# Presentation: 493772

## US REPATRIATION PROGRAM

- DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
- HUMAN SERVICES
- 5/16/08

- Emergencies

- Evacuations

- Assistance

- Reception

## National Emergency Repatriation PlanOperational Guide

- This document provides guidance to States to assist them in
- developing emergency social services plans. It defines the
- roles of Federal agencies and national voluntary organizations
- in providing essential social services in an emergency
- situation. The plan defines the responsibility of State
- governments in developing and implementing emergency
- social services plans, and it specifies the range of programs
- administered by Federal agencies *which *States may need to
- call upon to supplement their resources in providing social
- services in an emergency.

## Operational GuideCONTENTS

**EXECUTIVE SUMMARY**
**HISTORY**
**LEGAL AUTHORITY**
**MISSION OBJECTIVE**
**SCOPE**
**PLANNING ASSUMPTIONS**
**PLANNIG AND ELIGIBILITY**

**ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE**
**COORDINATION AND COMMUNICATION**
**PHASE OPERATIONS**
**RESOURCES**
**MONITORING AND UPDATING OG**
**APPENDIX**

## Operational GuideLegal Authority

_**Basic Authority**_
- 	Executive (E.O.) 11490, as amended (E.O. 12656...)
_**Executive Order:**_
- 	E.O.11490, as amended, Section 1104 (4) of part II assigns responsibility to the Secretary of HHS for providing services to non-combatant evacuees as follows:
- 	“_(4) Non-combatant evacuees to the continental United States._  Develop plans and procedures for assistance at ports of entry to U.S. personnel evacuated from overseas areas, their onward movement to final destination, and follow-up assistance after arrival at final destination.”
_**Statute:**_
- 	The Program is authorized under Title XI, Section 1113 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1313 (a) (1)), which states that HHS is responsible for providing temporary assistance to U.S. citizens and their dependents
_**Regulation**_
- 	45 CFR 212 and 211

## Operational GuideMission Objective

- The mission of the National Emergency Repatriation Plan, summarized in this Operational Guide (OG), is to provide temporary assistance to U.S. citizens, their dependents and others who are identified by DOS as having returned from a foreign country to the United States due to illness, war, threat of war, invasion, or similar crisis, to facilitate their travel to their final destination, and to provide any requested follow-up assistance for up to 90 days at their final destination.

## Operational GuideScope

-  Emergency Vs. Group Repatriations
- This OG supplements, but does not supersede or replace, the ongoing Repatriation Program
- Emergencies may take place under a Presidential Declaration of National Emergency related to escalating international tension or hostilities overseas, or it may occur under conditions not involving a declaration of national emergency.
- Use of military installations, commercial air facilities or both

## Operational GuidePlanning Assumptions

**The Secretary of Health and Human Services has the lead for emergency repatriation activities.  This authority has been delegated to ACF and further delegated to ORR for the Repatriation Program.**
**This Plan assumes a large scale (500 to 3,000 or more people) repatriation activity, however, be used for group repatriation.**
**DOS will provide formal notice to the ORR Director regarding the emergency repatriation event.  Notice will contain necessary information needed to coordinate the reception of repatriates.  **
**In consultation with DOS and DOD, HHS will determine the various non-military Points of Entries (POE) within the U.S. **

## Operational GuidePlanning Assumptions

**In consultation with HHS and DOS, DOD will determine the various military POEs within the U.S.**
**The POE for repatriates will be a specified commercial airport or U.S. military facility organized to ensure the safety and security of all arriving repatriates.**
**Military support may not be available at non-military POEs, including assistance from National Guard and. Reserve Units.**
**ORR authorized staff will notify the States at the point that an evacuation is being considered. The State should have between one week or 48 hours to activate its plan before flights actually arrive. ORR -looks at the totality of circumstances during an emergency and recognizes that there may be occasions when a notice will be given less than 48 hours prior to arrival of the first plane.**

## Operational GuidePlanning Assumptions

**Emergency Repatriation operations may begin prior to a declaration of national emergency. A State declaration of emergency may be necessary.**
**Operations will be maintained with 24 hours coverage for the duration of the emergency.**
**There may be situations in which both Emergency Repatriation and evacuation for other contingencies are being implemented simultaneously in a locality.**
**Carry-on baggage is subject to limitations imposed by the air carriers. Unaccompanied baggage, household goods, and privately owned vehicles (POVs) will NOT accompany evacuees, but may be shipped separately.**
**States may want to utilize the 2006 ORR internal analysis on the Lebanon Emergency Repatriation to obtain data regarding general statistics of evacuees.  This internal analysis could be found at: **_[http://](http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/programs/repatriation.htm)__[www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/programs/repatriation.htm](http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/programs/repatriation.htm)_

