VAST Regional ITS Architecture

PS13: Evacuation and Reentry Management

Need Area Description

This service package supports evacuation of the general public from a disaster area and manages subsequent reentry to the disaster area. The service package addresses evacuations for all types of disasters, including disasters like hurricanes that are anticipated and occur slowly, allowing a well–planned orderly evacuation, as well as disasters like terrorist acts that occur rapidly, without warning, and allow little or no time for preparation or public warning.

This service package supports coordination of evacuation plans among the federal, state, and local transportation, emergency, and law enforcement agencies that may be involved in a large–scale evacuation. All affected jurisdictions (e.g., states and counties) at the evacuation origin, evacuation destination, and along the evacuation route are informed of the plan. Information is shared with traffic management agencies to implement special traffic control strategies and to control evacuation traffic, including traffic on local streets and arterials as well as the major evacuation routes. Reversible lanes, shoulder use, closures, special signal control strategies, and other special strategies may be implemented to maximize capacity along the evacuation routes. Transit resources play an important role in an evacuation, removing many people from an evacuated area while making efficient use of limited capacity. Additional shared transit resources may be added and managed in evacuation scenarios. Resource requirements are forecast based on the evacuation plans, and the necessary resources are located, shared between agencies if necessary, and deployed at the right locations at the appropriate times.

Evacuations are also supported by PS14, the "Disaster Traveler Information" service package, which keeps the public informed during evacuations. See that service package for more information.

Need Area Type: Safety

Service Package

PS13: Evacuation and Reentry Management

Includes Needs

Number	Need
01	Emergency Management needs to support evacuation of the general public from disaster area.
02	Emergency Management needs to coordinate evacuation plans among the federal, state, and local transportation, emergency, and law enforcement agencies that may be involved in a large–scale evacuation.
03	Emergency Management needs to share evacuation information with traffic management agencies in order to implement special traffic control strategies to control evacuation traffic.
04	Emergency Management needs to share evacuation information with transit agencies in order to remove people from an evacuated area while making efficient use of limited capacity.
05	Emergency Management needs to manage subsequent reentry of the general public to the disaster area.