August 2009

Good Practices in 

Transportation Evacuation 

Preparedness and Response

Results of the FHWA Workshop Series

Office of Operations 21st Century Operations Using 21st Century Technology
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Good Practices in 

Transportation Evacuation Preparedness and Response

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Notice

This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the Department of Transportation in the 

interest of information exchange. The United States Government assumes no liability for its contents or use thereof. 
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Good Practices in 

Transportation Evacuation Preparedness and Response

Technical Report Documentation Page

1. Report No.

FHWA-HOP-09-040

2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient’s Catalog No.

4. Title and Subtitle

Good Practices in Transportation Evacuation Preparedness and 

Response: Results of the FHWA Workshop Series 

5. Report Date

August 2009

6. Performing Organization Code

7. Author(s)

Nancy Houston

8. Performing Organization Report 

No.

9. Performing Organization Name and Address

Booz Allen Hamilton Inc.

8283 Greensboro Drive

McLean, VA 22102

10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS)

11. Contract or Grant No.

12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address

Federal Highway Administration, HOTO-1

U.S. Department of Transportation

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE

Washington DC 20590

13. Type of Report and Period 

Covered

Final Report

14. Sponsoring Agency Code

HOTO, FHWA

15. Supplementary Notes

Kimberly Vasconez, FHWA Team Leader, Emergency Transportation Operations, Contracting Officer’s 

Technical Representative (COTR).

16. Abstract

This document provides an overview of the good practices identified during a series of multi-state workshops on Transportation Evacuation Preparedness and Response in four regions across the United 

States. Good practices are not presented in priority order, but rather were grouped in the three workshop phases as follows: 

- Preparation and Activation 

- Response 

- Re-entry and Return to Readiness.

- The four workshops were based on the Federal Highway Administration’s three volume primer series, 

Routes to Effective Evacuation Planning Primer Series

– Using Highways for Notice Evacuations

– Using Highways for No-Notice Evacuations

– Evacuating Populations With Special Needs. 

17. Key Words

Evacuation, Preparedness, Transportation Operations 

Center, Emergency Operations, Emergency Transportation Operations

18. Distribution Statement

No restrictions. 

19. Security Classif. (of this report)

Unclassified.

20. Security Classif. (of this page)

Unclassified.

21. No. of Pages

20

22. Price

Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed page authorized
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Good Practices in 

Transportation Evacuation Preparedness and Response

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.........................................................................................................................1

ACRONYMS ........................................................................................................................................2

PARTICIPATING AGENCIES/ORGANIZATIONS..........................................................................................4

INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................7

PHASE 1—PREPARATION AND ACTIVATION ...........................................................................................7

PHASE 2—RESPONSE.........................................................................................................................9

PHASE 3—RE-ENTRY AND RETURN TO READINESS ............................................................................11

CONTACT INFORMATION ...................................................................................................................12
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Good Practices in 

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Between May 2007 and September 2008, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) conducted multistate workshops on Transportation Evacuation Preparedness and Response in four regions across the 

United States. The objectives of these workshops were to: 

- Develop the responsible agencies’ awareness of the critical evacuation processes, issues, and activities that arise before, during, and following an emergency evacuation and discuss possible approaches 

to addressing these issues. 

- Foster and support institutional relationships among transportation, emergency managers, law enforcement agencies, and emergency responders for planning and executing a mass evacuation. 

- Encourage an environment supporting sustained information sharing and routine interaction among the 

agencies involved in managing transportation during evacuations. 

- Develop a set of next steps to improve transportation-specific evacuation operations before, during, 

and after an emergency event. 

The locations and dates for the workshops were as follows: 

- Tallahassee, Florida—May 30–31, 2007 

- Long Beach, California—January 29–30, 2008 

- Richmond, Virginia—June 2–3, 2008 

- Chicago, Illinois—September 16–17, 2008. 

