is seeking feedback on the draft document Planning
Considerations: Evacuation and Shelter-in-Place, as part of the continued development of the
document. Feedback and recommendations received help ensure the final version of the guide is
an effective resource for emergency managers across the nation.
Evacuation and shelter-in-place protective actions are prompted by a variety of threats and
hazards. Incident-specific circumstances drive the relevant protective actions based on a
community’s demographics, infrastructure, resources, authorities, and decision-making process.
Determining that evacuation needs to take place is not an all-or-nothing approach. Lessons
learned from disasters, such as hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Katrina, and Maria, have highlighted the
value of enacting a zone-phased approach to evacuation and shelter-in-place, enabling
jurisdictions to move as few people as necessary. Sheltering-in-place populations that are not
directly in harm's way, rather than having them evacuate, helps jurisdictions reduce costs,
resource requirements, and the negative impacts of evacuations, while promoting improved
response and quicker re-entry and recovery.
As you review the document, consider:
Identifying areas that may be confusing and need revision;
Providing success stories or best practices associated with the critical considerations
identified in the document; and
Identifying additional job aides, training opportunities, or resources for inclusion in
the document.
The document will undergo subsequent technical editing to correct any issues related to
formatting, grammatical, or punctuation issues.
A comment matrix can be found at https://www.fema.gov/plan and can be used to capture any
recommendations. Please provide any comments, input, or recommendations by COB on, August
31, 2018. Email feedback to [email protected].
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3 PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS:
4 EVACUATION AND 5
SHELTER-IN-PLACE
Pictures to be inserted prior to publication
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Table of Contents 6
Background ................................................................................................................................... 1 7
Purpose ...................................................................................................................................................... 1 8
Background ............................................................................................................................................... 1 9
Planning Principles ....................................................................................................................... 2 10
Roles and Responsibilities ........................................................................................................................ 4 11
Key Concepts ................................................................................................................................. 7 12
Zones ......................................................................................................................................................... 7 13
Evacuation Transportation Models ........................................................................................................... 8 14
Phases ........................................................................................................................................................ 9 15
Characteristics of Evacuation and Shelter-In-Place ................................................................................ 10 16
Critical Considerations ............................................................................................................... 13 17
Accessibility ............................................................................................................................................ 13 18
Contraflow Lane Reversal ...................................................................................................................... 13 19
Correctional Facilities ............................................................................................................................. 13 20
Domestic/Sexual Violence Shelters ........................................................................................................ 14 21
Evacuation Clearance Time .................................................................................................................... 14 22
Fuel Management .................................................................................................................................... 15 23
Homeless Populations ............................................................................................................................. 15 24
Household Pets and Service Animals ..................................................................................................... 16 25
Individuals with Access and Functional Needs ...................................................................................... 16 26
Legal Requirements and Authorities ....................................................................................................... 17 27
Mass Care Services ................................................................................................................................. 17 28
Population Assessment ........................................................................................................................... 18 29
Terminology Used in Public Messaging ................................................................................................. 18 30
Tourist Populations ................................................................................................................................. 18 31
Tracking .................................................................................................................................................. 18 32
Traffic Management ................................................................................................................................ 19 33
Zonal Approach/Methodology ................................................................................................................ 19 34
Using the Six-Step Planning Process ......................................................................................... 21 35
Step 1: Form a Planning Team ................................................................................................................ 21 36
Step 2: Understand the Situation ............................................................................................................. 22 37
Step 3: Determine Goals and Objectives ................................................................................................ 22 38
Step 4: Plan Development ....................................................................................................................... 23 39
Step 5: Plan Preparation, Review, and Approval .................................................................................... 23 40
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Step 6: Plan Implementation and Maintenance ....................................................................................... 23 41
Appendix A – Acronym List ...................................................................................................... 24 42
Appendix B – Terminology ........................................................................................................ 26 43
Appendix C – Authorities ........................................................................................................... 30 44
Appendix D – Job Aids ............................................................................................................... 32 45
Command Job Aid .................................................................................................................................. 32 46
Essential Elements of Information .......................................................................................................... 34 47
Appendix E – Checklists ............................................................................................................. 40 48
Appendix F – Resources ............................................................................................................. 46 49
Training Resources ................................................................................................................................. 46 50
Other Resources ...................................................................................................................................... 46 51
Federal Evacuation Support Resources ................................................................................................... 46 52
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Background 54
Purpose 55
This document directly supports state, local, tribal, and territorial partners in planning for 56 evacuation and/or shelter-in-place protective actions.1 It summarizes the unique characteristics 57
that jurisdictions should consider when planning for evacuation and/or shelter-in-place 58 operations and builds on Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101: Developing and 59 Maintaining Emergency Operations Plans by providing planning considerations to help develop 60 evacuation and shelter-in-place plans.2 In addition, this document contains job aids and 61 checklists that jurisdictions can customize to meet their needs. 62
Background 63
An unprecedented eight million people came under evacuation orders due to various hazards 64 throughout the Nation in 2017, including: 65
In February 2017, flooding caused the Oroville Dam in California to fail, causing the 66 evacuation of over 180,000 people3; 67
Hurricane Harvey struck Texas in August 2017 and resulted in the evacuation of over 68 780,000 people4; 69
Hurricane Irma struck Florida in September 2017 and resulted in jurisdictions issuing 70 evacuation orders covering a record 6.8 million citizens; 71
From October 8–31, 2017, wildfires in California forced the evacuation of over 100,000 72 residents. 73
Lessons learned from these recent disasters have proven that evacuation and shelter-in-place 74
protective actions vary based on the threat or hazard. Protective actions also vary based on a 75 community’s demographics, infrastructure, resources, authorities, and decision-making process. 76 Consequently, determining the most appropriate protective actions depends on a variety of 77 factors, which this document discusses. 78
1 Note that this document does not address building/facility evacuations or shelter-in-place considerations typically covered in
occupant emergency plans. 2 FEMA, CPG 101: Developing and Maintaining Emergncy Operations Plans, Version 2.0, (Washington, DC, 2010), https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/25975. 3 2018, FEMA DRAFT National Preparedness Report. 4 2018 FEMA, 2017 After Action Reports.
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Planning Principles 79
A shared understanding of evacuation and shelter-in-place planning principles is essential to 80 effective planning. These principles provide an underlying foundation for the planning process 81 and establish a common operating picture that is scalable and translatable across a multi-82 jurisdictional evacuation concept. The 12 principles below are the foundation for successful 83
evacuation and shelter-in-place plans. 84
1. Defined Authorities 85
Evacuation and shelter-in-place planning should be consistent with existing jurisdictional 86 authorities, roles, and responsibility, as defined in current statutes, regulations, delegations of 87
power, memoranda of understanding/agreement (MOUs/MOAs), policies, and other guidance 88 documents. 89
In some jurisdictions, the authorities to issue an evacuation order or shelter-in-place direction are 90 not clearly defined or lie with a vacant office (e.g., county justice, police chief) where the office 91
is not held at the time of an incident. These situations will require specific guidance on further 92 authority and coordination between levels of government to clarify processes before an event 93 occurs. 94
2. Shelter-In-Place – First/Default Option 95
An evacuation should move as few people as possible the shortest distance possible while 96
providing for their safety. Jurisdictions should always consider shelter-in-place as the 97 first/default option, when feasible. Generally, this helps support life-safety, lessens the resource 98
requirements and negative impacts of evacuations, and promotes improved response and quicker 99 re-entry and recovery. 100
Jurisdictions should look for opportunities to lessen the need for evacuation. This may mean 101
looking at risk more closely and when possible, advising populations to shelter-in-place. 102
3. Common Understanding 103
Establishing a common understanding of a plan’s goal and operational procedures is important to 104 overall coordination. Plans need to be viable for each locality, as well as locally supportable, and 105 integrate with the applicable region, state, and interstate plans. 106
Using common terms and strategies helps align planning concepts into one cohesive approach. 107
4. Zone-based Operational Strategies 108
Plans should articulate operational strategies, include jurisdictional priorities, and provide 109 decision support to promote phased, zone-based evacuation or shelter-in-place for notice and no-110
notice events. 111
Planners should analyze communities as zones; evacuation orders or shelter-in-place direction 112 should target specific populations within zones at risk. This practice is most beneficial in large 113
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population centers and during localized events. Larger events may necessitate full jurisdiction 114 evacuations but require careful consideration. 115
5. Unified Coordination Process 116
Jurisdictions within a geographic or political region should consider individual jurisdictional 117
plans that outline common language, formatting, and a unified coordination process. 118
Most jurisdictions identify the need for a common mechanism to coordinate across jurisdictional 119 boundaries. This may be a coordination group concept or an existing mechanism facilitated by 120 the state. 121
6. All Hazard Planning 122
Plans should include all-hazards planning to address a myriad of threats and indicate when 123
shelter-in-place or evacuation is appropriate. Jurisdictions should consider existing concepts, 124
plans, systems, resources, and practices (such as traffic management plans, hurricane or 125 nuclear/chemical plant evacuation plans and zones). These documents should identify the chain 126 of command early in the planning process to facilitate initial information gathering for plan 127 development. Planners should also account for considerations that can result from catastrophic 128
events such as threats from external nation states or catastrophic natural disasters (e.g., major 129 hurricanes or earthquakes). Such events may require increased resource commitments over 130
longer periods of time due to the source and severity of the incident and may constrain 131 availability of resources (e.g., National Guard). These incidents may result in a larger Federal 132 presence and jurisdictions should establish a common process for integrating this increased 133
presence into their protective actions plans. 134
7. Whole Community Approach 135
Local jurisdictions should include the whole community in developing evacuation and shelter-in-136 place plans, including private sector stakeholders. To provide perspective and solicit buy-in, 137
entities should engage early and throughout the entire planning process. 138
Whole community stakeholders will have diverse individual needs during an evacuation. 139
Accounting for the characteristics and needs of the actual community, as well as the resources 140 owned and operated by non-governmental entities, is vital to an effective evacuation (for 141
example in the case of many mass transit systems). 142
8. Flexibility and Scalability 143
Plans should be flexible and scalable to engage the appropriate protective action based on the 144 incident. Similarly, if the regional, inter-jurisdiction coordination mechanism (Evacuation 145
Coordination Group) becomes active, the state in addition with other jurisdictions should 146 coordinate the response efforts in a unified decision-making process as described above in 147 principle 5. 148
Vertical and horizontal integration is essential in large-scale evacuation efforts. This often means 149 local, state, and Federal entities work together to facilitate the movement of the displaced 150 population. 151
9. Critical Transportation Needs (CTN) 152
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Plans should account for CTN populations and registries, if they exist, that focus on individuals 153 with evacuation needs. A CTN population encompasses any evacuees with limited or no access 154 to transportation who require assistance to evacuate safely. 155
A large percentage of the jurisdictionally supplied evacuation support may directly support 156
individuals who require transportation assistance. Jurisdictions must consider these needs during 157 planning to account for any resource shortages. 158
10. Service and Assistance Animals, and Household Pets 159
Plans should make accommodations for individuals evacuating with animals and address the 160 specific needs of those with service and assistance animals. 161
Animals require their own resources and supportive services. Planners should account for needs 162 associated with household pets and service animals throughout the planning process. 163
11. Evacuee Tracking 164
Evacuee tracking can become a part of evacuation operations based on jurisdictional capacities, 165 capabilities, and resource needs. FEMA’s National Mass Evacuation Tracking System (NMETS) 166 is a software- and paper-based no-cost option available to jurisdictions. Electronic systems 167
should have redundant paper systems. A jurisdiction should include the tracking system that their 168 messaging uses so community members know what system to use to ensure timely reunification 169
with families. Additionally, jurisdictions should ensure citizens that the systems will protect 170 personally identifiable information while facilitating reunification and ensuring safety during an 171 evacuation. 172
Tracking allows jurisdictions to associate records of displaced persons with their personal 173
belongings, companions, and pets. Without tracking, situational awareness, accountability, and 174 reunification become challenging. 175
12. Mass Care 176
