AMU Emergency Management Homeland Security Opinion Public Safety

The “Forgotten Issues” of Homeland Security: Part II

By Mike Harbert
Evacuations. Everyone in the country has an opinion about what happened with the evacuations for Hurricane Katrina. And there are any number of people or organizations that will offer a list of lessons learned, but I maintain that in most communities these are merely lessons recorded but not learned. Many of these same lessons were “learned” in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew, and many of them were learned in countless previous storms. So, what lessons have we learned (recorded) for evacuations? Here’s a quick (though not inclusive) sampling of questions to ask:
First, let’s look at what makes up most evacuation plans – getting people out of town. Pretty simple. But where do they go? What happens when they cross state lines and move into a different jurisdiction? Has anyone coordinated with the “destination” communities? Has anyone instructed their citizens on what they should bring and not bring? Now is the time for them to collect and copy essential documents.
Fuel: We learned with the evacuations brought on by Katrina and Rita that plans have to include ensuring that fueling points are manned and have sufficient reliable and redundant power sources. Likewise, is there a contingency to refuel stranded motorists or man traffic control points? Communities in the hurricane zones have probably addressed this, but how about cities in the heartland?
Moving people without cars: We learned that plans need to include options to evacuate those who may have no other means to leave. We may incorporate school busses and local charter companies into our evacuation plans, but do we have contingency plans for drivers. How would local evacuation plans change if bus drivers, first responders, and key personnel were victims? Or if essential equipment or even evacuees needed decontamination or to be quarantined? Have we coordinated with the destination cities for busses and drivers to come to our communities and pick people up? How does your evacuation plan handle registered sex offenders or those on probation? Has anyone coordinated with the destination cities to identify and receive these folks, or will they just be released to the community?
Receiving evacuees: On the other end, how many cities have an evacuation reception plan? How many people can your community absorb? For how long? Will there be a secondary decontamination capability or quarantine? How will you handle evacuees arriving with no identification? Are you prepared to run criminal background checks on everyone coming in? Evacuation and emergency response plans must be regional, with cooperation extending across jurisdictional lines.
Does anyone outside the EOC know the plan? The mayors and emergency mangers who spoke at the symposium emphasized that communities must be able to handle the first 24-48 hours of any emergency before outside aid arrives. In order for this to happen, individuals and families must be prepared as well – not only to survive the first 48 hours, but to evacuate. This includes having important papers and copies of identification cards ready to go or located with relatives in communities that, hopefully, are outside of the impacted area. This includes having food, water, and other essential supplies to last at least that first 48 hours. Of course, we as individuals have a long way to go as is evidenced by the lines at a grocery store the night before a predicted snow storm.
Having our communities and families prepared for an emergency isn’t the federal government’s responsibly. It’s ours, and it’s the responsibility of our local leaders. It is also our civic duty to hold our local leaders accountable and demand that they keep our communities prepared. If we are prepared, then when something happens it is an emergency. It’s when we aren’t prepared that it becomes a disaster.

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