The purpose of this report is to consolidate the good practices identified during the four regional workshops. Practices are not presented in priority order, but rather have been grouped into the three workshop 

phases as follows: 

- Preparation and Activation 

- Response 

- Re-entry and Return to Readiness. 

For additional information on these issues, please contact the FHWA project manager at the e-mail 

address provided in this report.
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Good Practices in 

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ACRONYMS

ATC Assembly and Transfer Center 

BOMA Building Owners and Managers Association 

Caltrans California Department of Transportation 

CBD Central Business District 

CHP California Highway Patrol 

CTA Chicago Transit Authority 

DOT Department of Transportation 

DSS Department of Social Services 

EDIS Emergency Digital Information System 

ER Emergency Relief 

FDEM Florida Department of Emergency Management 

FDOT Florida Department of Transportation 

FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency 

FHWA Federal Highway Administration 

GCM Gary-Chicago-Milwaukee Corridor 

HSEMD Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division 

IDOT Illinois Department of Transportation 

IEMA Illinois Emergency Management Agency 

IMT Incident Management Team 

INDOT Indiana Department of Transportation 

ITTF Illinois Terrorism Task Force 

ITS Intelligent Transportation Systems 

JIC Joint Information Center 

LEIN Law Enforcement Information Network 

MDOT Michigan Department of Transportation 

MSDOT Mississippi Department of Transportation 

MSP Michigan State Police 

MRE Meal Ready to Eat 

NIMS National Incident Management System 

OEMC Office of Emergency Management and Communications 

OES Office of Emergency Services 

RIITS Regional Integration of Intelligent Transportation Systems 

SEOC State Emergency Operations Center 

STARS Statewide Agency Radio System 

ST-ISAC Surface Transportation Information Sharing and Analysis Center 
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TAN Transit Alert Network 

TMA Traffic Management Authority 

TMC Transportation (or Traffic) Management Center 

TxEMA Texas Emergency Management Agency 

VDEM Virginia Department of Emergency Management 

VDH Virginia Department of Health 

VDOT Virginia Department of Transportation 

VDRPT Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation 

VECTOR Virginia Evacuation Coordination Team for Operational Response 

VSP Virginia State Police 

WisDOT Wisconsin Department of Transportation 

NOTE: This list of acronyms is not intended to be all inclusive of emergency operations terminology. It 

reflects acronyms used during the four workshops and are included in this report. 
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PARTICIPATING AGENCIES/ORGANIZATIONS

Tallahassee, Florida

Alabama Department of Public Safety 

Alabama Department of Transportation 

Alabama Emergency Management Agency 

Coach America Bus Evacuation Services 

Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration 

Federal Emergency Management Agency 

Federal Highway Administration 

Florida Department of Law Enforcement 

Florida Department of Transportation 

Florida Division of Emergency Management 

Florida Highway Patrol 

Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (LA) 

Houston Metropolitan Department of Public Safety 

Louisiana Department of Transportation 

Metro (Houston, TX) 

Mississippi Department of Transportation 

Mississippi Emergency Management Agency 

Texas Department of Transportation 

United States Department of Transportation 

Long Beach, California

Arizona Department of Transportation 

Caltrans 

Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration 

Department of Public Safety/Highway Patrol (Utah) 

Federal Bureau of Investigation, Field Intelligence Group 

Federal Emergency Management Agency 
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Good Practices in 

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Federal Highway Administration 

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration 

Federal Transit Administration, Los Angeles Metro Office 

Long Beach Transit 

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority 

Oregon Department of Transportation 

State of California, Governor’s Office of Emergency Services 

Richmond, Virginia

Atlanta Police Department 

Atlanta Regional Commission 

D.C. Department of Public Works 

Delaware Department of Transportation 

Department of State Police (Virginia) 

District Department of Transportation 

Federal Highway Administration 

Loudon County Sheriff’s Office 

Maryland State Police 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Weather Service 

Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation 

Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency 

Virginia Department of Emergency Management 

Virginia Department of Transportation 

Virginia National Guard 

Virginia State Police 

Chicago, Illinois

American Red Cross 

Argonne National Laboratory 

Chicago Transit Authority 
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Federal Highway Administration 

Illinois Department of Transportation 

Illinois Emergency Management Agency 

Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System 

Illinois Tollway 

Iowa Department of Transportation 

Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Department 

Metra 

Michigan Department of Transportation Safety and Security Administration 

Michigan State Police 

Mutual Aid Box Alarm System 

Pace Suburban Bus 

Wisconsin Department of Transportation 

Wisconsin State Patrol 
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Good Practices in 

Transportation Evacuation Preparedness and Response

INTRODUCTION 

As described in the Executive Summary, the Best Practices are organized into the three phases used 

in the tabletop exercise section of the workshops. These phases were Preparation and Activation; 

Response; and Re-entry and Return to Readiness. The tabletop exercise section of the workshop included 

a scenario requiring an evacuation. The scenario changed and progressed through the three phases just 

as many emergency situations do when they occur. Workshop participants discussed the scenario at each 

phase and discussed what their concerns were at that point in time and how they would respond in such 

a situation. During these discussions, participants identified a number of good practices routinely followed and those have been summarized in the sections below. 

PHASE 1—PREPARATION AND ACTIVATION 

In Preparation and Activation or phase 1 of the tabletop exercise, participants were provided background 

information on the current situation and then provided some warning that an emergency situation was 

going to occur such as an approaching hurricane, wildfire outbreaks, or severe weather causing power outages. Because the emergency situation had not yet completely unfolded, participant discussion focused 

on planning, preparedness, and pre-activation of emergency procedures.

Coordination for Emergency Preparedness

- Safeguard Iowa Partnership—This Partnership is a voluntary coalition of business and government 

leaders to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters through public-private collaboration. See http://www.safeguardiowa.org/ for additional information. 

- Building and Managers Association (BOMA)—A voluntary organization involved in emergency and 

evacuation planning in Chicago. Many BOMA members have identified alternate business locations (hot 

sites) outside the Central Business District (CBD) in preparation for an emergency. 

- Required Evacuation Plans for Structures—The City of Chicago through its Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC), requires evacuation plans for buildings with more than four 

stories. Plans must be submitted to the OEMC. This advance information allows both responders and 

potential evacuees to be more prepared in the event of an evacuation in the CBD. 

- Annual I-64 Lane Reversal Evacuation Exercise—The Commonwealth of Virginia holds a lane reversal 

exercise for I-64 prior to the start of the annual hurricane season with participants from the Virginia 

Department of Transportation (VDOT), Virginia State Police (VSP), National Guard, Virginia Department 

of Rail and Public Transportation (VDRPT), Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM), and 

Virginia Department of Health (VDH). The purpose is to test their readiness to implement lane reversal 

if required and to identify and implement any “lessons learned” as a result of the exercise. 

- Annual Meeting between Adjoining States Regarding Evacuation—Virginia and North Carolina 

meet prior to start of hurricane season and include both Departments of Transportation (DOTs) and 

law enforcement agencies from both states at the meeting. The available evacuation routes for both 

states require coordination as each state’s evacuating traffic could affect the other state’s evacuation 

operations. 

- State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC)—In Iowa, the SEOC is the entity responsible for ensuring 

state agencies in Iowa meet all requirements of the National Incident Management System (NIMS). The 

SEOC is operated by the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division (HSEMD). 
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Good Practices in 

Transportation Evacuation Preparedness and Response

- Point-to-Point Shelter Designations—In Texas, cities pair up and agree to take the other’s evacuees. 

The system is overseen by the Texas Emergency Management Agency (TxEMA). The purpose of the 

shelter designations is to maintain a more even distribution of evacuees so that some shelters do not 

receive more evacuees than they can accommodate. It is also useful to evacuees to know ahead of 

time, exactly where they should go to find shelter. 