Jurisdictions should coordinate mass care efforts concurrently with sheltering/evacuation 177 planning so that populations evacuating from a disaster area have a safe location to seek refuge. 178
Understanding the destination of the evacuee is important, as is the establishment and operation 179 of shelter sites. If possible, the placement of displaced persons in shelters should occur during 180
embarkation. Public information strategies should account for sharing this information with the 181 displaced population. 182
Roles and Responsibilities 183
Individuals and Families 184
Individuals and families are survivors who primarily execute shelter-in-place and evacuation 185 protective actions. Emergency managers should conduct outreach through their community 186
engagement offices or programs to communicate expected individual and family roles and 187 responsibilities. Individuals and families should develop plans and ensure their readiness for both 188 protective actions. Being prepared for an evacuation includes identifying primary evacuation 189
routes from multiple locations (e.g., offices, homes, schools) as well as family reunification 190
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points in case an evacuation occurs while a family is scattered during the course of their normal 191 day-to-day life. Families should establish a communication plan that supports the family 192 evacuation plan and helps members communicate to implement evacuation, reunification, and re-193 entry. 194
Preparations for shelter-in-place include ensuring that the family or individual has a specified 195 shelter-in-place location. This location should contain enough non-perishable food, blankets, 196 communication equipment (such as radios), alternate power sources, first aid supplies, necessary 197 medications, and durable medical equipment (e.g., hearing aid batteries, catheters) to allow self-198 sustainment in that location for a minimum of 72 hours. For a detailed list of supplies 199
recommended for home emergency supply kits, consult www.ready.gov. 200
Private Sector 201
Private sector entities play an important role in safeguarding their employees. These entities 202 prepare, plan, and coordinate evacuation and shelter-in-place protective actions in case of threats 203 or hazards. Jurisdictions are encouraged to collaborate with the public and private sectors to 204 develop a shared understanding of protective actions and shelter-in-place concepts, plans, 205
terminology, and roles. Proper planning ensures the security of employees and reduces the 206 potential for life loss if an incident occurs during hours of operation. Private sector facilities 207
should have similar provisions as individuals and families for shelter-in-place; however, these 208 provisions will be on a larger scale and should accommodate goods and equipment (e.g., 209 signage). Private entities should also work with jurisdictions in the planning process to identify 210
evacuation routes and resources available to the private sector that could facilitate a large-scale 211 evacuation (e.g., buses or vans for transportation; stores as evacuation points). 212
State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial) Governments 213
Prior to an incident, jurisdictional governments should engage the whole community, including 214
public/private sectors, faith-based organizations, non-profits, and individuals and families to 215 conduct awareness briefings and preparedness training so that stakeholders are familiar with 216
what is expected of them during each type of protective action. Additionally, for each protective 217 action, jurisdictions should create clear and accessible messaging approved by leadership so 218
messages can easily and quickly be pushed to the public to advise them on necessary actions 219 (e.g., evacuation or shelter-in-place), including anything specific to the threat or hazard that is 220 impacting their community (e.g., anticipated flooding, hazardous material exposure, expected 221 loss of power). 222
For evacuations, the jurisdictional government issues evacuation orders, manages traffic flow, 223
identifies evacuation routes, and identifies shelters for citizens. Additionally, jurisdictions should 224
plan for disruptions to government operations and ensure they have a continuity of operations 225
plan (COOP) and continuity of government (COG) plan. These plans activate in the event of 226 government disruption and/or government relocation from an impacted area. For large-scale 227 events requiring Federal resources, communities should consult the Federal Evacuation 228 Supplemental Annex (FESA)5 for more information on coordinating efforts with Federal entities. 229
5 2018 FEMA DRAFT Federal Evacuation Supplemental Annex
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Jurisdictional Government Responsibilities 230
Set clear expectations for households and community partners by conducting training and information231 sessions232
Establish and publish clear evacuation routes and zones for the community233
Identify evacuation shelters in their community, as well as shelters where evacuees can go in other234 communities if needed235
Notify nearby jurisdictions and state partners of operations when appropriate236
Create pre-approved accessible messaging for rapid distribution regarding incident and shelter-in-237 place or evacuation instructions238
Have a continuity plan to help maintain response operations if interrupted239
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Key Concepts 240
The following key concepts often serve as the foundation for successful evacuation and shelter-241 in-place planning: Zones, use of various Transportation Models, Phases, and other 242 Characteristics. 243
Zones 244
Evacuation and shelter-in-place zones allow jurisdictions to target zone-based evacuation to the 245 most vulnerable areas, while also limiting the need for evacuating large areas that are not under 246 the threat of a hazard. Generally, considerations to select zone boundaries include U.S. Census 247
Blocks, neighborhood boundaries, fire/police districts, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) 248 hurricane evacuation zones, zip codes, and existing preparedness plans and documentation (e.g., 249 existing evacuation plans). Zones need to be easily recognizable by both first responders and 250 citizens to ensure clear messaging on protective actions occurring because of the hazard. The 251 mechanism for assigning these zones will vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. 252
Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Harvey highlighted the value of a zone-phased approach to 253 evacuation and shelter-in-place. Jurisdictions can benefit from considering shelter-in-place as the 254 first/default option, when feasible. 255
Shelter-in-place involves the use of a structure, to include homes, to temporarily separate 256 individuals from a hazard or threat. Shelter-in-place is appropriate when conditions require that 257 individuals seek protection in their homes, places of employment, or other locations when a 258 hazard or threat is imminent or occurring. When populations that are not directly in harm’s way 259
shelter in place, jurisdictions reduce costs, resource requirements, and negative impacts of 260 evacuations, while promoting improved response and quicker re-entry and recovery. 261
The goal of an evacuation is to move as few people as needed the shortest distance to safety. 262 Planning evacuation operations to meet this goal also helps reduce resource burdens, facilitates 263 more efficient re-entry, and more quickly moves a community towards recovery. 264
A zone-based approach requires emergency managers, authorities, and the whole community to 265 work together. It is important to establish a common understanding of evacuation and shelter-in-266 place actions across the community for overall coordination, as well as to make informed 267 decisions on the appropriate transportation models.6 These protective actions serve as tools in all-268
hazards planning, whether for hurricanes, wildfires, floods, chemical spills, civil unrest, or active 269 shooter scenarios. Situational awareness and flexibility of plans, along with an educated public, 270
allow each local, state, tribal, and territorial partner to customize its preparation and response 271 efforts. 272
6 The Evacuation Transportation Models section of this document presents details on the “hub and spoke” and “point-to-point”
transportation models.
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Evacuation Transportation Models 273
274 Transportation planning considerations should include staging, embarkation points,
275 transportation centers, and evacuee and shelter locations. Using these points in planning,
276 jurisdictions may choose to employ one of the transportation models below to facilitate the
277 movement of evacuees.
278
279
Figure 1: Hub and Spoke Evacuation Model 280
281 282 283
• Hub and Spoke (Figure 1): Moves and aggregates evacuees in short trips from numerous
pickup locations to centers, which in turn provide evacuation to mass care centers. Hub
and spoke maximizes routes and provides immediate movement of people from dangerous
locations to a safer location temporarily.284
285
Figure 2: Point-to-Point Evacuation Model 286
287 288 289 290
• Point-to-Point (Figure 2): Moves evacuees directly from the point of embarkation to a host
jurisdiction or shelter. Point-to-point is the fastest evacuation action to employ, most direct
and streamlined, and least resource-intensive in the immediate operational period. This
concept of operations has limited capacity for surges during large displacements and is not
ideal if the host location has not been determined.291
292
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Phases 293
Evacuation and shelter-in-place response operations occur in five phases—mobilization, 294 evacuation and shelter-in-place, impact, mass care, and re-entry. Phases, used in conjunction 295 with evacuation and shelter-in-place zones, provide a construct to move people to safety or have 296 them shelter-in-place. These phases help jurisdictions plan, organize, respond, and delegate 297 evacuation and shelter-in-place strategies, messages, tasks and decisions. Phases may differ 298 across zones that face unique hazards and considerations, may not occur at all, or may occur in 299 any order based on incident realities. 300
Mobilization Phase: The mobilization phase begins with the identification of a threat or301 hazard that could lead to an evacuation or shelter-in-place order. The first activity is initial302 notification of people, systems, and resources to establish incident command and303
management structures. Emergency management officials make coordinated decisions for304 protective actions and priorities, disseminating clear evacuation advisories and messaging to305 the public. Mobilization will likely happen concurrently with other phases for no-notice306 events and low-notice events307
Evacuation and Shelter-In-Place Phase: This phase begins when a threat requires308 evacuation or sheltering-in-place operations, either following or concurrent with mobilization309 phase activities depending on incident notice. This phase includes implementing the310 protective actions of evacuation and shelter-in-place orders. During this phase, shelter-in-311 place is the default primary protective action, if feasible. Evacuation and shelter-in-place312 actions will vary depending on the size and scope of the incident. This phase may be used in313 advance of the impact phase for notice events (e.g., hurricane) or after the impact phase for314 no-notice or low-notice events (e.g., earthquake, terrorist attack) to meet incident objectives315
and protect life and property.316
Impact Phase: During this phase, for notice events, jurisdictions work to secure facilities,317 people, and equipment and clear transportation system users upon impact of the hazard.318 Within the impact phase, the “zero hour” marks the time needed to ensure the safety of first319 responders as the hazard makes impact, and it is the designated point in time when it is no320 longer safe for responders to continue operations. For no-notice events the impact phase,321
mobilization phase, and evacuation and shelter-in-place phase may be compressed or occur322 simultaneously depending on incident specifics.323
Mass Care Phase: In case of an evacuation outside of the jurisdiction, evacuees will remain324 in the host jurisdiction until their community is safe. During this phase the evacuating325 jurisdictions should communicate with the host jurisdictions to coordinate shelters for326 evacuees, numbers of evacuees, types of evacuees, and potential length of evacuation. Not327
every evacuation necessitates mass care; mass care is most common in long-lasting events.328 During shelter-in-place, mass care may consist of commodity distribution, short-term care,329
and respite care.330
Re-entry Phase: This phase incorporates the coordinated movement of evacuees back into a331 community once the threat or hazard dissipates and the event causing the evacuation ends.332
Re-entry typically marks the transition to recovery activities. This phase may follow the re-333 entry of first responders if the threat or hazard was significant enough to require first334
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responders to evacuate or will begin once first responders have stabilized the area to a point 335 where residents can return to their communities. 336
Characteristics of Evacuation and Shelter-In-Place 337
Evacuations, like the incidents that trigger them, can affect multiple geographic regions and have 338 long-term social, political, and economic impacts. A whole community cooperative approach 339 supports and enables the safe and efficient movement of individuals and animals from an 340 impacted or potentially impacted community, as well as the return of evacuees back to the 341 community once it is safe. Evacuations may begin with the spontaneous movement of evacuees 342 or an official evacuation order and may occur before (pre-) or during and/or after (post-) an 343 incident. Similarly, shelter-in-place action can be pre- or post-incident, and pre-incident shelter-344 in-place action may still require a post-incident evacuation if the threat or hazard occurs with 345
little or no notice. 346
Duration of evacuation or shelter-in-place is incident dependent and varies on jurisdiction size, 347 location, and resources. The following are characteristics of each evacuation/shelter-in-place 348 type and types of evacuees. 349
Pre-incident evacuation and shelter-in-place occurs when warning is available before an350 incident, enabling the movement of the most vulnerable, threatened population away from a351 potential area of impact, and sheltering of populations in place when and where conditions352 support. One key advantage to pre-incident evacuation and shelter-in-place is that353 transportation resources and infrastructure are operating under normal conditions. Pre-354 incident evacuation decision making requires officials to balance potentially costly,355 hazardous, or unnecessary evacuations against the possibility of loss of life from an untimely356
evacuation. Calling for shelter-in-place in areas that are less impacted helps reduce the357 negative impacts of evacuation.358
Post-incident evacuation and shelter-in-place occurs during and/or after an incident. This359 may be the result of a no-notice event or unexpected impact of a notice event. Post-incident360 evacuation should only occur when it is unsafe for the affected population to remain in the361 incident area. In contrast to pre-incident evacuations, post-incident evacuations may occur362
simultaneously with life-saving response operations. Resource constraints will arise as363 resources otherwise employed to support evacuation operations fulfill other emergency364 response tasks instead.365
Types of Evacuees 366
Understanding the types of evacuees in the population affected by a potential threat or hazard 367
and their associated needs is critical to a jurisdiction’s evacuation and shelter-in- place planning 368 efforts. These types include: 369
General Population Evacuees: General population evacuees may possess the means to370
evacuate (i.e., self-evacuee) or may require assistance (i.e., critical transportation needs371 evacuee).372
– Self-Evacuees: Individuals who possess the capability or can obtain the resources to373 evacuate from a potentially dangerous area prior to, during, or after an incident.374
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– Critical Transportation Needs Evacuees: Individuals who require assistance to leave a 375 potentially dangerous or disaster-affected area (also referred to as Transportation-376 Dependent or Transportation-Disadvantaged Population). 377
Patient Evacuees: Individuals under the care of Emergency Medical Services (e.g.,378 prehospital emergency care, community para-medicine/mobile integrated healthcare),379 inpatient healthcare facilities (e.g., hospital, skilled nursing facility/nursing home, psychiatric380 facility), and outpatient healthcare services (e.g., home healthcare, dialysis, ambulatory381 surgery) prior to, during, or after a disaster. This type of evacuee requires specialized382 transportation (e.g., ambulances, ambulettes) as well as personnel and other support during383 and after an evacuation.384
Under most circumstances, patient evacuees can be sheltered with general population385 evacuees, but they may require close monitoring for medical assistance. However,386
jurisdictions should work with their health care partners to make accommodations for patient387 evacuees who may have compromised immune systems, require decontamination, or388 otherwise require round-the-clock medical care.389
Service Animal and Household Pet Evacuees: Animals, such as household pets, assistance390 animals, working dogs, agricultural animals/livestock, wildlife, exotic animals, zoo animals,391 research animals, and animals housed in shelters, rescue organizations, breeding facilities,392 and sanctuaries, may need evacuation support. Service animals evacuate with their owners as393 part of either the general population or patient population. Shelter-in-place of these types of394 evacuees depends on the incident, hazard or threat, and the safety of sheltering in place395 versus evacuating.396
Spontaneous Evacuees: Under some circumstances, citizens may self-evacuate based on an397 individual, family, or group decision in reaction to an incident or threat of an incident, rather398 than being motivated to take a protective action as a result of an evacuation order. These399 individuals and/or groups are considered spontaneous evacuees. Spontaneous evacuations400 can complicate operations and add confusion. Jurisdictions can lessen the likelihood and401 impact of spontaneous evacuations by conducting pre-event preparedness education402 campaigns; clearly defining zones; providing clear, unified, and unambiguous evacuation and403 shelter-in-place orders; and providing clear expected actions, and timely threat, hazard and404
