2.4 Coordination

The federal government, through FEMA, requires all states to have a comprehensive emergency operations plan to serve as a guide for all types of hazards that may occur in their area, including emergency evacuation events. This comprehensive plan would be built upon the emergency plans developed by the counties and cities within that state. Thus, the information should be fully coordinated among all agencies.

Typically, this has involved a hierarchical structure to the development of emergency management plans at all levels. The local level, usually individual cities or counties, will lead the development of plans for emergency planning, response, and recovery operations within their immediate jurisdictions. Emergency management agencies at the next higher level, county and/or state, typically serve to coordinate all local-level emergency management activities, as well as assist with additional law enforcement and transportation system management.

Public education programs would be undertaken by either local or county agencies to prepare the general public for an emergency. Information on what to do during an emergency evacuation, such as which travel routes to use (maps), a list of emergency provisions (disaster preparedness kits), and testing of the communications systems allows agencies to train the general public on what to expect during an emergency situation.

Advanced planning activities are then coordinated through a series of emergency operation plans, developed at the local, county, and state levels to fulfill federal requirements. Advanced planning for emergency evacuation scenarios should be included at all levels of the emergency planning documentation.

After the plan has been developed, all agencies involved should agree to test the plan on a regular basis. Ideally, the plan would be tested under a number of scenarios. The test would typically begin with the occurrence of an incident triggering a mass evacuation. The test would conclude with all of the agencies that were involved sitting down, evaluating, and documenting each aspect of the plan that did and did not go well.

June 26, 2006
Publication #FHWA-HOP-08-020