## Operational GuidePlanning Assumptions

**ORR authorized staff will provide timely notice to all cooperating agencies to activate their respective Plans and/or agreements.**
**The State agency, designated by the Governor, is responsible for carrying out operational responsibility for the reception, temporary care, and onwards travels for the non-combatant evacuees.**
**In consultation with ORR, States will establish an Emergency Repatriation Center (ERP) to provide temporary services to eligible repatriates.**
**Repatriates could be elderly, disabled, sick, or wounded.  Some may have small children.**

## Operational GuidePlanning Assumptions

**Repatriates may arrive with little or no identification or money, few personal items, and considerable stress and anxiety, requiring immediate assistance. **
**There should be an area prepared to take care of animals and repatriates’ luggage.  Federal Regulations do not authorize the evacuation of pets; however, experience has shown that repatriates may bring all those with them.**
**States will receive reimbursement for reasonable, allowable and allocable costs associated to the emergency repatriation.  States with critical financial situations may request advance funds, ORR will provide advance funds only when the request is timely.**
**Repatriates may arrive at either a single POE or multiple POEs.**

## Operational GuidePlanning Assumptions

**DOS will provide flight manifests and/or establish a mechanism for providing repatriation information to HHS.**
**Repatriates will continue to travel on to their final destination as quickly as possible.**
**Repatriates may speak languages other than English.  **
**Repatriates may be infected with transmittable diseases. **

## Operational GuidePlanning Assumptions

**Individuals with criminal records will be processed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).**
**Follow-up assistance may be required at the States of final destination.  Authorized services will be reimbursed by ORR.**

## Operational GuidePlanning and Eligibility

- Annex to the State Emergency Plan
- Encouraged to use NIMS and ICS
- Provision of Social Services
- Assessment for Eligibility

## Operational Guide Planning and Eligibility

**Types of Repatriates**
**Citizens**
**Dependents of US Citizens**
**US nationals **
**Others**

## Operational Guide Planning and Eligibility

_**Briefing:**_  Repatriates will receive an informational briefing by Emergency Reception Center (ERC) personnel in a designated facility or inside the plane.
_**Individual Interviews**_**:** Upon completion of the briefing, repatriates will either be taken care by a CDC staff and/or will undergo CIS and Customs processing.  Staff will individually interview repatriates to determine needs, including any medical needs.  Appropriate medical staff will perform a rapid medical assessment at this time.

## Operational Guide Planning and Eligibility

_**Temporary Shelter**_ - If the evacuee is unable to continue to his/her final destination on the date of arrival and cannot make his/her own arrangements, the State is responsible for providing temporary shelter. Temporary shelter may be provided at commercial establishments (hotels and motels) or it may be necessary to provide shelter on a congregate basis.
_**Transportation to Temporary Shelter**_ - Primary means of transportation will include school buses or public transit buses which may be available under the State emergency operations plan.

## Operational Guide Planning and Eligibility

_**Feeding**_** -** Food will usually be provided to evacuees in conjunction with and following their arrival at the ERC s well as at a temporary shelter location if provided. Consideration must be given to special feeding requirements of many evacuees such as diabetics, infants, and hypertensive. Planning should involve consultation with clinicians and dieticians/nutritionists.  Food may be provided at the ERC and the temporary shelter with the assistance of such agencies as the American Red Cross or Salvation Army. Mobile disaster canteens may be needed for those evacuees who are unable to leave immediately. In some cases standby catering contracts for augmentation of existing congregate feeding capabilities may be indicated.

## Operational Guide Planning and Eligibility

_**Care of Unaccompanied Children**_ - It is likely in a mass evacuation that unaccompanied children will be returned to the United States without their parents, or that they will become separated from them in evacuation operations over-seas. It will be necessary for State agencies to make arrangements for the care and protection of such children at the ERC temporary shelter or other suitable location while attempting to locate the parents or other family member, or while making plans under State child welfare policies for permanent arrangements, such as place­ment in foster home or institutions.

## Operational Guide Planning and Eligibility

_**Other Specialized Services:**__  _The special needs of these groups of individuals should be considered in developing emergency social services plans.
_**Security:**_  Plans should include the provision of security services at temporary shelters and all other locations where emergency social services are provided.