risk information. Jurisdictions should carefully shape all communications to use appropriate405 and accessible language and forms of media to provide evacuation and shelter-in-place406 information to the community.407
Evacuation Facilities 408
A large-scale incident requires moving people across large areas and multiple jurisdictions. The 409
types of sites and resources identified by the planning team for such an incident depend on the 410 classification of the local jurisdiction. In addition, planners should be aware of the resources in 411
“pass-through” communities (between evacuating and host jurisdictions), because resources will 412 be stretched in these locations and their jurisdictions may be asked to establish and host 413 additional shelters if needed. 414
Based on the incident, the possible evacuation facilities may include: 415
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Evacuation Assembly Point: A temporary location exclusively for evacuation embarkation 416 and transportation coordination in a field setting. Basic life sustaining services are not 417 generally available. 418
Emergency Respite Site: A location along an evacuation route that is capable of supporting419 transportation-assisted evacuees and self-evacuees. Respite sites may include fuel stations,420 restroom facilities, and access to water.421
Regional Hub Reception Center (RHRC): A regional facility where evacuees can receive422 assistance in identifying the most appropriate shelter location for their needs. RHRCs are423 typically state-run and employed during significant multijurisdictional, multiregional events.424
Shelter (Mass Care): A facility where evacuees without a destination are evaluated and425 receive disaster services from government agencies and/or pre-established volunteer426
organizations. Meals and water should be available. Basic first aid, pet sheltering (if427 applicable), sleeping quarters, hygienic support, and basic disaster services (e.g., counseling,428 financial assistance and referral) should also be available.429
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Critical Considerations 430
Communities and emergency managers have many considerations to weigh as they integrate 431 evacuation and shelter-in-place protective actions into their emergency plans. Communities must 432 develop operational-level plans based on existing capabilities and revise those plans, and the 433 specific annexes for evacuation and shelter-in-place, as the strategic planning process continues 434 and capabilities change. 435
The following is an alphabetical list of some of the complex considerations that emergency 436 mangers and planning teams may encounter during planning, exercises, or actual execution of 437 their plans. 438
Accessibility 439
Accessible resources, or accommodations and modifications for accessibility, ensure that 440 evacuation and re-entry operations are inclusive of children and adults with access and functional 441 needs. This includes provisions for accessible dissemination of information, including evacuation 442 and shelter-in-place orders. These provisions include, but are not limited to, sign language 443 interpreters, alternative forms of communication, and language translation. 444
Contraflow Lane Reversal 445
Contraflow lane reversal alters the normal flow of traffic (typically one or more lanes in the 446 opposing direction on a controlled-access highway) to increase the flow of outbound vehicle 447 traffic in an evacuation. Contraflow operations may cause issues at jurisdictional borders if the 448
transition from contraflow lanes to normal lanes is uncoordinated, which can significantly slow 449 the evacuation. Properly executed, contraflow requires significant resources and is most 450 applicable when an expedited large-scale evacuation is necessary. 451
Correctional Facilities 452
The Correctional System in the U.S. is comprised of incarceration within correctional facilities 453
(e.g., jails, prisons) that detain individuals (inmates) involved in perpetrating crimes; community 454 supervision of individuals conditionally released from prison (parole); or individuals who are 455 under conditional liberty or provisional freedom (probation). 456
Jail: A containment area for suspected offenders awaiting trial or sentencing.457
Prison: A facility to confine convicted felons. Prisons have several security classifications458 (High, Medium, Low, and Minimum) that typically correspond to the seriousness of459
convicted offenders’ crimes, their demonstration of intent, and their capacity to harm others460 (such as inmates and correctional personnel) during incarceration.461
The custody and care of inmates falls under the correctional department of the local, state, or 462 Federal jurisdiction that oversees the facility. The evacuation of secure correctional facilities 463 requires a coordinated effort between local and state law enforcement and corrections officials, 464 publicly run and privately operated institutions (if applicable), and Federal agencies, (e.g., 465
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Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Prisons, Department of Homeland Security [DHS], 466 Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Marshals Service). 467
Domestic/Sexual Violence Shelters 468
Domestic and sexual violence are acts that leave long-lasting impacts on their survivors. Shelter 469 managers and management teams should strive to provide additional protections for those who 470 have already survived domestic and sexual violence, as well as prevent these acts from occurring 471 during the operation of a shelter. There is a potential for an increase in domestic/sexual violence 472 following a disaster. Shelter managers should visibly post telephone numbers for local domestic 473 violence shelters and national providers such as the National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-474 799-SAFE in emergency shelter areas.475
In addition to preventing domestic and sexual violence from occurring in a shelter, those who 476
currently live in community domestic or sexual violence shelters may be forced to evacuate to 477 emergency shelters due to the impacts of a threat or hazard. Often, these survivors require 478 additional precautions, particularly when handling their personally identifiable information. In 479 cases where emergency shelter management teams are not able to take on this additional task, 480 they should make alternate arrangements to maintain confidentiality for these survivors. Types of 481 safe and secure alternate housing accommodations include: 482
A physical shelter facility operated by a domestic violence program that serves victims of483 domestic/sexual violence;484
A safe home provided by a victim’s family member or friend; and485
Other accommodations, such as a time-limited motel or hotel placement or other direct486
placement programs providing safe housing. These accommodations should have a telephone487 and bathroom facilities, and all doors to the accommodations should have locks.488
To ease the burden on shelter managers, planning teams should include domestic violence 489 shelters in the planning process so that they can consider alternative safe and secure 490 arrangements ahead of time. 491
Evacuation Clearance Time 492
Evacuation clearance time is the amount of time needed to move a threatened population to 493
safety, given various factors such as the type of hazard or threat, level of notice of the incident, 494 population characteristics of the area at the time, and public behavior. Clearance time is 495 generally the time from the issuing of an evacuation order until the last evacuee exits a 496 jurisdiction. 497
Jurisdictional analysis of clearance times may include a calculation of at-risk populations, 498 shadow evacuees, and evacuees from other jurisdictions who may pass through. Clearance time 499 calculations should include the time required for evacuees to secure their homes and prepare to 500
leave, the time spent by all vehicles traveling along an evacuation route network, and the 501 additional time spent on the road caused by traffic and road congestion. 502
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Fuel Management 503
A large-scale evacuation places increased stress on a variety of resources. Fuel management is a 504 crucial challenge that jurisdictions should address, particularly in planning evacuation routes. 505 Jurisdictions should identify evacuation routes that have ample businesses in pass through 506 communities to provide fuel to evacuees. Jurisdictions should also make an effort to ensure that 507 secondary and tertiary evacuation routes are also well supplied with fuel resources. Jurisdictions 508 should work with their private sector partners to identify additional fuel supplies and coordinate 509 additional deliveries to providers along evacuation routes. Additionally, jurisdictions and their 510 partners should identify which fuel stations on the evacuations routes have, or would require, 511 generator power in the case of a loss of power, as a loss of power would leave fuel unable for 512 evacuees. 513
Failure to manage fuel supplies can lead to fuel shortages, which impact traffic patterns and slow 514 down evacuation operations. Jurisdictions should retain a supply of fuel dedicated to supporting 515 evacuation operations. 516
Homeless Populations 517
People who are homeless7 have limited resources to evacuate, stockpile food, store medications, 518 and shelter in place. Messages communicated through mainstream media sources may not reach 519 them, because many of these individuals have no access to radio, television, or the internet. 520 Some may be illiterate or non-English speaking, so that written communication may also be 521 ineffective with that subset of this population. The most common form of communication in this 522 population is word-of-mouth, leading to the spread of inaccurate rumors and misunderstandings 523 that may have serious consequences during an emergency. 524
Many homeless individuals may have difficulties interacting with a mainstream shelter 525 population, and the stressful and (relatively) intimate setting of a disaster shelter may amplify the 526 situation. Because of this potential discomfort, while homeless individuals may go to any shelter; 527 however, designated specific shelters staffed by specialists trained to assist homeless persons are 528 recommended. 529
To communicate disasters to people without homes, jurisdictions should include homeless 530
service providers in emergency notification systems. Service providers can quickly communicate 531 the emergency to homeless individuals concentrated near their facilities and deploy outreach 532 teams to notify other homeless people dispersed throughout the community. Outreach teams 533
making notifications can also transport people to shelters or designated pickup points for 534 evacuation. Outreach teams employed by homeless service providers are familiar with the 535
homeless community, have established trust and credibility, and are better able to negotiate with 536
people who might resist evacuation efforts. Jurisdictions should coordinate outreach teams, 537
drivers, and accessible vehicles in advance, and assign them to specific designations as soon as 538 possible to prevent delays during a potentially small window of time. 539
Communities are also encouraged to consider the housing needs of homeless individuals after a 540 disaster. Many areas inhabited by people without homes may not be suitable for living after a 541
7 Homeless person: An individual without permanent housing who may live on the streets; stay in a shelter, mission, single room
occupancy facility, abandoned building, or vehicle; or in any other unstable or non-permanent situation. (Pre-decisional FESA)
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disaster. Despite the transient nature of homelessness, many homeless people want to return to 542 their communities. 543
Further information is available through the National Health Care for the Homeless Council 544 http://www.nhchc.org. 545
Household Pets and Service Animals 546
During evacuation and re-entry operations, animals require tracking, embarkation, transportation, 547 debarkation, care, feeding, husbandry/waste removal, veterinary support, and sheltering support. 548 Trained personnel immediately assess the animal population requiring evacuation to determine 549 transportation, mass care, and additional support requirements. Sixty-five percent (65%) of 550 American households have pets, which includes a variety of animal species,8 and populations 551 who are evacuating will bring their animals with them. When feasible, animals should remain 552
with their owners during transport. By law, service animals—and, in some cases, assistance 553 animals—must always remain with the owner. 554
Regardless of disaster type, jurisdictions should have plans in place for the safe and effective 555 evacuation and sheltering of not just common pets, but all types of animals9 within the impacted 556 communities. The failure to have, and communicate, such plans creates preventable risks for 557 animals, animal owners and caretakers, the public, and first responders. Previous disasters have 558 demonstrated that co-evacuating (and co-sheltering, where possible) people with their animals, 559 including household pets and service and assistance animals, increases people’s compliance with 560 evacuation orders, increases survivor resilience, and decreases re-entry to unsafe areas motivated 561 by animal rescue. 562
Animals, including household pets and service and assistance animals that co-evacuate with 563
owners should be in good health and vaccinated. Otherwise, the animals could spread disease 564 among themselves, or to evacuees (e.g., from bites). During co-evacuation process, owners 565 should also ensure they have sufficient means to control their pets, service or assistance animals, 566 such as leashes, and crates. 567
Individuals with Access and Functional Needs 568
Individuals with access and functional needs may include, but are not limited to, individuals with 569
disabilities, older adults, and individuals with limited English proficiency, limited access to 570 transportation, and/or limited access to financial resources to prepare for, respond to, and recover 571 from an emergency. 572
Evacuating populations leaving an impact area and arriving in a host area will include some 573
people with health or medical needs that normally require home- and community-based services. 574 Conditions that may have been under control prior to evacuation may be exacerbated, and health 575 conditions may degrade during the evacuation process. Evacuees with such needs may require 576
ongoing health support while in host areas; when possible, it is the responsibility of the evacuee 577
8 http://americanpetproducts.org/press_industrytrends.asp. 9 Animals include household pets, service and assistance animals, working dogs, agricultural animals/livestock, exotic animals,
and animals housed in shelters or rescue organizations. (Pre-decisional FESA)
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to obtain additional medical support or request the assistance of shelter management in obtaining 578 these services. 579
Many of the relevant medical support and assessment procedures are the same, whether they take 580 place in the impact area prior to the transport of evacuees or when they arrive in host areas. 581 Assistance may be required to connect/reestablish evacuees with home- and community-based 582 service providers. During the evacuation process, monitoring these evacuees will help identify if 583 conditions worsen and if additional medical assistance and supplies are necessary. 584
Jurisdictions are encouraged to keep a opt-in registration database of those most at risk so that 585 first responders can assess their needs and conditions quickly after a threat or hazard has passed 586 and these individuals have been sheltered in place. 587
Legal Requirements and Authorities 588
Evacuation and shelter-in-place planning is a core element of all-hazards emergency 589 preparedness. One of the first steps for evacuation and shelter-in-place planning efforts is to 590 review and understand the extent of emergency powers granted to and within a jurisdiction. In 591 many cases, the authority to issue evacuation and shelter-in-place orders may exist in local, state, 592 tribal, or territorial laws, statutes, regulations, delegations or power, MOUs/MOAs, policies, and 593 other guidance documentation. Planners should review all legal requirements and authorities 594 during the planning sessions. Since these legal requirements vary by jurisdiction, they are not 595 included in this document. Check with your General Counsel to determine the legal requirements 596 in a specific jurisdiction, to confirm what authorities exist in your jurisdiction and the limitations 597 on these authorities. 598
Evacuation and shelter-in-place efforts for small-scale incidents are typically handled at the 599
lowest possible jurisdictional level. Local public safety officials (e.g., fire chief, police chief) 600 implement them and do not require the support of higher-level authorities, such as elected 601 officials at the local or state level (e.g., mayor, county executive, judge, governor). For 602 community-level or larger-scale events affecting multiple jurisdictions, higher-level authorities 603 are often necessary to issue orders to evacuation. State assistance may need to supplement local 604 resources and services to safely evacuate or shelter the population in place. Depending on the 605 incident and threat/hazard, the responsible authority will declare an evacuation and/or shelter-in-606
place. Federal authorities may assist local, state, tribal, and territorial governments when they 607 indicate that their resources have become, or will soon become, overwhelmed. 608
In addition to the authorities outlined in the National Response Framework,10 Appendix C – 609
Authorities includes additional authorities relevant to evacuation and shelter-in-place planning. 610
Mass Care Services 611
Initial evacuee support consists primarily of mass care. However, once immediate life safety 612
considerations have subsided, some evacuees may need shelter or accessible housing for a longer 613 duration. This may include transitional sheltering (e.g., hotels, motels) or interim housing (e.g., 614 apartments, mobile homes, detached homes). Many disaster survivors in less-impacted areas may 615
10 National Response Framework. https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1466014682982-
9bcf8245ba4c60c120aa915abe74e15d/National_Response_Framework3rd.pdf. 2016.