Fuel Equipment and Supplies

- Fuel Availability for Evacuees—The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) conducts pre-storm 

polling of gas stations along major evacuation routes and pushes fuel to critical emergency response 

functions and gas stations who need the supply for evacuees. Post-storm, the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) uses fuel tenders to refuel vehicles directly. Florida now has access to 27 

tenders available in the southeastern United States. A Florida law passed in 2006 requires gas stations along evacuation routes to have an emergency generator to allow for the pumping of fuel even if 

the power is out in an area. 

- Fuel Availability for Transit Agencies—Houston Metro maintains a “stockpile” of fuel. For transit agencies, this is necessary to evacuate vehicles from flood-prone areas. For all agencies, the stockpile can 

be used to ensure that rescue and recovery vehicles can operate even when commercial service stations cannot. 

Public Information and Education

- Text Alerts to the Public—Starting in the fall of 2008, the City of Chicago established an emergency text alert messaging system, “Notify Chicago.” Alerts can be sent to cell phones, Blackberries, and other hand held devices to registered Chicagoans. For further information see 

http://webapps.cityofchicago.org/ChicagoAlertWeb/. Another example is California’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) Emergency Digital Information System (EDIS) system which also provides emergency alerts to subscribers. 

- Multilingual Communications—The Los Angeles Police Department uses a broadcasting system that 

can broadcast information in 32 languages. Due to the numerous languages spoken in the Los Angeles 

region, this ability to broadcast in many languages is critical to ensure that people hear and can understand the emergency information being broadcast. 

- Public Education on Evacuations—All of the State DOTs who participated in the Tallahassee workshop have contraflow plans in place due to their locations in hurricane prone areas. They agreed it was 

important to educate/prepare people to “expect the worst” when it comes to traffic conditions when 

contraflow is underway. The DOTs emphasized that it is important that evacuees understand that it 

will still take many hours to evacuate even with contraflow operations in place, so they should plan to 

evacuate when the evacuation order is given. 

- Accommodating Families of First Responders—In Mississippi, families of response workers are 

allowed access to government facilities and shelters to ensure they are accommodated so the first 

responders in their family are not worried about their well-being in an evacuation situation. In another 

example, VDOT encourages all employees, especially those with first responder duties in an evacuation, to have a plan in place to accommodate their families during an evacuation. 
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Good Practices in 

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Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Including Transportation

Management Centers (TMCs) 

- Text Alerts—Text alert subscriptions are provided by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) 

through its TMC (iltrafficalert.com). These alerts provide the subscribers with the most real-time traffic 

information available in the area and can be used to provide emergency information. 

- Coordinated TMC Information—The TMCs that are members of the Gary-Chicago-Milwaukee (GCM) 

Corridor provide coordinated traffic information to the public on both a routine and emergency basis. 

Such information provides a more regional outlook of traffic conditions allowing motorists to make decisions about their choice of routes. GCM members include the Indiana Department of Transportation 

(INDOT), IDOT, and Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT). 

- Mobile Video and Data Collection Units—VDOT leases mobile video and data collection units (wireless 

communication, real time video, traffic counter, traffic speeds, and weather data) that can be deployed 

around the state in an emergency or for special events to supplement permanent ITS equipment. 

- Regional Integration of Intelligent Transportation Systems (RIITS)—RIITS is a regional transportation information sharing network operated by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) 

and is used to share both daily and emergency information. The system is located at the Los Angeles 

Regional TMC and information is provided to over a dozen participating agencies and to commercial 

information providers. 

- Pre-positioning ITS Resources—VDOT pre-positions its I-64 lane reversal and service patrol resources 

in the Tidewater area prior to an evacuation. This action provides supplemental service levels in 

advance of the actual evacuation. 

