Evacuation and Movement

EMERGENCY SUPPORT FUNCTION 24

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I. GENERAL INFORMATION

A. Purpose

To provide guidance for the relocation of citizens from life or health threatening hazards, and to return when it is safe.

B. Scope

Planning for every situation needing evacuation and movement of people in Pierce County is beyond the scope of this ESF. This plan will address broad objectives that will provide the greatest protection of life during emergencies or disasters in which evacuations are recommended.

II. POLICIES

A. It is the policy of Pierce County that an evacuation may be requested by the following, depending upon the circumstances:

1. County Executive.

2. Sheriff.

3. Fire Chief.

4. Health Director, or his or her designee.

5. County Fire Marshal.

6. Director, Department of Emergency Management.

7. Senior law enforcement, fire services officer, or other appropriate county official at the scene of an emergency incident.

B. It is the policy of Pierce County that spiritual support and assistance from churches to persons affected by disaster be coordinated by the Associated Ministries of Tacoma-Pierce County (AM), in cooperation with the American Red Cross Tacoma-Pierce County Chapter (ARC-TPC Chapter).

III. SITUATION

A. Emergency/Disaster Conditions and Hazards

Refer to the Pierce County Hazard Identification and Vulnerability Analysis.

B. Planning Assumptions

1. An emergency or disaster is imminent or has occurred, and is of such magnitude that people must be evacuated to avoid loss of live.

2. A shortage of personnel and resources will occur during widespread and long term events to manage all of the evacuation needs.

IV. CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS

A. Evacuation of people from certain areas to prevent injury and/or death is sometimes an appropriate protective action. These areas may include those directly affected and those that may be potentially affected by the event. Consideration must be given to the potential safety gained by moving the people as opposed to the risk posed by the hazard, the warning time available and the time available to evacuate. (Situations will occur in which sheltering in place will be the safest option.) Evacuation is to be considered a round-trip process. Immediate planning should include people being informed as they are being evacuated, and a plan in place to allow them to return.

Pierce Transit is the primary resource for transportation to assist with the movement of the evacuees.

B. Direction and control of evacuation is exercised primarily on-scene. Mechanical considerations of evacuation are outlined in this and other ESFs (i.e.,mass care, transportation, etc.). Social processes and economic consequences should also be considered. A local Emergency Proclamation may be considered to ease implementation and enforcement of the evacuation process.

C. The actual message to the citizens requesting that they evacuate should be clear and concise and contain specific information as to the hazard and the specific risk, where citizens are supposed to go, what routes they should take and what provisions have been made for shelter. Experience in actual events has shown that people react better to messages from a recognized authority such as the Sheriff, Executive, and Fire Chief, and if they are told what to do, not what not to do.

D. It should be anticipated that people will be hesitant to evacuate and will seek confirmation of the evacuation request from neighbors, friends and relatives. Research has shown that there are incentives which can be provided to people to encourage people to leave. These include the following:

1. The evacuation request should be made by elected officials or other recognized authority.

2. Contact should be made by uniformed personnel.

3. Information should be provided as to the exact nature of the threat.

4. The evacuation request should be disseminated from multiple sources if possible.

5. Assurances should be provided of security and property protection.

6. Provisions for alternative emergency transportation should be provided, if needed.

7. Provisions for reducing family separation anxiety, such as information about schools (if involved) should be considered.

8. Provisions for pets should be considered.

9. Provide information as to what exactly is expected of the citizens in the threatened area.

10. Ensure that all messages from the field and official sources are consistent.

E. If evacuation is needed in the county which includes multiple jurisdictions, the request may be made by the Director, or designee, Pierce County Department of Emergency Management (DEM). For evacuation, responsible officials on-scene will need to provide the DEM with the nature of the threat, size of the area needing evacuation, jurisdictions involved and expected duration. The Director of the DEM may consider the request, and if appropriate, request and coordinate such evacuation.

F. Provisions for evacuation of special populations, pick-up points for people without private transportation, support to evacuees, referral for relatives, or re-entry into evacuated area will be handled on a case-by-case basis with other agencies involved in an evacuation.

G. It is American Red Cross policy that pets (other than assistance animals such as seeing-eye dogs) are not allowed in shelters; however, research has shown that people will want to bring their pets with them if they are asked to evacuate. People should be encouraged to bring their own methods of confinement and control of their pets (such as a travel container for small animals and leashes for dogs) as well as food and water for pets so they may be kept in their automobiles or in a designated area outside of the shelter. Pierce County will endeavor to work with the Tacoma-Pierce County Humane Society to deal with pet concerns.

H. Each cooperating religious body is requested to appoint a qualified person as its Emergency Coordinator.

I. The AM Emergency Coordinator will maintain contact with the DEM on its progress, needs and assistance. The AM will make the initial contact with the Pierce County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in the event of an emergency or disaster.

J. In certain circumstances, attempting to evacuate people may expose them to more risk that if they stay where they are. In circumstances involving hazardous materials, residents should take measures to seal up their occupancies. This strategy is called 'shelter-in-place' and involves closing up the occupancy, shutting off any ventilation, sealing cracks under doors, moving to an interior room and waiting the situation out. The decision of recommending evacuation or shelter in place should be a coordinated decision with all of the appropriate agencies with authority or expertise at an event.

K. If people refuse to leave when requested to evacuate, it is recommended that the requestor get a signed statement from the people that they have been advised to evacuate and that they refuse. The name of the next of kin should also be obtained. If they refuse to give a signed statement, the requestor should get a witness to the effect that they have been duly warned.

L. Consideration should be given to the sheltering and eventual return of the citizens. Continued information to evacuated citizens on the status of the threat, accountability of family members, reassurance of security and accurate information on the duration of the evacuation should be considered.

V. RESPONSIBILITIES

A. Joint Primary Agencies

1. Pierce County Department of Emergency Management

a. lead agency for the coordination and support of requests from field agencies in evacuation efforts.

b. provide emergency public information.

c. assist with the identification of reception areas and shelters.

2. Pierce Transit

Lead agency for transportation resources.

B. Support Agencies

1. Pierce County Departments

a. Sheriff's Department

1. provide traffic and crowd control.

2. assist in the removal of stalled vehicles and equipment from evacuation routes.

3. assist in the identification of evacuation routes.

4. assist with notification of citizens to evacuate.

5. Sheriff's Chaplaincy

a. provide chaplaincy services in accordance with established protocol among other religious bodies throughout Pierce County.

b. provide critical incident stress defusing and debriefing capability.

c. provide personnel to the EOC, when requested.

b. Public Works

1. provide traffic control signs and barricades, and operational control of traffic signals and flashers under county jurisdiction.

2. assist with identification of evacuation routes.

2. Fire Services

a. assist with notification of citizens to evacuate.

b. may provide technical information relative to the decision to evacuate or shelter-in-place.

3. Volunteer Organizations

a. American Red Cross

1. provide shelter to evacuees.

2. identify and provide referral services as to who is in what shelter.

b. Associated Ministries of Tacoma-Pierce County

1. provide a forum to assist individuals with special disaster needs.

2. provide assistance for the dissemination of emergency public information.

3. provide personnel to the EOC, when requested.

VI. REFERENCES

None

VII. DEFINITIONS AND TERMS

None

VIII. TABS

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