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be able to return to their homes quickly after the disaster, if not immediately. Disaster survivors 616 whose homes suffered minor damage may be able to stay in their homes as they undergo repairs 617 or utilize shelter-in-place options while their homes are under repair. However, evacuees using 618 their own resources to meet their emergency need for shelter (e.g., staying in a motel, with 619
friends or family) are often able to maintain their shelter for only a brief time before their 620 resources are exhausted, and they may then turn to other available congregate and/or non-621 congregate shelter options. 622
Population Assessment 623
Pre-incident population information may be incomplete, requiring an immediate assessment of 624 the evacuee population to identify specific individual or family group needs (e.g., health/medical, 625 mental, functional, social services, socio-economic, nutritional, language). Maintaining an 626
accurate population assessment can help a jurisdiction understand the needs of the community 627 and better estimate the resources needed to implement efficient protective action operations. 628
Terminology Used in Public Messaging 629
One of the most critical aspects in a threat or hazard involving shelter-in-place or evacuation 630 actions is a concise, accurate, accessible, and understandable message. The general public does 631
not use the same common parlance as emergency management professionals and may interpret 632 terms and instructions quite differently than intended (e.g., mandatory, voluntary, recommended, 633 forced, phased, and zoned). 634
Regardless of the term, individuals within an impacted or potentially impacted jurisdiction or 635 community are most likely to heed evacuation orders issued by a trusted authority (e.g., 636 governor, police chief), when their family, friends, and/or community members have chosen to 637
evacuate, or when jurisdictional plans provide for the evacuation of pets/animals. Therefore, it is 638
imperative that jurisdictions develop messages with clear plain terminology understandable by 639 all members of the community during a crisis. This will help ensure that citizens remain safe 640 during an incident and that jurisdictions can allocate resources appropriately to conduct an 641
efficient response to an incident. 642
Tourist Populations 643
In some jurisdictions, evacuation of the tourist population occurs prior to the general population. 644 If unable to evacuate these populations prior to an incident, impact-jurisdictions should work to 645 identify this population as non-resident, evacuate them, and advise host-jurisdictions to assist 646 them in coordinating their departure to their home destinations. 647
Tracking 648
Tracking government-assisted evacuees allows impact and host jurisdictions to follow the 649 movement of evacuees, as well as their animals (including household pets and service and 650 assistance animals), luggage, and durable medical equipment. Tracking also provides 651 information for family reunification purposes and supports recordkeeping efforts for Federal 652 reimbursement policies. Tracking should begin as soon as possible and may occur in the impact 653
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area prior to the point at which evacuees board transport, at Arrival Points, or at shelters in host 654 jurisdictions. 655
Traffic Management 656
To minimize traffic congestion and increase clearance times, mobile message boards and signage 657 along evacuation routes can inform self-evacuees of traffic hazards, the location of Welcome 658 Centers and Information Points, shelters, fueling exits, and hospitals. Effective traffic 659 management allows a jurisdiction to evacuate more people from a community in an efficient 660 manner, which reduces the burden on jurisdiction personnel and resources. Failure to organize 661 efficient traffic management efforts increases resource burdens, causes longer evacuation times, 662 and could leave evacuating citizens in vulnerable conditions during an incident. 663
Zonal Approach/Methodology 664
Evacuation and shelter-in-place zones promote phased, zone-based evacuation targeted to the 665 most vulnerable areas, while also limiting the need to evacuate large areas that are not under the 666 threat of a hazard. Zones: 667
Help jurisdictions understand transportation network throughput and capacity, critical668 transportation needs, resource needs, estimated evacuation clearance times, and shelter669 demand.670
Help planners develop planning factors and assumptions to inform goals and objectives.671
Help community members understand protective actions to take during an emergency.672
Help shelters limit traffic congestion and overcrowding.673
Evacuation and shelter-in-place zones work with evacuation phases, are interdependent with 674 evacuation routes and transportation modes, and rely on many of the same information sources 675 and assessments. 676
Zones should be easily recognizable by both first responders and community members. Public 677 messaging campaigns can help communicate zone assignments to the public, ideally before a 678 hazard strikes, through “know your zone” campaigns or other preparedness and outreach 679
initiatives. 680
The mechanism for identifying zones will vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. For example, a 681 jurisdiction may use well-known police districts to assign evacuation zones, whereas another 682 jurisdiction may use known neighborhoods. When possible, jurisdictions should consider 683 mapping zones using geographic information systems. Generally, considerations to select zone 684
boundaries include: 685
U.S. Census Blocks: https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/maps/block/2010/686
U.S. Census Tracts: https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/maps/2010tract.html687
UACE hurricane evacuation zones688
Neighborhood boundaries689
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School districts690
Fire/police districts691
Zip codes692
Existing preparedness plans and documentation (e.g., existing evacuation plans).693
Jurisdictions may need additional research studies to select zone boundaries. Additional 694 resources for conducting evacuation and shelter-in-place zone research may include: 695
Real Time Evacuation Planning Model: http://rtepm.vmasc.odu.edu/696
State Department of Transportation697
State and jurisdictional evacuation plans and other related plans698
Hurricane Evacuation Studies699
HAZUS-MH: https://www.fema.gov/hazus700
Hurricane Evacuation (HURREVAC): http://www.hurrevac.com/701
Sea, Lake, and Overland Surges from Hurricanes (SLOSH):702 http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/surge/slosh.php.703
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Using the Six-Step Planning Process 704
Evacuation and shelter-in-place plans should align with and support incident-specific plans 705 developed using the planning process described in CPG 101.11 The six steps of the CPG 101 706 planning process are detailed below. 707
Step 1: Form a Planning Team 708
The most realistic and complete plans result from a diverse planning team that includes 709 representatives from across the whole community. While jurisdictions can engage a large 710 number of partners to develop their Emergency Operations Plan (EOP), they should specifically 711
include partners with key roles in evacuation or shelter-in-place operations. These partners may 712 include: 713
Public Safety 714
Local, state, tribal, or territorial law enforcement715
Fire services716
Emergency medical services717
Public works718
Fusion centers719
Transportation sector (e.g., public transportation systems, local transportation departments)720
National Guard721
Public safety communications722
Hospitals and healthcare facilities723
Education 724
School administration725
Other Governments and Agencies 726
Elected officials727
Additional as Required 728
Coast Guard729
Private Sector 730
Critical infrastructure owners and operators (public and private)731
11FEMA, CPG 101: Developing and Maintaining Emergncy Operations Plans, Version 2.0, (Washington, DC, 2010),
fema.gov/pdf/about/divisions/npd/CPG_101_V2.pdf.
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Private utilities providers732
Private nonprofit organizations733
Volunteer organizations734
Faith-based organizations735
Advocacy organizations (e.g., organizations that address disability and access and functional736 needs issues, children’s issues, immigrant and racial/ethnic community concerns, animal737 welfare, or service animals)738
Disability services739
Media outlets (including social media).740
Step 2: Understand the Situation 741
This step has two aspects, both of which are needed for this planning process. Jurisdictions need 742 to understand how a new annex will coordinate with plans already in place, as well as 743 understanding potential events and their impacts on the community. 744
Prior to integrating evacuation or shelter-in place into a jurisdiction’s emergency plan or 745 developing relevant annexes, planners should understand their EOP and any existing supporting 746 plans and annexes, such as mass care. Annexes supplement the EOP and should be consistent 747 with the EOP and not duplicate or conflict with it. A jurisdiction’s base EOP or supporting plans 748 will address many responsibilities and actions taken when implementing evacuation or shelter-749 in-place, as these actions are frequently required regardless of the specific threat or hazard. An 750 evacuation/shelter-in-place annex should therefore address the unique characteristics and 751
requirements not already covered in the EOP or other annexes. 752
Once assembled, the planning team begins identifying potential consequences and impacts on the 753 community that would require an evacuation or shelter-in-place order and the estimated 754 resources necessary to implement these protective actions. 755
Step 3: Determine Goals and Objectives 756
The planning team develops a list of priorities, goals, and objectives that address capability gaps 757 related to the incident. Planners should consider goals and objectives related to evacuation and 758 shelter-in-place outcomes. 759
Operational Priorities: Specify what the responding organizations are to accomplish to achieve a760 desired end-state for the operation.761
Operational Goals: Are broad, general statements that indicate the intended solution to problems.762 They are what personnel and equipment resources are supposed to achieve.763
Operational Objectives: Specific and identifiable actions carried out during the operation that764 achieve response goals and determine the actions that participants in the operation must accomplish.765
As jurisdictions develop goals and objectives for their evacuation and shelter-in-place annex to 766 their EOP, those goals and objectives should align with the 12 planning principles in the second 767 chapter of this document. 768
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Step 4: Plan Development 769
Based on the information obtained during Step 3, the planning team can begin plan development. 770 Planners should refer to CPG 101 for writing and reviewing checklists, as well as format 771 considerations. Courses of Action should address the overarching evacuation and shelter-in-place 772 operation, to include resource allocation and prioritization efforts. 773
In addition to the planning considerations outlined above, planning for evacuation and shelter-in-774 place protective actions should aim to: 775
Reduce the number of people required to evacuate (e.g., create evacuation zones to target776 geographic areas susceptible to hazards)777
Shelter evacuees as close to the impact area as safely possible to reduce the economic burden778
and accelerate recovery operations779
Identify suitable shelter options that are not susceptible to incident threats/hazards780
Evacuate communities together to provide an internal support structure781
Disperse evacuee populations among various host communities to reduce the burden on782 individual jurisdictions and ensure accountability of all evacuated individuals783
Increase interoperability between tracking, reunification, and sheltering systems784
Coordinate evacuation resource allocation (multiple jurisdictions may depend on or compete785 over the same resources to support evacuation operations)786
Relocate evacuees who are unable to return to their permanent residence as close to the787 impact community as possible (preferably within the impact state) to reduce the burden on788
host jurisdictions and to facilitate recovery operations.789
Step 5: Plan Preparation, Review, and Approval 790
Jurisdictions will have different processes and procedures to prepare, review, and approve 791 evacuation and shelter-in-place plans. This step involves preparing the plan, reviewing it for 792
conformity to regulatory requirements of state and Federal agencies, and submitting it to the 793 appropriate elected officials for approval. During this step, jurisdictions may want to revisit and 794 update the incident analysis brief, update partners, and ensure buy-in from partners. 795
Step 6: Plan Implementation and Maintenance 796
Jurisdictions should implement the plan so stakeholders throughout the whole community know 797
their roles and responsibilities before, during, and after evacuation and shelter-in-place 798
operations. All organizations named in the plan and supporting partners should train, exercise, 799 and socialize the plan. Additionally, jurisdictions should routinely implement continuous 800
improvement measures for their evacuation and shelter-in place plans; this helps to maintain an 801 effective plan for protective actions. Jurisdictions can achieve this through tabletop or full-scale 802 exercises or through lessons learned from real-world events. 803
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Appendix A – Acronym List 804
AFN Access and Functional Needs 805
CERRA Crisis Event Response and Recovery Access 806
COG Continuity of Government 807
COOP Continuity of Operations 808
COP Common Operating Picture 809
CPG Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 810
CSEPP Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program 811
CTN Critical Transportation Needs 812
DHS Department of Homeland Security 813
DoD Department of Defense 814
DOT Department of Transportation 815
EM Emergency Management 816
EMAC Emergency Management Assistance Compact 817
EMI Emergency Management Institute 818
EOC Emergency Operations Center 819
EOP Emergency Operations Plan 820
EPCRA Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act 821
ESF Emergency Support Function 822
FAA Federal Aviation Administration 823
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency 824
FESA Federal Evacuation Support Annex 825
FHWA Federal Highway Administration 826
FRA Federal Railroad Administration 827
FTA Federal Transit Administration 828
GATES Global Air Transportation Execution System 829
GEAR Geocentric Environment for Analysis and Reasoning 830
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HHS Health and Human Services 831
HIPAA Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 832
HURREVAC Hurricane Evacuation 833
JPATS Joint Patient Assessment and Tracking System 834
LEP Limited English Proficiency 835
MOA Memorandum of Agreement 836
MOU Memorandum of Understanding 837
NDMS National Disaster Medical System 838
NGA National Governors Association 839
NMETS National Mass Evacuation Tracking System 840
NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 841
NWS National Weather Service 842
PETS Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act of 2006 843
REPP Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program 844
RHRC Regional Hub Reception Center 845
SEOC State Emergency Operations Center 846
SLOSH Sea, Lake, and Overland Surges from Hurricanes 847
TRAC2ES TRANSCOM Regulating and Command and Control Evacuation Systems 848
USACE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 849
VMS Variable-Message Sign 850
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Appendix B – Terminology 851
Jurisdictions are encouraged to use the terms and definitions below. 852
Animal: Animals include household pets, service and assistance animals, working dogs, 853 agricultural animals/livestock, exotic animals, and animals housed in shelters, rescue 854 organizations, 855