PHASE 2—RESPONSE

In phase 2 of the tabletop exercise, Response, participants were provided information on the emergency 

event such as a hurricane hitting a specific geographic area, the location of significant wildfire activity in 

multiple locations, or severe weather causing power outages and significant damage. In each scenario, 

the emergency event caused the need for an emergency evacuation. In this phase participant discussion focused on activation of emergency procedures including evacuation and responding to the overall 

emergency.

Coordination for Emergency Response

- Multi-disciplined Evacuation Coordination Team—This team of Florida agencies convenes at the 

SEOC in Tallahassee to coordinate/listen to local officials. They convene 48 hours before landfall of 

a storm such as a hurricane and on an as-needed basis for other emergencies requiring an evacuation. In another example in Virginia, they formed Virginia Evacuation Coordination Team for Operational 

Response (VECTOR), a multi-agency evacuation and sheltering coordination team including VDEM, 

VDOT, VSP, Department of Social Services (DSS), National Guard, and the Tourism Commission. Their 

purpose is to coordinate their evacuation activities and resources. 

Communications Systems Use and Coordination

- Use of 511 Systems to Provide Emergency Information—In July 2000, the Federal Communications 

Commission (FCC) designated 511 as the single travel information telephone number to be made available to states and local jurisdictions across the country. The states of Florida, Virginia, and Oregon 
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Good Practices in 

Transportation Evacuation Preparedness and Response

have 511 systems in their states and all use them to provide emergency information, including evacuation information, when necessary. 

- Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN)—In Michigan, LEIN can broadcast information statewide on overweight, oversize permitted truck movements. LEIN is operated by the Michigan State 

Police (MSP) with permit information provided by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). 

This information can be useful particularly during emergency response when oversize vehicles may be 

required to transport heavy equipment and relief supplies to an affected location. 

- Transit Alert Network (TAN)—The TAN is a network used to share information among transit agencies 

in the Chicago metropolitan area. The network, which is tested monthly, can be used by any member of 

the network to send alerts. The TAN is tied to the Surface Transportation-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ST-ISAC) in Herndon, Virginia. Current TAN participants are the Chicago Transit Authority 

(CTA), Metra, Pace, Northern Indiana Transit District, AMTRAK, and the Class I railroads in the region. 

- Statewide Agency Radio System (STARS)—The Virginia Office of Commonwealth Preparedness provides the STARS system to state agencies allowing for interoperability of radio communications among 

state agencies. VDOT also maintains its internal radio system as a back-up system. 

Information Sharing

- Joint Information Center (JIC)—Use of a JIC to share information among agencies and determine 

what information should be provided to the public in the event of an emergency. In California, the JIC 

includes OES, California Highway Patrol (CHP), and Caltrans. 

- Media Monitoring—Caltrans monitors various television and radio reports to see if they are providing 

accurate information and if not, they quickly correct it. This action is particularly important in an emergency situation when conditions may change rapidly. 

Emergency Operations Center Practices

- State Logistics Center—Operated by FDEM, it is a building centrally located in Orlando. The center 

stockpiles food, water, Meals Ready to Eat (MREs), traffic signs, etc. for further distribution throughout 

the state for emergency response. 

- Incident Site Emergency Operations Center (EOC)—FDEM often establishes a forward SEOC to establish command and control on the incident site. This field location coordinates with the SEOC in Tallahassee as required. 

Emergency Traffic Management and Evacuation

- Traffic Management Authority (TMA)—In Chicago, it is the agency that directs traffic during rush 

hours and emergencies in the CBD. The TMA is operated by the OEMC. The TMA staff are located at 

critical intersections to move traffic and to maintain access for emergency vehicles. The TMA was 

established in 2004 in an effort to alleviate the Chicago Police Department’s traffic control functions to 

allow the police to concentrate on crime reduction. 