## Operational Guide Planning and Eligibility

_**Essential Clothing and Toilet Articles Suitable for Immediate**_** **_**Needs**_ - Some U.S. citizens evacuated from foreign countries under emergency circumstances will be unable to secure adequate clothing or personal toilet articles before departure. Following their arrival at the ERC, these needs will be identified and provided for according to the State Plan.
- _ __**Information and Inquiry Service**_ - This service will be offered by the State to evacuees who request services or help in contacting relatives, friends or their employers, in locating family members from whom they have become separated, or aid in making transportation arrangements to their final destinations.

## Operational Guide Planning and Eligibility

_**Communication with Family, Friends, and Employers**_ - Many evacuees will need to make contact with their families, friends or employers in the United States to expedite arrangements for transportation to their final destinations.  Additional telephone and telecommunication services will be required at the ERC and temporary shelter locations to provide the needed communication services.

## Operational Guide Planning and Eligibility

_**Family Reunification**_ - Some family members may become separated from the rest in evacuation operations overseas and may be transported to different CONUS points of entry. When such problems are identified, the State will assist in determining the whereabouts of the separated family member. After the family member is located, the State agency will assist in establishing telephone contact so that arrangements for onward travel to final destination can he coordinated.

## Operational Guide Planning and Eligibility

_**Transportation to Final Destination**_ - ORR will identify the destinations of evacuees at the time they are interviewed and will assist those evacuees with insufficient available resources, or who requests help in making transportation arrangements.  This will be considered based on the most appropriate location and distance of the destination. Local travel agents and Government Contracted Travel Agency may be called upon by ORR to set up offices at the processing center to assist evacuees in onward travel to final destination.

## Operational Guide Planning and Eligibility

_**Counseling and Other Services**_ - As circumstances permit counseling and other services will be provided. These services may include counsel on travel and transportation arrangements, determination of suitable community of destination, care and protection of children, and similar problems at reception areas. In addition, there may be some dependents of U.S. citizens who do not speak English and will require translation services. Provision for the exchange of foreign currency should also be made.

## Operational Guide Planning and Eligibility

_**Medical Assistance (other)**__ -_ Some evacuees may have minor medical/psychological needs which occurred following their arrival at the ERC, those individuals will be referred to the appropriate medical stations. When there is a medical emergency that cannot be handled at the ERC, the local emergency medical services personnel or medical teams will make arrangements for transporting the evacuee to a hospital or other a suitable facility in the vicinity for such care.

## Operational Guide Planning and Eligibility

_**Pharmaceuticals:**_ Staff will direct repatriates requesting or requiring medical attention to the health screening unit which will perform a more in-depth medical assessment or examination.  Whenever necessary, staff will provide pharmaceuticals and a resting area for those requiring such assistance.

## Operational Guide Planning and Eligibility

_**Hospitalization**__**:**_ Staff will refer repatriates who require hospitalization to a local hospital according to the State Plan.
- _Quarantine:_
- _Veterinary Assistance:_
- _Medical Staffing:_

## Operational Guide Planning and Eligibility

**Registration and Process of**
**	****Evaluation**
**Onward Transportation**
**Referral to State of Final Destination**

## Operational GuideOrganizational Structure

## Operational Guide Organizational Structure

## Operational GuideCoordination and Communication

**Notification and Activation**
**Ports of Entry (POE) **
**Execution **
**Primary Agency:  ACF/ORR**
**Supporting Agencies: **
**Federal**
**State**
**Non-Governmental**

## Operational GuidePhase Operations

**Preparedness Phase**
**Immediate Pre-Operational Phase**
**Operational Phase**
**Post-Operational Phase**

## Operational GuideResources

**Personnel**
**Location/Site**
**State Collaboration**
**Finance (Budget)/**Form SSA-3955
**Cost Reimbursement **
**Supplies**
**Food**
**Other**

##  Operational GuideMONITORING AND UPDATING

**Monitoring**
**Reports and Debriefings**
**Training and Periodic Testing**

## COLABORATIVE  EFFORTS

**COLABORATIVE  EFFORTS**
**AMONG DIFFERENT**
**AGENCIES**

## DATES

**JUNE 30, 2008**
**Send Emergency Repatriation Plan to the **
**ACF Regional Contact**
**For extensions:  Send written request to ORR Acting Director, David H. Siegel**
**901 D Street SW, 8****th**** floor Washington DC, 20447**
**E-mail: **_[EmergencyRepatriation@acf.hhs.gov](mailto:EmergencyRepatriation@acf.hhs.gov)_
**	**

## QUESTIONS

**QUESTIONS**
**PLEASE SEND E-MAIL**
**ELIZABETH.RUSSELL@ACF.HHS.GOV**