Arrival Point: Any facility or point of entry into a host-state/jurisdiction that assists evacuees. 856 Arrival Points may include Transfer Points and Reception Processing Sites (for transportation- 857 assisted evacuees), Welcome Centers and Information Points (for self-evacuees), shelters, and 858 other congregate facilities. 859
Common Operating Picture (COP): A shared understanding among on-scene and off-scene 860 support personnel of an incident, including assumptions, facts, availability and location of 861 resources, personnel, and the status of requests for assistance. A COP is established and 862 maintained by gathering, collating, synthesizing, and disseminating incident information to all 863 appropriate parties involved in an incident. 864
Critical Transportation Needs (CTN) Population: Evacuees with limited or no access to 865 transportation who require government assistance to evacuate safely. CTN populations may 866 include, but are not limited to, homebound populations; individuals with access and functional 867 needs, including individuals who do not speak English; individuals with household pets; 868 unaccompanied minors; and individuals with no access to a vehicle or a ride with a friend/family. 869
Debarkation Point: A site designated to receive transportation-assisted evacuees. Evacuees may 870 be transported by air, rail, bus, or maritime, and therefore a jurisdiction may have multiple 871 debarkation points. 872
Embarkation Point: An intake, processing, and departure site designated for the movement of 873 government transportation-assisted evacuees, their animals (including household pets and service 874 and assistance animals), their luggage, and/or their durable medical equipment. Embarkation 875
modes of transportation include air, ground, and maritime. Government transportation-assisted 876 evacuees may be registered, tracked, assessed for issues or needs, and placed on transport for 877 evacuation to an Arrival Point. 878
Evacuation Clearance Time: The estimated time necessary to safely evacuate people from the 879 time an evacuation order is given until the time when the last evacuee can either leave the 880 evacuation zone or arrive at safe shelter. It is a cumulative estimate for designated areas (zones, 881
city, county), not the time for one person to evacuate a given location. Tools such as the Real 882
Time Evacuation Planning Model can aid in estimating evacuation clearances times. 883
Evacuation Coordination Group: A simple mechanism to exchange evacuation and shelter-in-884 place information across borders. The group’s coordination encourages real-time decision 885
making and establishes a clear and consistent message to the regional public regarding 886
recommended actions, consistent with the National Incident Management System and Incident 887 Command System. 888
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Evacuation Order: A jurisdictionally initiated action for an organized, phased, and supervised 889 withdrawal, dispersal, or removal of people from dangerous or potentially dangerous areas and 890 their reception and care in safe areas. 891
Evacuation Transportation Site (also called Evacuation Assembly Point or Pickup Point): A 892 temporary location exclusively for evacuation embarkation and transportation coordination in a 893 field setting. Basic life sustaining services are not generally available. 894
Evacuation Zone: A defined area to which residents may be directed to evacuate, depending 895 upon the impacts of the hazard (e.g., tides, storm intensity, path, hazardous material exposure). 896
Host Jurisdiction: Jurisdictions tasked as destination locations for evacuees with government- 897 coordinated or -sponsored evacuation sites. These jurisdictions “host” evacuees requiring shelter. 898
Individuals with Access and Functional Needs: Access and functional needs are met by 899 providing physical, programmatic, and effective communication access to the whole community 900 by accommodating individual requirements through universal accessibility and/or specific 901 actions or modifications. This includes assistance, accommodation, or modification for mobility, 902 communication, transportation, safety, health maintenance, etc.; need for assistance, 903 accommodation, or modification due to any situation (temporary or permanent) that limits an 904 individual’s ability to act in an emergency. Individuals having access and functional needs may 905 include, but are not limited to, people with disabilities, older adults, and populations having 906 limited English proficiency, limited access to transportation, and/or limited access to financial 907 resources to prepare for, respond to, and recover from the emergency. 908
Information Points (also called Welcome Centers): Located on or near main evacuation routes, 909 interstate highways, and state borders. These facilities are generally state-sponsored and located 910
at state points of entry (e.g., rest areas, tourist centers) and provide self-evacuees: 911
Information and/or directions to shelter facilities912
Access to restroom facilities913
A temporary rest during their evacuation914
A place to recharge mobile telephones or other electronic devices915
Limited access to food and water.916
No-Notice Event: An incident occurring with little or no warning and requiring rapid 917
assessment, decision making, communication, and implementation of protective action. 918
Notice Event: An incident where jurisdictions have warning of an impending hazard. The 919
officials have time to prepare in advance, assess, communicate, and implement protective action 920 measures. Typically, initial preparation discussions regarding the impending hazard occur as 921 soon as the jurisdiction receives first notice of impact. 922
Pass-Through Community: Communities that are not evacuating their populations but are 923 located on the evacuation routes of evacuating populations. Evacuees “pass through” these 924
communities en route to their final destinations. These communities may assist in facilitating 925 evacuation operations. 926
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Reception Center: A facility where displaced individuals receive assistance in identifying 927 available shelter locations. Reception Centers are short-term centers for meeting evacuees’ 928 immediate needs while they await assignment to a shelter. 929
Reception Processing Site (also called Community Reception Center): An interim site along 930
an evacuation route that provides mass care and other emergency services to evacuees arriving in 931 a host location via government transportation. A Reception Processing Site may be located 932 within an impact jurisdiction (although outside the impact area) or in a host jurisdiction. These 933 locations provide life-sustaining services, such as food, water, basic medical support, and 934 assignment and transportation to a shelter. Additional services may include disaster and local 935
weather information, reunification, and crisis counseling. Temporary sleeping space may also be 936 provided while evacuee needs are evaluated or if they arrive late at night. Jurisdictions should 937 arrange separate areas for unaccompanied minors, people without identification, and individuals 938
subject to judicial and/or administrative orders restricting their freedom of movement. These 939 sites may also process evacuees returning to the impact jurisdiction. Typically, Reception 940 Processing Sites do not process self-evacuees and should direct them to an Information Point at a 941
separate location. 942
Re-Entry: The coordinated movement of first responders, recovery resources, and the general 943
public back into a community once a threat or hazard dissipates and the event causing the 944 evacuation ends. 945
Refuge of Last Resort: A facility or location that may provide temporary or limited relief from 946
the hazard. 947
Self-Evacuees: The evacuees with the means and capability to evacuate the impacted area 948
without government-provided transportation assistance. The primary modes of transportation 949
during an evacuation are foot, bike, car, train, and bus. 950
Sending Community: Communities that are directly impacted by a hazard or impending hazard. 951 Officials these jurisdictions have determined the need to evacuate all or a portion of the 952
population and are “sending” these evacuees outside of the impacted area. 953
Shadow Evacuees: Evacuees who will evacuate regardless of directives by public officials due 954
to perceived risk of danger. 955
Shelter (Mass Care): A facility where government agencies and/or pre-established voluntary 956 organizations process, evaluate, and provide disaster services to evacuees without an endpoint 957 destination. Meals and water should be available, as well as basic first aid, pet sheltering (if 958 applicable), sleeping quarters, hygienic support, and basic disaster services (e.g., counseling, 959
financial assistance and referral). 960
Shelter Demand: The estimated percentage or number of people in a population who will 961
require mass care services in public shelters. A general rule of thumb is to plan for 962 approximately 10 percent of the population, but this can vary widely based on socio-economic, 963 hazard specifics, and other variables. 964
Shelter-in-Place: The use of a structure to temporarily separate individuals from a hazard or 965 threat. Sheltering in place is the primary protective action in many cases. Often it is safer for 966
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individuals to shelter-in-place than to try to evacuate. Sheltering in place is appropriate when 967 conditions necessitate that individuals seek protection in their home, place of employment or 968 other location when disaster strikes. 969
Spontaneous Evacuation: When individuals in threatened areas observe an incident or receive 970
unofficial notice of an actual or perceived threat and, without receiving instructions to do so, 971 elect to evacuate the area. Their movement, means, and direction of travel are unorganized and 972 unsupervised. 973
Transfer Point (also called Assembly and Transfer Center): If applicable, locations where 974 transportation-assisted evacuees move from their initial evacuation modes of transportation onto 975
other transportation to a Reception Processing Site or a shelter. Depending on drive times and/or 976 distances, relief drivers and/or vehicles may be needed to comply with state and/or Federal safety 977 regulations. 978
Zero Hour: The time needed to clear transportation system users and to secure facilities, people, 979 and equipment after the evacuation is completed but before the hazard arrives. Zero-hour actions 980 are part of the Impact Phase and end prior to the incident impact, when all evacuation operations 981
have or should have ceased (at the end of an operational period) to ensure the safety of first 982 responders. 983
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Appendix C – Authorities 984
In addition to the statutes, regulations, executive orders, and Presidential directives outlined in 985 the National Response Framework, this Appendix provides additional legal bases for evacuation 986 operations and activities. 987
The Air Carrier Access Act, as amended, requires carriers to permit service animals to988 accompany passengers with a disability (with some caveats for “unusual or exotic” service989 animals), addresses emotional support and psychiatric service animal transport in aircraft990 cabins, and provides guidance on carrying service animals.991
The Animal Welfare Act, as amended, and associated regulations, requires that federally992
established standards of care and treatment be provided for certain warm-blooded animals993 bred for commercial sale, used in research, transported commercially, or exhibited to the994 public.995
Emergency Management Assistance Compact (Pub. Law 104-321) is a national interstate996 mutual aid agreement that enables states to share resources during times of disaster,997 providing timely and cost-effective relief to states requesting assistance from member states998 who understand the needs of jurisdictions struggling to preserve life, the economy, and the999 environment.1000
Executive Order 13166 – Limited English Proficiency improves access to federally1001 conducted and federally assisted programs and activities for persons who, because of national1002 origin, have limited English proficiency (LEP).1003
Executive Order 13347 — Individuals with Disabilities in Emergency Preparedness1004 strengthens emergency preparedness with respect to individuals with disabilities.1005
The Fair Housing Act, as amended, requires reasonable accommodations and modifications1006 to housing policies (e.g., no pet fees, pet deposits, pet rent) for animals that serve individuals1007 with disabilities, including in the aftermath of disasters.1008
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) considers legal1009 and/or logistical constraints in the ability of host medical facilities to support evacuee1010 healthcare needs. It was enacted to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to improve the1011
portability and continuity of health insurance coverage in group and individual markets, to1012 combat waste, fraud, and abuse in health insurance and health care delivery, to promote the1013 use of medical savings accounts, to improve access to long-term care services and coverage,1014
to simplify the administration of health insurance, and for other purposes.1015
The Health Research Extension Act requires all Federal grantee institutions to have disaster1016 plans that address the well-being of both animals and personnel during unexpected events1017 that compromise ongoing animal care.1018
The Marine Mammal Protection Act, as amended, establishes procedures, practices, and1019
guidance for rescuing and rehabilitating stranded marine mammals. Contingency plans for1020 rehabilitation hospitals must include evacuation or sheltering in place for emergency events.1021
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Pet Evacuations and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act of 2006, as amended,1022 authorizes FEMA to provide rescue, care, shelter, and essential needs for individuals with1023 household pets and service animals, and to the household pets and animals themselves1024 following a major disaster or emergency.1025
Privacy Act of 1974 (U.S.C. §552a) addresses records management of individuals and the1026 sharing and disclosure of such information.1027
The following Federal laws and programs also impact evacuation planning. Check whether these 1028 impact your jurisdiction when planning evacuation and shelter-in-place actions. 1029
The Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) includes evacuation1030 and shelter-in-place planning for communities surrounding the Army’s chemical warfare1031 agent stockpiles.1032
The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) requires local1033 governments to prepare chemical emergency response plans (to include evacuation and1034 shelter-in-place).1035
The Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program (REPP) includes emergency1036 protective action (evacuation and shelter-in-place) planning requirements for incidents1037 involving commercial nuclear power plants.1038
Additional state, local, tribal, and territorial laws and authorities may also exist. 1039
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Appendix D – Job Aids 1040
Command Job Aid 1041
A Command Job Aid is a quick-reference tool for key decision makers and elected and appointed 1042 officials on evacuation concept implementation. They are often critical to the success of a plan, 1043 as seen in recent events. In addition, education of key officials is vital to issuance of orders. 1044
This tool guides coordination considerations for threats that could initiate a large-scale shelter-in-1045 place and/or evacuation operation. Some points outline specific roles and responsibilities, and 1046 many are reminders of other operations that should be taking place during the activation of the 1047 Evacuation Plan. 1048
Additionally, this tool guides coordination between the Emergency Manager and the elected 1049 official(s), to help them effectively make executive decisions and take executive actions 1050 necessary throughout the operational process. 1051
Tailor the sample job aid below to the relevant jurisdiction(s). 1052
Sample Command Job Aid 1053
Phase Time Questions for [Jurisdiction Authority] Consideration
Mobilization Phase
Potential Impacts within 120 Hours
What are the potential impacts of the event?
