Rose Gentry – Chair Office of Maintenance
Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT)
Friday, April 28, 2006
- Evacuation Plan Status: What is the status of your agency’s existing evacuation plan? For example, when was it first developed and when was it last revised? Has it ever been used in an actual emergency situation? Who has the authority to issue evacuation orders?
ODOT established Emergency Highway Regulation Plan in 1998. The Plan was last updated in 2004. It has not been used in an actual large-scale evacuation. In Oregon, the governor and local jurisdictions, including counties and cities have the authority to issue an evacuation order.
There is another much more detailed and extensive emergency response plan, Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Programs (CSEPP), prepared for 10-mile radius area in the Chemical Weapon facility in east Oregon. -
Scope of the Plan: What is the scope of the plan with regard to geographic coverage, agency involvement, and presence of transportation elements? Are plans for evacuation transportation management separate from or a part of the general emergency plan?
The Plan covers the entire State of Oregon. Evacuation issues are covered in the Plan. -
Plan Scenarios: What types of scenarios are the plans meant to address? Can they be applied to no-notice, advance-notice, and/or special event emergency evacuations? Do they have provisions for naturally occurring, accidental, and/or terrorist events?
In the metropolitan Portland area, the Plan is primarily prepared for earthquake, wild fire, and flood. Other no-notice and advance-notice disasters such as terrorism are also covered in the Plan. -
Capacity Needs and Availability: Have any models, computer simulations, or other calculations been performed to estimate capacity needs of the transportation system during an evacuation? How much additional capacity is expected to result from emergency measures that are to be put in place (e.g., contraflow lanes, signal pattern changes)?
The evacuation capacity is estimated by an ODOT computer model, which considers many factors such as emergency type, regional population, time needed for evacuation. The actual additional evacuation capacity is also a variable depending on these factors. -
Traffic Control Practices: What is the role of transportation agencies in traffic management and control? What traffic control practices are designated by the plan for use in an evacuation? Examples include pre-established evacuation routes, contraflow, evacuation phasing, regulation of type or number of vehicles (including transit), optimization of signal patterns and lane use, mitigation of work zone impacts, and suspension of tolls and fares.
The primary responsibility of ODOT during any emergency including those needing evacuation is to keep the highways clear for priority use and to assist local governments by providing requested transportation resources. The Plan basically covers all of the traffic control practices including pre-established evacuation routes, contraflow (under development), evacuation phasing, regulation of type or number of vehicles, optimization of signal patterns and lane use, and mitigation of work zone impacts. -
Role of ITS: What intelligent transportation system (ITS) components and other related traffic management tools are used in the evacuation plan? How, when, and why are they each used as part of the evacuation plan? Do you have redundant systems? Can you operate the ITS elements from any location other than the TMC? Examples of ITS components include surveillance cameras, variable message signs (VMS), highway advisory radio (HAR), 511 or other traveler information systems (phone and/or Web), interconnected traffic signal systems, high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, ramp metering, traffic signal priority for buses, and vehicle detection systems.
ODOT has all the state-of-practice ITS devices and communication systems, such as CCTV cameras, electronic message signs, HAR, statewide 511 system, ramp meter, and HOV. ODOT also operate a real-time traffic condition Web site “Trip Check” for people to obtain pre-trip traffic information. These systems will all be subject to use during evacuation as appropriate. The Plan specifically covers how the surveillance and the highway gate/ramps will be controlled during evacuation. ODOT has agreement with local police that, when necessary, the police may operate the traffic signals from the TMC. -
Resources and Materials: What is the role of transportation agencies in identifying resource needs and in providing resources or materials? How do they assist in transportation service coordination?
Oregon Emergency Management is the primary coordinator of resources and material during emergency situation. ODOT will provide transportation-related resources, including staff in-field support when requested by OEM or any other agencies. -
Evacuation Control, Coordination, and Management: Is an incident command system (ICS) used? How are transportation needs and resources, and the role of transportation agencies, integrated into the ICS? How are operations coordinated between TMCs, transit agencies, EOCs, and other agencies? Do you have plans for the re-entry of evacuees after the evacuation? How do you accommodate special needs evacuees (seniors, nursing home residents, hospital patients, inmates, people with pets, etc.)?
An ICS is used. Various agencies are involved with the operation of ICS. The detailed ICS operation procedure was developed to be consistent with the national standard ESF plan. The re-entry issue is not covered yet. ODOT is not in charge of evacuating people with special needs but may assist by providing transportation-related resource when requested by other agencies. -
Communications Between Agencies: What are the communications protocols between agencies? Are there established procedures for disseminating information quickly and accurately to personnel?
ODOT use multiple media to communicate with other agencies during emergency situations. These media include phone, fax, radio, satellite phone, and dedicated range (800MHz) wireless communication for first responders. There is no current procedure established as to communications. -
Communications with Evacuees: Is the public educated in advance about the evacuation procedures? What information is provided and how is the information disseminated? Do transportation agencies have a specific role in media coordination and traveler information dissemination, either before or during an evacuation? Is information coordinated between agencies and/or centralized before being delivered to the media?
ODOT does not communicate or distribute information to evacuees directly but will provide en-route traffic information through DMS. ODOT staff on site at the Emergency Operations Center will coordinate the information before it is released. -
Testing and Training Procedures: How often are testing/training exercises conducted? Who do these exercises involve? What drill scenarios have been used?
Extensive testing and training are conducted annually for the CSEPP Chemical Weapon facility in east Oregon. Evacuation training has not been conducted for the Portland area. -
Evaluation of Exercises: What aspects of the evacuation plan were implemented well in drill situations, and what aspects of the plan were found to require improvement? What elements of the plan were most useful for a successful evacuation drill? What lessons have been learned as a result of these drills?
Similarly, careful review and report of the evacuation with established performance measures will be conducted for CSEPP. -
Evaluation of Evacuations: If the evacuation plan has ever been used in an actual evacuation, how successful was its implementation? To what extent was the evacuation simply monitored, rather than managed, by responding agencies? What aspects of the plan were implemented well in the actual emergency situation, and what aspects were found to require improvement? What elements of the plan were most useful for a successful evacuation?
Not applicable. -
After-Action Report: What is the process for post-evacuation evaluation? Is the post-incident review a collaborative effort among all agencies that were involved?
Not applicable. -
Incorporation of Lessons Learned: Have the lessons learned in testing/training exercises and in real evacuations resulted in revisions to the emergency evacuation plan? Have the lessons learned resulted in changes in personnel training?
The Plan indicates that any inefficiency identified during actual evacuation or exercise will be quickly addressed. -
Conclusions: What specific recommendations do you have regarding management of traffic during evacuations for another agency developing or improving upon their own emergency evacuation plans?
ODOT indicates that effective coordination among agencies during evacuation is the key to a successful emergency response plan.
June 26, 2006
Publication #FHWA-HOP-08-016