- Assembly and Transfer Centers (ATCs)—As part of the City of Chicago’s evacuation plan, CTA and 

Pace (the suburban bus system) are the agencies responsible to provide outbound service to evacuate people via public transit. CTA moves the evacuees from the CBD out to suburban locations known 

as ATCs where Pace will then accept the evacuees and transport them to another designated location 

which might be a shelter location. 
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Personnel and Resource Management

- Incident Management Teams (IMTs)—Iowa has developed a team composed of retired emergency 

management personnel who can backfill permanent staff in an emergency to better manage personnel 

resources. Teams are operated under HSEMD. 

- Provide Cash to Responders—A practice of the Houston Metro is to provide cash to rescue teams, 

security personnel, utilities personnel, and other response crews in case they must make purchases 

during recovery operations. These personnel may not have the means to make necessary purchases 

and in some cases, may not have access to cash due to power outages that affect the banking network. Alternatively, provide credit cards, or some other means to pay for equipment, supplies, food, 

water, and other potential equipment necessary to their response and recovery mission. 

- Use of Tiger Teams—VDOT and VSP have identified personnel who can be deployed anywhere in the 

state to respond to an emergency as necessary. These are multi-disciplined teams who can provide 

necessary personnel and equipment resources in a variety of emergencies. 

- Common Credentialing—Credentials provided by the Illinois Terrorism Task Force (ITTF) for all first 

responders including temporary cards. Common credentialing is useful to provide a common personnel identification card to staff from a variety of agencies allowing access to secure incident scenes. 

In another example, Florida has provided a “State Emergency Response Team (SERT)” identification 

card to responder personnel regardless of which agency, contractor, or private sector company they 

represent. 

PHASE 3—RE-ENTRY AND RETURN TO READINESS 

In phase 3 of the tabletop exercise, Re-entry and Return to Readiness, participants were provided information on the fatalities and casualties caused by the emergency event as well as the damage to infrastructure and other structures. Participant discussion focused on responding to medical and other human 

needs, recovery activities such as search and rescue and damage assessment, necessary repairs to 

allow evacuee re-entry and readiness procedures once the initial recovery phase was completed. 

- Performance Expectations—FDOT sets aggressive performance expectations for its districts for 

response and recovery activities. The purpose is to provide the quickest and most complete response, 

prioritize resources, and to identify areas for future improvement in response and recovery activities. 

Emergency Documentation

- Debris Removal—A debris management plan is required of all local agencies in Illinois before any 

debris is moved after an event. If state assistance is required, IDOT and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) have an incinerator that can be placed on public property. Inmate labor is used 

to pick up debris. The process is overseen by IEMA and IDOT. In another example, FDOT has a scope of 

services for debris removal pre-approved by FHWA and measured by cubic yard so the contract can be 

used for reimbursement under both Emergency Relief (ER) and Federal Emergency Management Agency 

(FEMA) as needed. 

- Damage Assessment—The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MS DOT) dispatches trained 

damage assessment inspectors quickly after an event to identify road damage and prioritize road 

repairs. 
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Good Practices in 

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- Damage Documentation—VDOT instructs all of its staff and contractors involved in damage assessment to take photos to support/document requests to the FHWA and FEMA for reimbursement of 

expenditures for emergency response and repairs after an incident. 

Public Information

- Multiple Means of Communications—FDOT uses multiple communication channels to disseminate 

human services, travel advisory, and re-entry information after an incident. This is important because 

once an evacuee has left an area, it is difficult to know what methods of communication will reach 

them in their temporary location. 

CONTACT INFORMATION 

For additional information on this report, contact Kimberly Vasconez, Emergency Transportation Operations (ETO) Team Leader FHWA, U.S. Department of Transportation, via e-mail at 

Kimberly.Vasconez@dot.gov. 
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CONTACT INFORMATION

For additional information on this report, contact: 

Kimberly Vasconez, via e-mail at 

Kimberly.Vasconez@dot.gov.

Federal Highway Administration

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE

Washington, DC 20590

August 2009

Publication #FHWA-HOP-09-040 01.045.10