Is sufficient information and monitoring of the forecastedthreat/hazard in place/available?
Is the [Jurisdiction Emergency Operations Center (EOC)]activated per an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) or anotherplan?
Are any critical staffing, resource shortages, infrastructurechallenges, etc. likely to impact the ability to respond to theforecasted system? Have these been communicated topartners?
What special contracts are being considered forimplementation in support of the planned response? What arethe lead and lag times?
What threshold/conditions will trigger jurisdiction officials todeclare an emergency?
Is shelter-in-place a viable strategy for the threat?
Is evacuation required for impacted zones?
What is the capacity of the receiving zone to acceptevacuees?
What is the recommended time/condition for the [JurisdictionAuthority] to communicate the recommendation to theGovernor to declare a State of Emergency?
Other jurisdiction questions
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Phase Time Questions for [Jurisdiction Authority] Consideration
Mobilization Phase
Potential Impacts within 96 Hours
What is the current feedback on evacuation and shelter-in- place of functional and medical needs residents, hospitals, long-term care facilities, and the general public if needed?
What mass care resources does the jurisdiction have in place to receive evacuees? What are the projected resource requirements?
What public messaging efforts are underway at the local and state levels?
Are any forecasted or actual needs not being met? Have these been communicated to partners?
Other jurisdiction questions
Mobilization Phase
Potential Impacts within 72 Hours
Is contraflow potentially required? What preparatory actions are required?
What protective measures are being taken in the neighboring zones? What is the potential impact on [Jurisdiction]?
What actions are underway that will ensure retail fuel is available along evacuation routes?
What is the status of mass care shelters? What are the anticipated shelter requirements?
Are any forecasted or actual needs not being met? Have these been communicated to partners?
Other jurisdiction questions
Evacuation and Shelter- in-Place Phase
Potential Impacts within 48 Hours
What is the status of functional and medical needs, long-term care facilities, and hospital evacuations?
What is the status of general population shelters?
Have any voluntary evacuations been initiated by local jurisdictions? What is the status of evacuation considerations by local jurisdictions?
What is the plan for staging resources/teams?
What critical infrastructure is in the potentially affected area and what protective measures are underway?
Are any forecasted or actual needs not being met? Have these been communicated to partners?
Other jurisdiction questions
Evacuation and Shelter- in-Place Phase
Potential Impacts within 24 Hours
What is the status of traffic along the evacuation routes?
Is contraflow underway?
Are any life safety issues unresolved?
What conditions will require zero-hour sheltering of response personnel and cessation of field operations?
Have zero-hour conditions been communicated to response staff? To the public?
Are any forecasted or actual needs not being met? Have these been communicated to partners?
Other jurisdiction questions
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Phase Time Questions for [Jurisdiction Authority] Consideration
Impact Phase Arrival of Impact
Have field operations ceased for zero hour? Have responderssought refuge?
Has the public been advised to seek a refuge of last resort?
What is the status of infrastructure?
Are any forecasted or actual needs not being met? Have thesebeen communicated to partners?
Other jurisdiction questions
Mass Care Phase
Pre-/Post-Impact
What is the status of mass care for government-assistedevacuees? For self-evacuees?
How long until re-entry can begin? What conditions must bemet to begin re-entry?
Are the communication and traffic flow resources in placeand/or staged to support re-entry when needed?
What infrastructure/systems assessments are underway?When will they be complete?
What is the status of public messaging?
Are any forecasted or actual needs not being met? Have thesebeen communicated to partners?
Other jurisdiction questions
Re-Entry Phase
Post Impact – Recovery
Other jurisdiction questions
1054
Essential Elements of Information 1055
The tables below provide a quick reference of the information needed to inform response and 1056 create a Common Operating Picture. 1057
Mobilization and Evacuation Phase 1058
Essential Element of Information
Timeline Responsible
Entity Specific Information
Methodology/ Source
Activation of EOC
Approximately 72 hours prior to event
Evacuating jurisdiction(s)
Forecast pre- evacuation andimplications forimpeding operations
Hazard onset andtiming
Zones impacted
Priorities of electedofficials/executives
NationalWeather Service(NWS)
Predictivemodeling
Existing maps
Census data
Council ofGovernments
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Essential Element of Information
Timeline Responsible
Entity Specific Information
Methodology/ Source
Local State of Emergency Declaration
Approximately 72 hours prior to event
Evacuating jurisdiction(s)
Forecast pre- evacuation and implications for impeding operations
Hazard onset and timing
Zones impacted
Priorities of elected officials/executives
NWS
Predictive modeling
Existing maps
Census data
Council of Governments
Evacuation Warning Order Timing
Contact made X hours prior to anticipated event/incident and updated twice per operational period
Evacuating jurisdiction(s)
Hazard onset and timing
Zones impacted
Time of day
Routes available
Estimated affected population, including estimates of those with access and functional needs and specific demographics (e.g., languages spoken)
Communication status
Priorities of elected officials/executives
Predictive modeling
Existing maps
Census data
Department of Transportation
Universities/ Colleges
Council of Governments
Boundaries of Potential or Actual Incident Area (storm surge area, plume, fires, flooding, terrorist threat)
Initial estimate following notification and updated every operational period
Modeling data as soon as available
Evacuating jurisdiction(s)
Geographic limits of damage and zone impacts
Description of the potential or actual severity of damage
Estimated percentage of population evacuated, in need of evacuation, or sheltering in place
Predictive modeling
Remote sensing
Forecast data
On-scene reports via rapid assessment teams
Media
Public (via 9-1-1 and jurisdictional hotlines)
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Essential Element of Information
Timeline Responsible
Entity Specific Information
Methodology/ Source
Hazard-specific information
Initial estimate no later than four hours after notification and updated every operational period
Evacuating, pass-through, and host jurisdictions
Number or estimate of affected structures
Potential or actual estimated impacts to roads and other critical infrastructures
Potential or actual impacts associated with the release of hazardous materials or radiological incidents
Personal safety issues
Public health concerns
Predictive modeling
NWS
State EOC
Department of Agriculture
Public Health Departments
Department of Health and Human Services – Centers for Disease Control
Weather As soon as possible prior to evacuation and ongoing as required
Evacuating, pass-through, and host jurisdictions
Forecast pre-evacuation and implications for impeding operations
NWS
Mass Care Information
Initial estimate following notification and updated every operational period
Evacuating, pass-through, and host jurisdictions
Estimated percentage of population evacuated, in need of evacuation, or sheltering in place
Number of shelters (and type) currently open, on standby, or closed/full
Local EOC
State EOC
Shelters
Government Services Closures
Initial estimate following notification and updated every operational period
Evacuating jurisdiction(s)
County government closures
County school closures
County government fuel availability
Emergency services suspense of services
Public safety communication outages
Local EOCs
State EOCs
Media
Public (via 9-1-1 and jurisdictional hotlines)
1059
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Re-Entry Phase 1060
Essential Element of Information
Timeline Responsible
Entity Specific Information
Methodology/ Source
Initial Needs and Damage Assessments
Initial estimate within 6 hours following incident (post-landfall) and updated every 12 hours
Evacuating, pass-through, and host jurisdictions
Rapid needs assessment and preliminary damage assessment teams’ reports
Damages reported by local, state, and Federal agency EOCs
Request for support to the state and Federal entities from local jurisdictions
Rapid needs assessment and preliminary damage assessment teams
Media
Social media accounts
Public (via 9-1-1 and jurisdictional hotlines)
SEOC and local EOC reports
Status of Declarations
As soon as information becomes available and updated every operational period.
Evacuating, pass-through, and host jurisdictions
Status of local emergency declarations
Status of state emergency declarations
Status of presidential disaster declarations
Jurisdictions included
Types of assistance authorized
Special cost-sharing provisions regarding direct Federal assistance
EOCs
State EOC/EM Coordination
FEMA declarations
The White House
Status of Key Personnel
Post-notification and updated every operational period
Evacuating, pass-through, and host jurisdictions
Incident Comment
Elected or appointed officials
Staffing needs for response operations
ESF #1 through ESF #xx
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Essential Element of Information
Timeline Responsible
Entity Specific Information
Methodology/ Source
Major Issues/ Shortfalls
Initial assessment following notification and updated every operational period
Evacuating, pass-through, and host jurisdictions
Actual or potential resource shortfalls
Anticipated requirements for mutual aid
Status of request for support under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC)
ESF #1 through ESF #xx
Rapid needs assessment team reports
Access Points to Disaster Area
Post-evacuation/ incident and updated every operational period
Evacuating jurisdiction(s)
Location of access points
Credentials needed to enter
Best routes to approach the disaster area
Transportation
Public works
Military support
Law enforcement
Status of Infrastructure
Initial estimate following notification and updated every operational period
Evacuating, pass-through, and host jurisdictions
Status of life-safety infrastructure, including water mains, wastewater treatment, and other public utilities
Status of electrical generating facilities and distribution grid
Households without electric power
Households without natural gas
Status of natural gas transmission facilities and distribution pipelines
Status of refineries, gasoline, and oil distribution systems
Transportation
Public works
Energy
Private utilities and municipal utility districts
Status of residents
Initial estimate following notification and updated every operational period
Evacuating, pass-through, and host jurisdictions
Confirmed and unconfirmed casualties
Primary threats to life safety
Local EOCs
State EOCs
Media
Public (via 9-1-1 and jurisdictional hotlines)
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Essential Element of Information
Timeline Responsible
Entity Specific Information
Methodology/ Source
Government Services Closures
Initial estimate following notification and updated every operational period
Evacuating jurisdiction(s)
Government closures
School closures
Government fuel availability
Emergency services suspense of services
Public safety communication outages
Search and rescue operations
Local EOCs
State EOCs
Media
Public (via 9-1-1 and jurisdictional hotlines)
Status of Operations Outside of Region
Initial determination following notification and updated every operational period
State-level emergency management organization
State priorities
Priorities outside of the state
Major operations in support of affected jurisdictions
ESFs that have been activated
Status of request for support under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC)
EM
Status of Re- entry Operations
Initial determination following notification and updated every operational period
Evacuating, pass-through, and host jurisdictions
Status of life-safety infrastructure and roadways
Best routes to approach the disaster area
Transportation
Public works
SEOC and local EOC reports
1061
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Appendix E – Checklists 1062
The Appendix offers sample execution checklists to use during planning and executing 1063 evacuation and shelter-in-place operations. 1064
The checklists provide actions and desirable outcomes for emergency managers and ESF 1065 agencies and sequential, time-phased references to guide decision makers, liaisons, field staff, 1066 and other stakeholders when facing a threat that could initiate large-scale evacuation and/or 1067 shelter-in-place operations. They are broken out by ESF and incident phase. 1068
Jurisdictions may incorporate these checklists by reference to other plans, and/or they may 1069 outline adjustments to existing execution checklists. 1070
ESF #1—Transportation (Evacuation and Shelter Phase) Checklist: 1071
ID Primary Agency
Support Agency
ESF #1—Transportation
Evacuation and Shelter-in-Place Phase Actions
Completed ()
Activate personnel and transportation partners to support the Evacuation and Shelter-in-Place Phase.
