using highways for no-notice evacuations - FHWA Operations - U.S. ...

5 PlanningPlanning considerations ConsiderationsBy preplanning and resolving issues ahead of time, officials can ensurethat the resulting plan is more likely to be actionable and successfulunder a broader range of no-notice evacuation scenarios.Concept of OperationsIn the planning process, the concept of operations (CONOPS) is theset of guiding principles that establishes an operational framework forthe evacuation plan. It is intended to address high-level issues such asthe command structure, the respective roles of participating agencies,and the approach to communications and situational awareness thatwill enable coordinated response activity. 7 In most jurisdictions, emergencymanagement agencies have developed a CONOPS for emergencyresponse, and transportation planners should work with thoseagencies to understand the local approach to CONOPS and use it as afoundation for the evacuation plan.Today’s CONOPS must be cast within the framework of NIMS andthe NRF. While the emergency management and first responder communitiesare accustomed to using NIMS precepts and terminology, thetransportation operations community is new to the world of NIMS.There are many tools available from both FHWA and the Departmentof Homeland Security that may aid transportation staff in understandingNIMS and the NRF. 8For an effective evacuation plan, the CONOPS needs to be structuredin a way that will support evacuation managers while taking intoconsideration the limitations imposed by a no-notice scenario. MostCONOPS are designed to be simple and adaptable to facilitate implementationin response to a wide variety of precipitating incidents.Simplicity and adaptability are of critical importance in the success ofa no-notice evacuation. The CONOPS will need to anticipate manyof the limitations detailed in Section 4, Considerations in a No-NoticeContext, in this Primer. It should provide for immediate activationand expedited decision making with imperfect information and limitedoperational resources.7See p. 23 of Using Highways During Evacuation Operations for Events with Advance Notice from thisPrimer series for additional information about CONOPS development.8See ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/ics_guide/index.htm, www.fema.gov/emergency/nims, andwww.fema.gov/emergency/nrf/.USING HIGHWAYS FOR NO-NOTICE EVACUATIONS51