Final Research Report: A Transportation Guide for All-Hazards Emergency Evacuation (2013)

Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

3 CHAPTER 2 RESEARCH APPROACH The work was performed in a series of 10 sequential tasks. The approach to each task is briefly summarized in the following paragraphs, with the task reports included as appendices, as appropriate. Task 1: Literature Review The team developed a matrix for capturing appropriate and actionable information from the sources reviewed, and then completed the matrix and organized the sources. Team members categorized and prioritized information and sources based on practical utility. They then developed a comprehensive bibliography from multiple sources. Only selected references are included in the Guide; the entire bibliography is included in this Draft Final Report as Appendix A. Task 2: Roles of Modes and Other Entities in Evacuations The team compiled a list of transportation resources (by mode) available for emergency operations throughout the NIMS cycle approach to incidents: Prevention / Protection / Response / Recovery / Mitigation / Prevention. The major focus was on the Planning (part of Protection), Response, and Recovery phases. This task was incorporated in the Guide as Tool 3.3, Primary Entities and Transportation Modes Involved in Evacuation, and Tool 4.2.1, Examples of Resources. Interviews and the workshop (Task 5) emphasized the importance of resource identification, especially to emergency managers, and preferably within the framework of existing FEMA Resource Typing. FEMA Resource Typing for Transportation Resources is described in Tool 4.2.2., with examples. FEMA typed resources for moving people include buses (scant detail) and “multi-patient medical transport vehicles” (akin to paratransit vehicles), as well as ambulances, and fixed-wing and rotary wing aircraft for medical transport, but do not include other modes of transportation or support facilities such as intermodal terminals. Similarly, the FEMA public works resource typing includes some resources such as variable message signs, but many others are missing. The team developed many templates to assist in gathering and organizing data for varied resources. These are included in the tools under Task 4.2, Identify Resources, and are listed in Table E-1, the outline comparison (see Appendix E) as well as in the description of Step 4 of the Guide. Task 3: Mode Integration The team reviewed the findings from Tasks 1 and 2 as they apply to organizational and operational frameworks and mode integration, and developed and evaluated alternative means of integration. These are incorporated in the Guide under Tool 1.2, Potential Frameworks for Integrating Modes and Entities for Effective Evacuation: Convener Agencies for Multimodal Evacuation Planning; Tool 3.4, Transportation Operations Coordination Checklists; and Tool 4.3, Checklist for Interagency Communications and Information Sharing Between Transportation Agencies, Emergency Management, and Others. Task 4: Matching Resources to Evacuation Needs The team described a process for matching appropriate resources to evacuation needs. This included developing tables to help identify likely risks (included in the Guide under Step 2, Task 2.1, Gather information on potential risks/hazards that might require evacuation, and Tool 2.1, Preliminary Risk Assessment). The team developed tables and templates to identify likely and potential partners in evacuation efforts, incorporated in the Guide in Step 1, Tool 1.4 Potential Community Partners. Team members developed templates with instructions to identify population groups that may need to evacuate, including more detailed templates for those that may need additional assistance to evacuate (all Step 2 Tools). They developed a step-by-step process (flowchart) to be used by local transportation, public safety, and emergency management to match the needs of those