Implement contraflow operations if authorized, in close coordination with
ESF #5—Information and Planning
ESF #7—Logistics
ESF #13—Public Safety and Security
ESF #15—External Affairs.
Implement access controls to close transportation infrastructure, entrances, and/or exits determined unsafe, in conjunction with ESF #13—Public Safety and Security.
Adjust traffic signal timing and implement other systems to expedite outbound traffic flow and public transit, in conjunction with:
ESF #5—Information and Planning
ESF #13—Public Safety and Security.
Activate mobilized assets, including staging areas, roadway support and evacuation sites, in conjunction with:
ESF #5—Information and Planning
ESF #13—Public Safety and Security.
Activate VMS and other messaging capabilities, in conjunction with:
ESF #5—Information and Planning
ESF #13—Public Safety and Security
ESF #15—External Affairs.
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ID Primary Agency
Support Agency
ESF #1—Transportation
Evacuation and Shelter-in-Place Phase Actions
Completed ()
If necessary, continue to halt work zone activities on primary evacuation routes, in conjunction with ESF #13—Public Safety and Security.
Track resource requirements for those with critical transportation needs (CTN), persons with disabilities, and others with access and functional needs (AFN), evacuees, those with health and medical needs, and household pets and service animals.
Provide information to ESF #13—Public Safety and Security or ESF #8—Public Health and Medical Services, as needed.
Survey current resources and request for additional resources, as necessary.
Maintain streetlights, traffic signals, and other evacuation-related systems in conjunction with private-sector energy businesses.
Utilize alternate power sources as available.
Coordinate with ESF #13—Public Safety and Security to remove damaged/immobile vehicles from the primary evacuation routes.
Determine zero-hour criteria for halting operations and sheltering personnel (wind speed, flooding conditions, inaccessible locations, hazardous material exposure limits).
Communicate these criteria to workers, responders and the public, in close coordination with:
Relevant authorities
ESF #5—Information and Planning
ESF #15–External Affairs.
Develop transportation objectives and priorities for the Impact Phase.
Insert additional jurisdictional actions as needed.
1072
ESF #5—Information and Planning (Mobilization Phase) Checklist 1073
ID Primary Agency
Support Agency
ESF #5—Information and Planning
Mobilization Phase Actions
Completed ()
Activate the EOC (partial or full, depending on scale).
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ID Primary Agency
Support Agency
ESF #5—Information and Planning
Mobilization Phase Actions
Completed ()
Determine the need for contraflow.
Begin working with appropriate authorities to activate personnel, procedures, and resources and communicate the contraflow decision and timing to the public and other stakeholders:
ESF #1—Transportation
ESF #3—Public Works and Engineering
ESF #7—Logistics
ESF #13—Public Safety and Security
ESF #15–External Affairs.
Alert and activate personnel and partners to report (either in-person or virtually) to the EOC.
Provide personnel and relevant partners with hazard- and/or incident-specific information.
Inform the chief elected or appointed official of the situation; coordinate the emergency declaration process, if required.
Establish a regular briefing schedule.
Consider contacting the field/regional coordinators to initiate a conference call with area counties and the SOC.
Determine jurisdictional need for support from the state; request activation, if necessary.
Coordinate with the state and region regarding shelter vacancies.
Actively participate in state, National Weather Service, FEMA, and other agency briefings/calls, upon request.
Compare/contrast benefits to evacuation versus sheltering in place: what is the hazard, vulnerability, and anticipated exposure.
Determine the appropriate protective action (e.g., shelter-in-place, point-to-point evacuation, or hub and spoke evacuation).
Communicate strategy.
Determine zones affected (or likely impacted) by the incident.
Analyze demographics of impacted zones.
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ID Primary Agency
Support Agency
ESF #5—Information and Planning
Mobilization Phase Actions
Completed ()
Based on projections and demographics of impacted zones, determine type, scale, and resource needs for evacuation sites, to include evacuation transportation sites, RCs, and shelters.
Coordinate with the EOC to determine the transportation system to use (e.g., point-to-point, hub and spoke).
In coordination with ESF #7—Logistics, identify which sites to use as local forward staging areas.
In coordination with ESF #7—Logistics, identify mobilization gaps.
Determine the need to activate pre-event, standby contracts, and/or memoranda of understanding (MOU) to assist with filling identified gaps, as needed.
Participate in coordination calls; communicate situation updates with pass-through and host communities and other impacted jurisdictions.
Consider a pre-disaster declaration process, support for large evacuation events, and anticipated expenditures for Category B (Emergency Protective Measures) Public Assistance when the threat level exceeds the established threshold.
Collect any relevant plans, policies, procedures, and documents.
Documents may include a jurisdictional CTN, AFN, or health and medical needs registry, if available.
Identify primary motorist and pedestrian evacuation routes, in conjunction with ESF #1—Transportation and with assistance from ESF #3—Public Works and Engineering.
In coordination with ESF #13—Public Safety and Security, reassess risk to evacuation and shelter-in-place zones.
Identify a phased system for implementation using zonal demographic data.
Estimate an evacuation timeframe for zones, in conjunction with ESF #1—Transportation.
Mobilize staging areas with resources for the Evacuation and Shelter-in-Place Phase, in conjunction with:
ESF #1—Transportation
ESF #3—Public Works and Engineering
ESF #6—Mass Care, Emergency Assistance, Temporary Housing, and Human Services
ESF #13—Public Safety and Security.
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ID Primary Agency
Support Agency
ESF #5—Information and Planning
Mobilization Phase Actions
Completed ()
Communicate with facilities and systems that have individual standard operating procedures.
Provide mobilization assistance to health and medical facilities, incarceration facilities, and other facilities and systems, as resources are available and requested, in conjunction with
ESF #8—Public Health and Medical Services
ESF #13—Public Safety and Security.
If necessary, coordinate with ESF #1—Transportation and ESF #13—Public Safety and Security to halt work zone activities on evacuation routes.
Help mobilize VMS, HARs, and/or other message signs at pre-designated areas, in coordination with:
ESF #1—Transportation
ESF #13—Public Safety and Security.
Survey current resources and activate mutual aid/private sector agreements for additional resource needs.
Mobilize the selected evacuation strategy (e.g., point-to-point, hub and spoke).
Mobilize selected facilities with staff, infrastructure, and resources.
Initiate vehicle tow and breakdown support along routes, in conjunction with:
ESF #1—Transportation
ESF #13—Public Safety and Security.
Ensure assisting agencies are communicated the nearest evacuation transportation site facilities to relocate stranded motorists.
Coordinate the strategy and resources to support evacuation and/or shelter-in-place support for pets, service animals, livestock, and other animals, in close coordination with:
ESF #6—Mass Care, Emergency Assistance, Temporary Housing, and Human Services
ESF# 11—Agriculture and Natural Resources.
In conjunction with ESF #15—External Affairs (both local and state), determine messaging for the time-phased, zonal evacuation and sheltering in place.
Assess family reunification needs; assist with the program as needed.
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ID Primary Agency
Support Agency
ESF #5—Information and Planning
Mobilization Phase Actions
Completed ()
Determine operational objectives, priorities, and rotation shifts for personnel in the Evacuation and Shelter-in-Place Phase.
Inset additional jurisdictional actions as needed.
1074
ESF #6—Mass Care, Emergency Assistance, Temporary Housing, and Human 1075 Services (Mass Care Phase) Checklist: 1076
ID Primary Agency
Support Agency
ESF #6—Mass Care, Emergency Assistance, Temporary Housing, and Human Services
Mass Care Phase Actions
Completed ()
From the EOC, regularly provide updates to and receive updates from activated evacuation sites (e.g., evacuation transportation sites, RCs) and other facilities, in coordination with ESF #8—Public Health and Medical Services.
Communicate situation updates to and from the EOC, especially for pass-through and host communities and other impacted jurisdictions.
Working with the EOC and in conjunction with ESF #15—External Affairs, ensure signage is clear and well posted and evacuation information is regularly updated.
Ensure persons with disabilities, the AFN population, and pet populations have suitable accommodations.
Request resources as needed.
Develop objectives and priorities for Re-Entry Phase.
Insert additional jurisdictional actions as needed.
1077
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Appendix F – Resources 1078
Training Resources 1079
FEMA National Training and Education Division: Provides training to the emergency 1080 management community, other homeland security professionals, and our citizens to enhance 1081 their skills for preventing, protecting, responding to, and recovering from manmade and 1082 natural catastrophic events. The following evacuation related training courses can be found at 1083
firstrespondertraining.gov/. 1084
– MGT-412: Sport and Special Event Evacuation Training and Exercise 1085
FEMA Emergency Management Institute (EMI). EMI is the emergency management 1086 community’s flagship training institution and provides training to local, state, tribal, Federal, 1087
volunteer, public, and private sector officials to strengthen emergency management core 1088 competencies for professional, career-long training. The following evacuation-related 1089
training courses are at training.fema.gov/emi. 1090
– G0358: Evacuation and Re-Entry Planning Course 1091
Other Resources 1092
National Governors Association (NGA) Governors Guide to Mass Evacuation, 2014: 1093 https://www.nga.org/files/live/sites/NGA/files/pdf/GovGuideMassEvacuation.pdf. 1094
Crisis Event Response and Recovery Access (CERRA) Framework, March 2018: 1095 https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/Crisis%20Event%20Response%20and%1096 20Recovery%20Access%20%28CERRA%29%20Framework.pdf . 1097
Federal Evacuation Support Resources 1098
According to the Federal Evacuation Support Annex to the Federal Response and Recovery 1099
Interagency Operational Plans, Federal support to local and state evacuations may include: 1100
Transportation technical assistance and analysis for evacuation operations and evacuation 1101 route conditions. 1102
Information and coordination of mass care services for evacuations, including tracking the 1103 movement of evacuees, sheltering, feeding, reunification, temporary housing, and human and 1104 personal support services. 1105
Accommodations to ensure that evacuation assistance is inclusive of individuals with 1106 disabilities and others with access and functional needs. 1107
Supplemental assistance to local and state jurisdictions in identifying public health, health 1108 maintenance, and medical needs of survivors, including patient movement, as well as 1109
reunification of children or older adults with an appropriate adult or family member. 1110
Support of local and state public safety and security measures (e.g., crowd control, traffic 1111 management, control of contraflow lanes in evacuations). 1112
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Information and coordination evacuating animals, including household pets and service and 1113 assistance animals. 1114
Debris removal and clearance of evacuation routes. 1115
Goods and services to support evacuation efforts and transportation services. 1116
Military and/or commercial contract aircraft to support evacuation operations. 1117
Regulatory waivers and exemptions. 1118
Federal evacuation support resources are composed of tracking and manifesting systems, 1119 reunification systems, evacuation support contracts, decision support tools, and personnel. These 1120 additional resources may be available contingent with, or in anticipation of, a Presidentially 1121
declared disaster. For more information and coordination, jurisdictions should contact their 1122
FEMA regional offices. 1123
Tracking and Manifesting Systems 1124
Tracking and manifesting systems coordinate the movement of evacuees, animals, and their 1125
belongings throughout evacuation and re-entry operations. Most of the tracking systems listed 1126 below do not interface with state tracking and manifesting systems. 1127
National Mass Evacuation Tracking System (NMETS), FEMA: Tracks movement of 1128 evacuees, their household pets or service and assistance animals, luggage, durable medical 1129 equipment, and essential belongings, as well as assists in linking information of 1130
unaccompanied minors to the Unaccompanied Minor Registry hosted by the National Center 1131 for Missing and Exploited Children and the National Emergency Family Registry and 1132
Locator System. NMETS can operate independently, using paper-based and/or advanced 1133
technology, or used in combination to support local-level, state-managed, or multistate 1134
evacuation operations. Acquired information may be used to create transportation manifests, 1135 determine sheltering requirements, and inform operational decision-making regarding the 1136
allocation of emergency resources. The software and basic training is available at no cost to 1137 the states. 1138
Joint Patient Assessment and Tracking System (JPATS), HHS: Tracks patients moved by 1139 the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) from the point of entry into the patient 1140
movement system, to the NDMS health facility, and back to their originating location or 1141 destination. NDMS and other HHS teams utilize JPATS for tracking; however, HHS can also 1142 provide this tool at no cost to states. 1143
Emergency Tracking and Accountability System, Department of Defense (DoD), National 1144 Guard: Captures the names and other available identification information of patients as they 1145
proceed through the triage process conducted by the Homeland Response Force and/or 1146 Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Response Enterprise. 1147
Global Air Transportation Execution System (GATES), DoD: The Air Mobility 1148 Command’s aerial port operations and management information system supports automated 1149 cargo; passenger processing when DoD military airframes or DoD-contracted commercial 1150 airlines transport evacuees; reporting of in-transit visibility data to the Global Transportation 1151 Network; and billing to Air Mobility Command’s Financial Management Directorate. 1152
