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n Condition of transportation network infrastructure, includinglocations of impediments such as work zones and traffic incidentsn Congestion levels in the transportation network (initial and ongoing)n Response agencies’ level of readiness and availabilityn Contact information for response agenciesn Response agencies’ deployment locations and activityn Availability and location of material and resources to supportevacuation effortsn State of readiness and occupancy levels of sheltering locationsSource: Massachusetts Highway Department.The evacuation plan should specify how coordinating and participatingagencies will collect, analyze and share relevant informationquickly after a precipitating incident. Planners need to determine thekey topics on which to focus during initial time period, how to collectthat information, and how to transmit the information to a range ofstakeholders.As part of this determination, each stakeholder should identify thesystems and methods they have for collecting and providing critical information.Transportation agencies in particular are well-positioned tocompile some of the information listed above. Through resources suchas embedded road sensors, traffic cameras, and other ITS components,they can rapidly determine the state of the transportation network.More importantly, they can typically process this information rapidlyat specialized facilities such as local and regional TMCs.Transportation agencies can improve the evacuation planning and preparednessprocess through two activities. First, determine the specificinformation collection capabilities provided by their systems and staff,identify where vulnerabilities might exist, and communicate thesecapabilities and vulnerabilities to the evacuation planners. This willensure that the plan leverages the available information while retainingrealistic expectations for information availability. Second, transportationagencies should train their staff and prepare their systems to maximizetheir information collection capabilities, particularly on shortnotice for no-notice scenarios. These activities may include trainingadditional staff to operate ITS systems, augmenting systems to expandtheir capabilities, reinforcing system hardware and networks to ensurecontinued operations during adverse conditions, and performing planningduties at the EOC as a technical expert.76USING HIGHWAYS FOR NO-NOTICE EVACUATIONS
A final consideration is how to share the information collected bytransportation agencies systems and TMCs with other agencies andemergency management facilities.COMMUNICATIONSDuring an evacuation or other large-scale emergency response, twotypes of communication take place: (1) communications among entitiesinvolved in the management of the response and (2) communicationbetween the emergency management structure and the generalpublic. Each of these levels of communication can involve differentgoals, tools, and challenges.An effective evacuation plan will describe how information will beshared among agencies and organizations involved in the responseeffort. These entities must be able to communicate in order topromote situational awareness at all levels and to ensure a reliablecommand structure and need to be able to share the following typesof information:n Notification of declaration of emergency and situation status reportn Notification of declaration and type of evacuation ordern Size of evacuation area and anticipated evacuation populationn Duty assignments for different agencies and staffn Evacuation strategies and tactics being employedn Activation orders for different activities and facilitiesn Changes in command and reporting structuresn Updates on duty assignments and activity ordersn Stand-down/recall order at end of evacuationThese communications will rely on the agencies’ existing communicationssystems and protocols because a no-notice incident will notprovide enough time to establish evacuation-specific hardware androutines before they are needed. Additionally, a no-notice scenariowill place greater demands on the communications network because allparticipating agencies act simultaneously while requiring informationand instructions from other agencies. Moreover, the normal communicationnetwork may be saturated with the general public makinga high volume of calls, emergency responders reporting on situationstatus, agencies coordinating with each other, and disaster welfareUSING HIGHWAYS FOR NO-NOTICE EVACUATIONS77
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NoticeThe U.S. Department of Transp
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Technical Report Documentation1. Re
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FOREWORDEvacuations may involve hun
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1 INTRODUCTIONEvacuations occur for
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able to aid evacuation planners and
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NO-NOTICE EVACUATIONSThis Primer fo
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egularly. A general rule is to upda
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USING HIGHWAYS FOR NO-NOTICE EVACUA
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TRAFFIC MANAGEMENTCENTERSTraffic Ma
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Source: FEMA/Liz Roll.Source: NASA.
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Incident CommanderPublic Informatio
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Category Description Location of Ro
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During an evacuation, EOC officials
Page 34 and 35: epresentatives should be dispatched
Page 37 and 38: 3 Explanation ofNo-Notice Incidents
Page 39 and 40: that would likely require a sizeabl
Page 41 and 42: n On-scene emergency responders may
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Page 46 and 47: to assess the available information
Page 48 and 49: it accomplishes an evacuation’s m
Page 50 and 51: aftermath of an incident. The natur
Page 52 and 53: ture of the contaminant is known. P
Page 54 and 55: of the transportation network, such
Page 56 and 57: zones of the at-risk region are eva
Page 59 and 60: 5 PlanningPlanning considerations C
Page 62 and 63: ers include transportation planners
Page 64 and 65: establish a clear protocol which ag
Page 66 and 67: n Executive government - Mayor and
Page 68 and 69: lated strategies and tactics, demon
Page 70 and 71: apidly synthesize information that
Page 72 and 73: n Location and distribution of evac
Page 74 and 75: Geographic information systems can
Page 76 and 77: is-clearing capabilities among supp
Page 78 and 79: the location of the incident and ho
Page 80 and 81: TacticNo changes to normal roadway
Page 82 and 83: DESTINATIONS AND SHELTERINGEvacuati
Page 86 and 87: inquiries initiated from out of the
Page 88 and 89: PUBLIC EDUCATIONEmergency managemen
Page 90 and 91: During the planning process, each a
Page 93 and 94: 6 Planning for for a No-NoticeaEvac
Page 95 and 96: Planning and preparedness phaseThis
Page 97 and 98: How does the evacuation plan identi
Page 99 and 100: What provisions should the evacuati
Page 101 and 102: 1.6SHELTERING/DESTINATIONFor inform
Page 103 and 104: Activation phaseThis operational ph
Page 105 and 106: 3.4SHELTERING/DESTINATIONFor inform
Page 107 and 108: What resources are needed to suppor
Page 109 and 110: What contingency plans have been pr
Page 111 and 112: Who needs to be notified to begin t
Page 113 and 114: CONCLUSIONThis Primer presents guid
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