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5.8 Evacuations

5.8.1 Dispatch Organization

1. Conduct Contingency Planning for Dispatch – “One center had conducted contingency planning for power requirements, phones, and computer networks so that when expanded dispatch was required, everything could be set up and ready to go in modular units.”
   Southern California Firestorm 2003: Report for the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center

2. Have Dispatchers Cross-Train – “Interagency cooperation significantly increases the ability to adapt and respond to a crisis. Conflicts had already been worked through and improvements implemented by the time the crisis occurred. Dispatchers had cross-trained in other agency dispatchers’ duties on previous fires.”
   Southern California Firestorm 2003: Report for the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center

3. Include Evacuation of Dispatch Center in Contingency Planning – “Dispatchers said a lesson learned was that their center’s contingency planning should include total evacuation and temporary operations at a remote location.”
   Southern California Firestorm 2003: Report for the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center

4. Orientate Non-Local Dispatchers to the Local Area – “The large number of dispatchers coming in to assist from outside the area made it important that staff from outside the area has an adequate orientation and access to local maps and information.”
   Southern California Firestorm 2003: Report for the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center

5. Realize Dispatchers May Need to Have Minimum Distractions – “The huge increase in activity and distractions at dispatch centers posed a safety threat to resources (due to dispatcher distraction) and delays in ordering. Dispatchers compartmentalized key functions to minimize distractions.”
   Southern California Firestorm 2003: Report for the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center

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February 7, 2006
Publication #FHWA–HOP-08-015