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TRANSCOM Regulating and Command and Control Evacuation Systems (TRAC2ES), 1153 DoD: This automated information system combines transportation, logistics, and clinical 1154 decision elements into a seamless patient movement automated information system. It 1155 visualizes, assesses, and prioritizes patient movement requirements, assigns resources, and 1156 distributes relevant data to deliver patients efficiently. The system automates the processes of 1157 medical regulation—assignment of patients to suitable medical treatment facilities—and 1158
aeromedical evacuation during peace, war, and contingency operations. 1159
Reunification Systems 1160
A reunification system helps reunite adults, children, and animals and helps displaced survivors 1161 establish contact with family, friends, legal guardians, and colleagues. FEMA has the statutory 1162 requirement to reunify unaccompanied minors with their custodial parents/legal guardians, as 1163
well as to assist with the voluntary reunification of adults with their families, during declared 1164
emergencies or disasters. 1165
National Emergency Family Registry and Locator System, FEMA: This web-based 1166 system may be activated following a Presidentially declared disaster at the request of an 1167 affected state to help reunite families that have become separated because of the disaster. 1168 Individuals and families can register online (www.fema.gov or www.disasterassistance.gov) 1169
or by phone (1-800-588-9822) when the system is activated. 1170
“Safe and Well” Website, American Red Cross: This service is provided by the American 1171 Red Cross for use by those affected by disasters in the U.S.,and their loved ones. Registering 1172 is voluntary and information is modifiable at any time. The American Red Cross provides 1173
registration information, as needed, to other organizations to locate missing persons, help 1174 reunite loved ones, or provide other disaster relief services. 1175
Unaccompanied Minors Registry, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children: 1176 This service allows the public to report information related to children 18 and under who are 1177
separated from their parents, legal guardians, or other relatives because of a disaster. It 1178 provides a place for emergency management agencies, law enforcement, shelter staff, 1179 hospital employees, schools, childcare institutions, and other organizations to report minors 1180
in their care during disasters. With a Presidentially declared disaster, the National Center for 1181 Missing and Exploited Children can also activate their Call Center to help locate children and 1182 reunify families who were lost or separated during the disaster or subsequent evacuations. 1183
The National Mass Evacuation Tracking System (referenced above) includes some elements 1184 of the Unaccompanied Minors Registry, allowing the intake of information about children 1185 separated from their parents/legal guardians. 1186
National Evacuation Contracts 1187
FEMA maintains four evacuation-specific contractual agreements with private-sector vendors for 1188 transportation resources and operational planning support capabilities. Each evacuation contract 1189 provides varying degrees of support; however, transportation assets are only provided through 1190
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the National Medical Transport and Support Contract or the Air Transportation Support Services 1191 Contract.12 1192
National Medical Transport and Support Contract, FEMA: Activated to help patients and 1193 individuals who need assistance evacuating from an area at significant risk or to provide pre-1194 hospital care and patient transport services in a region that already affected by a disaster. 1195
Evacuation Planning and Operational Support for Motor Coaches Contract, FEMA: 1196 Provides evacuation planning and supports use of motor coaches to evacuate the general 1197 population in response to Presidentially declared emergencies and major disasters within the 1198
continental United States. This contract provides generalized non-medical evacuation 1199 planning for a large-scale motor coach evacuation operation and disaster-specific non-1200 medical evacuation planning and operational support to facilitate the motor coach evacuation 1201 of critical transportation needs general population evacuees. This contract does not provide 1202
Motor Coaches. This contract includes or may provide: 1203
– Activation of Central Dispatch Operations – Command & Control 1204
– Crisis Action Planning, if no state plans exist 1205
– Contractor evacuation liaison/subject matter expert support at all key motor coach 1206 operational sites 1207
– Fleet management coordination (deployment of management staff to motor coach 1208 operations sites). 1209
Air Transportation Support Services Contract, FEMA: This provides additional 1210 operational flexibility for the safe and efficient transportation of people, teams, equipment, 1211
and assets in response to declared or undeclared emergencies within the United States, its 1212
territories and possessions. This contract includes or may provide: 1213
– Aircraft/Aircrew 1214
– Surface movement of equipment/personnel 1215
– Operations – aircraft ground support services 1216
– Operations – passenger service support 1217
– All-inclusive turnkey operations for FEMA air transportation (fixed- and rotary-wing) 1218
– Executive jet aircraft, passenger aircraft (medium, large, or jumbo), cargo/freight aircraft, 1219 and helicopters 1220
– Ground support services, ground transportation services, and a cadre of aviation subject 1221 matter experts. 1222
Aviation Ground Support Contract, FEMA: Supports the ability to obtain aviation related 1223 ground support services at U.S. airports. Contract support includes passenger services for up 1224 to 20,000 non-medical critical transportation needs evacuees, including individuals with 1225
12 If necessary, FEMA can contract for additional resources. If commercial transportation is not available, FEMA can request
additional transportation assistance from DoD and other Federal agencies for general population and patient evacuation. DoD,
through the NDMS, may provide fixed-wing air transportation for patient aero-medical evacuation with available resources,
when approved by the Secretary of Defense.
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disabilities and others with access and functional needs for a large-scale air evacuation at 1226 airfields that have undergone the pre-planning component and/or crisis action or adaptive 1227 operational planning for airfields that do not have an evacuation plan. This contract includes 1228 or may provide: 1229
– Passenger manifesting/holding1230
– All aviation ground support equipment (e.g., tugs, baggage carts), services, and personnel1231
– Baggage loading1232
– Aviation expertise, liaison, and staff support1233
– Aviation SMEs with contingency and emergency airfield operations experience.1234
Decision Support Tools 1235
Various decision support tools can support evacuation planning and operations: 1236
Hurricane Evacuation (HURREVAC), FEMA, USACE, National Oceanic and1237 Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): This is a storm tracking and decision support tool of1238 the National Hurricane Program, administered by FEMA, USACE, and NOAA’s National1239 Hurricane Center. The program combines live feeds of tropical cyclone forecast information1240 with data from various state Hurricane Evacuation Studies to help local emergency managers1241 determine the most prudent evacuation decision time and the potential for significant storm1242 effects, such as wind and storm surge.1243
National Disaster Medical System Bed Availability Report: Over 1,800 civilian hospitals1244 in the U.S. are voluntary members of the NDMS Bed Availability Report, providing1245 approximately 100,000 hospital beds to support NDMS operations in an emergency. When a1246
civilian or military crisis activates the NDMS, participating hospitals communicate their1247 available bed types and numbers to the Global Patient Medical Regulating Center. Patients1248 can be distributed to a number of hospitals without overwhelming any one facility.1249 Participating hospitals report the current number of available beds (within four hours) and the1250 maximum number of beds, by category (burns, critical care, medical/surgical, negative1251 pressure isolation, pediatric intensive care, pediatrics, and psychiatric) that can be available1252
within 24 to 72 hours.1253
TRANSCOM Regulating, Command, and Control Evacuation Systems (TRAC2ES),1254 DoD: This automated information system combines transportation, logistics, and clinical1255
decision elements into a seamless patient movement automated information system. It1256 visualizes, assesses, and prioritizes DoD patient movement requirements, assigns resources,1257 and distributes relevant data to deliver patients evacuated by DoD efficiently. The system1258
automates the processes of medical regulation (assignment of patients to suitable medical1259 treatment facilities) and aeromedical evacuation during peace, war, and contingency1260 operations.1261
Transportation Analysis Simulation System, U.S. Department of Transportation,1262 Department of Energy, and Environmental Protection Agency: This system includes travel1263
modeling procedures to meet the needs of state departments of transportation and1264 metropolitan planning organizations for more accurate and more sensitive travel forecasts for1265
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transportation planning and emissions analysis. The system outputs detailed data on travel, 1266 congestion, and emissions, information that is increasingly important to investment decisions 1267 and policy setting. Since the system simulates and tracks travel by individuals, it can evaluate 1268 the benefits to and impacts on different geographies and travel markets as well. It can also 1269 evaluate highly congested scenarios and operational changes on highways and transit 1270 systems. 1271
Nuclear Evacuation Analysis Code, Department of Energy: Sandia National Laboratories 1272 developed this code to analyze shelter-evacuate strategies following an urban nuclear 1273 detonation. This tool can model a range of behaviors, including complex evacuation timing 1274 and path selection, as well as various sheltering or mixed evacuation and sheltering 1275 strategies. The calculations are based on externally generated, high-resolution fallout 1276 deposition and plume data. Scenario setup and calculation outputs make extensive use of 1277
graphics and interactive features. This software produces quantitative evaluations of nuclear 1278 detonation response options, but the outputs also help communicate technical insights 1279 concerning shelter-evacuate tradeoffs to urban planning or response personnel. 1280
Real Time Evacuation Planning Model, DHS, through the Virginia Modeling, Analysis, 1281 and Simulation Center at Old Dominion University: Originally developed for the DHS 1282 Science and Technology Directorate, this model is a free, hands-on evacuation-planning tool 1283 to help municipal and regional planners understand and prepare for emergencies. It estimates 1284 the time required for evacuating vehicles to clear a user-defined area for a variety of 1285 evacuation scenarios. The number and speed of evacuating vehicles are determined by user-1286 assigned or modified variables, such as the time of day when an evacuation starts, evacuation 1287 rate, the population’s participation rate, and the number of people per vehicle, using 1288 parameters provided within the model. 1289
Geocentric Environment for Analysis and Reasoning (GEAR™),13 USACE: This 1290 software suite simplifies the analysis/decision making process by bringing spatial data and 1291 decision analysis into one place. GEAR™ spatially and temporally enables decision analysis, 1292 allowing users to efficiently and intuitively assess, analyze, and compare alternative 1293 outcomes. Gears™ provides decision, planning, and real-time support for a broad spectrum 1294 of mission areas and specific user cases, to include humanitarian assistance and disaster 1295
response efforts, medical communities, tactical situational awareness, operational level 1296 planning, environmental analyses, socio-cultural influences, and resilience and vulnerability 1297 analyses. 1298
Personnel 1299
Evacuation Liaison Team, U.S. Department of Transportation: The Evacuation Liaison 1300 Team is a non-deployable team that supports regional hurricane response efforts by 1301 facilitating the rapid, efficient, and safe evacuation of threatened populations. 1302
Additional Federal Evacuation Support Resources 1303
Department of Transportation (DOT) maintains the ability to procure Mass Transit buses 1304 in support of evacuation operations. 1305
13 GEAR™ is a registered trademark of Reinventing Geospatial, Inc. provided under contract to USACE.
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Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) provides aviation expertise and operational1306 support through the U.S. DOT ESF #1 function at the local, regional and national levels. This1307 support includes:1308
– Establishing and managing temporary flight restrictions over disaster areas, enabling1309 evacuation and other relief aircraft to carry out their missions more safely, flexibly, and1310 rapidly.1311
– Revising aircrew rest requirements for operators conducting critical relief missions.1312
– Quickly restoring air navigation services, facilities, and systems damaged or otherwise1313 disrupted in the disaster area to ensure that services needed for evacuation flights and1314 other relief missions receive priority.1315
– Establishing operational cells at FAA facilities that directly support evacuation and other1316
operational disaster response.1317
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA): While FHWA does not have regulatory1318 authority to direct movement on highways, in a catastrophic event where Federal agencies1319 are working with state authorities, the FHWA may provide technical support to state officials1320 for highway evacuation operations.1321
Federal Transit Administration (FTA) regulates transit operations when needed for1322 national defense or in the event of a national or regional emergency, or to establish and1323 enforce a program to improve the safety of U.S. public transportation systems. FTA may not1324 regulate the rates, fares, tolls, rentals, or other charges prescribed by any provider of public1325 transportation.1326
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) may stop or limit rail service, including freight1327 and passenger service and some commuter rail service, to abate unsafe conditions. This1328 authority applies to all railroad service connected to the general freight and passenger rail1329 system, but does not extend to rail rapid transit systems not part of the general railroad1330 system.1331
Non-Evacuation-Specific Resources 1332
During notice and no-notice incidents, jurisdictions may employ the following non-evacuation-1333
specific resources for evacuation purposes, if needed and available: 1334
National Disaster Medical System1335
Ground transportation (e.g., cars, ambulettes, accessible transport, buses)1336
Rail transportation (e.g., Amtrak, commuter trains, streetcars)1337
Air transportation (e.g., commercial and military air carriers)1338
Maritime transportation (e.g., cruise ships, ferries)1339
Ground transportation support services (e.g., fuel)1340
Geographic information systems (e.g., GeoHealth Platform).1341
1342