4 evacuating with the correct resources (see Step 4, Figure 4.2 in the Guide, and the revised flowchart below in the expanded description of Step 4). They developed a matrix to help transportation planners coordinate with those responsible for medical transportation case management, identifying the Transportation Coordination Spectrum of Considerations for Access and Functional Needs Populations in Tool 3.2. They developed a plan/matrix checklist for planners to inventory and match resources to the needs of self-evacuees and assisted- evacuees, incorporated in Step 4, Tool 4.2.6, Resource Inventory Checklist, in the Guide. Task 5: Evaluate Alternative Research Approaches The team created a series of templates, instructions and handouts to conduct peer exchanges as well as support additional steps in the process – Workshop in a Box – to accompany and explain the use of the draft plan/ matrix. Team members planned and facilitated a workshop in Kansas City, Missouri, to test the Task 4 Plan/Matrix and other tools. They documented the workshop development process and modified and revised workshop materials based on workshop outcomes. The revised tools and templates, including the Workshop in a Box, are included in the Guide, in addition to other tools and documentation developed in response to requests from the workshop and evolving needs. The Workshop in a Box is included as a resource to be used in all steps of the process, and is therefore presented in the Guide at the end of the six steps, rather than as part of one step. Task 6: Propose and Evaluate Case Studies The team listed and briefly described approximately 20 recent disasters differing in type and geography. With panel input, team members selected six events for further development as case studies, focused on transportation integration across modes and with emergency management. Using the information from Tasks 1 through 5, the six case studies were evaluated to illustrate the intended outcomes of the Guide, to help emergency responders and transportation agencies understand: • The roles of various modes in evacuations; • The roles of various entities in evacuations; • How entities and modes can coordinate to plan, respond to and recover from disasters requiring evacuation; • How resources and assets can be identified and effectively utilized for vulnerable populations and other evacuees; and • Areas where coordination, communication, planning, response and recovery can succeed and where they may fall short. After the selection and research, two of the case studies did not have sufficient information available to document all questions; information that was available was used. The others proved to be very useful. The case studies were not directly incorporated in the Guide, and were included in this report in their entirety as Appendix B. Task 7: Operations Plan Templates The team used the work completed in Tasks 1 through 6 to establish decision trees, flow charts, graphics, checklists and other appropriate formats within templates. These are found throughout the Guide. The Multijurisdictional Multimodal Evacuation Coordination Template Outline and Planning Checklists (Tools 5.1 and 5.2, respectively) are specifically aligned to the evacuation phases, and include the roles and responsibilities for all participants in an evacuation plan and response effort (beyond the transportation focus of steps 1 through 4 of the Guide).

5 Task 8: Preparation of Interim Report, Outline for the Final Guide, Revised Work Plan The team documented Tasks 1 through 7, including the proposed outline for the Final Guide. Team members also developed a PowerPoint presentation to describe the project and findings to date, and the proposed outline and next steps. The Principal Investigator (PI) met with the Panel to discuss the Interim Report and Outline. The Outline and Work Plan were revised based on discussion with and comments from the Panel. Subsequent to the Panel Review, an internal review of the Guide identified various FEMA resources that were not adequately referenced or represented in the Guide. The draft outline was reworked and the Guide developed to include or refer to relevant FEMA resources. In November 2010, FEMA published the second version of the Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101: Developing and Maintaining Emergency Operations Plan. The CPG 101 was produced to assist planners at all levels of emergency management with guidance as they develop and review their all-hazards emergency plans. While the basic process remained the same from the draft to the revised outline, steps were reorganized and renamed to conform to the CPG 101 planning steps. The Panel was notified of this proposed change in Quarterly Progress reports and substantially agreed with the proposed approach. The change is intended to facilitate communication and coordination between transportation and emergency managers. A comparison between the original and the revised outlines is provided in Table E-1 in Appendix E. Task 9: Develop a Guide The team developed a Guide that a) described what would be needed in a viable evacuation operations and management plan for DOTs and emergency management agencies; b) provided examples of practical tools; c) described options for monitoring the effectiveness of evacuation in real time and sharing information with appropriate entities; d) provided a series of questions for an after-action review; and e) included a glossary. Note: the glossary was omitted from the Guide, and is included as Appendix C to this Draft Final Report. We anticipate receiving Panel comments and feedback on the Guide concurrent with comments on this Draft Final Report. We will then produce the final draft of the Guide. Task 10: Prepare Final Report Documenting Research Results The team compiled documentation and technical memoranda from Tasks 1 through 9; edited as necessary for flow and continuity and to eliminate redundancy, in particular eliminating overlaps in tools and other research products incorporated within the Guide. The current document (Draft Final Report) represents the draft deliverable for Task 10. The Guide was submitted as a stand-alone document January 6, 2012. The team also developed the final PowerPoint presentation describing the project, the guide, and major findings for review by the Panel. Subsequent to Panel review, the team revised the report and PowerPoint to respond to Panel comments and submits both to TRB for review and publication.

6 GUIDE ORGANIZATION The stand-alone “Transportation Guide to All-Hazards Evacuation” (Guide) follows the planning steps of the CPG 101, Volume 2. CPG 101 includes an emphasis on whole community planning, among other topics.