EOP ESF #1
Evacuation Guide
The following guidelines will be followed in the event of an evacuation, in addition to the
Disaster and Evacuation Security guidelines (ESF #13 Appendix #4).
I. Authority
A . The formal authority to order an evacuation during emergencysituations rests
with the Mayor of the affected jurisdiction or the President of the RRPJ
according to procedures outlined in the Louisiana Emergency Assistance and
Disaster Act of 1993 as amended.
B. During immediate life-threatening conditions, this authority maybe exercised
locally by the Fire Chief, Police Chief, Sheriff, OHSEP Director, or their
designated representative.
C. The Mayor and/or RRPJ President should be immediately notifiedfollowing a
decision to evacuate a populated area.
D. The OHSEP or activated EOC should also be notified of evacuations in the
event that shelter operations are needed.
II. Direction and Control
A. The ESF #1 Coordinator will exercise direction and control of evacuation efforts
for the parish.
B. If local efforts are exhausted, assistance in evacuation operations will be
requested from nearby jurisdictions, the Northwest Region VII, or the state or
federal government. Requests to the Region, State or Federal government will
be conducted through the Red River OHSEP.
C. Evacuation required within a municipal jurisdiction will be directed and
controlled at the municipal level and supported as necessary by parish
government.
III. General
A. The following factors will be considered by the ESF #1 Coordinator (or
emergency services if a limited evacuation) when planning an evacuation:
1. characteristics of the hazard or threat
2. magnitude, intensity, speed of onset, duration, and impact on local
community will determine:
a. number of people to be evacuated
b. time available to effect the evacuation
c. time and distance of travel necessary to assure safety
B. Designation of the area to be evacuated shall be determined by local
emergency services as early into the emergency as possible. This identification
should be as specific and logical as possible. If the event involves a hazardous
materials incident, the Haz Mat Technician, possibly in conjunction with the
Louisiana State Police will determine the area to be evacuated.
C. The Red River OHSEP and 911 Communications District should be informed of
the evacuation ahead of time because persons not understanding the message
will undoubtedly call to find out more information.
D. Evacuees will use the designated evacuation routes which will allow emergency
personnel to monitor and evaluate evacuation operations. Impediments to
evacuation must be countered to ensure effective evacuation operations.
1. It is possible to be out of Red River Parish, possibly out of state, within 45 –
60 minutes in any direction of departure. There are two major evacuation
routes and numerous minor ones. The vehicular capacity rate is 1,000
vehicles per hour at 20 mph. Any evacuation route should be sufficient for
an immediate limited evacuation. In the event of a mass, evacuation,
Red RiverParish could be evacuated (worse case scenario) in approximately
four (4) hours.
2. All the evacuation routes are subject to the same hazards as the parish.
The most likely scenario would be a transportation-related hazardous
material incident that blocks an evacuation route. In that event, there are
alternative routes for evacuation and the Red River Parish Sheriff’s
Department will determine the alternative routes to be used.
3. The Red River Parish Sheriff’s Department and local police departments will
maintain checkpoints at intersectionsdetermined by the Transportation
Coordinator to assure movement of traffic and reduction of potential
impediments.
4. If evacuation becomes blocked due to a physical barrier, traffic congestion,
etc., action must be taken to either remove the barrier or to establish another
evacuation route and reroute the traffic. The Red River Parish Sheriff’s
Department will determine the action to be taken. Inoperable vehicles will be
moved to the side of the road or towed away to keep traffic moving.
5. There are fewer than 3,200 households to evacuate from Red River Parish.
The several directions in which to evacuate are all in rural areas with limited
or no ready access to fuel, water, medical aid, vehicle maintenance,
information nor comfort facilities. Within one hourmost residents will be out
of parish.
6. The Red River Parish Sheriff with the local municipal police agencies are
responsible for overseeing and controlling evacuation routes and for
providing traffic control. For major evacuations, the EOC will be activated.
Decisions will be made at the EOC by the ESF #1 Transportation
Coordinator and transmitted to Incident Command or the Incident Command
Post.
IV. Public Information
A. Radio and TV emergency alert messages will be the primary means of
keeping the evacuees and the general public informed. Law enforcement
and fire services may assist in disseminating public information and
warnings through street-to-street or house-to-house.
B. The broadcast announcements should furnish listeners with specifics
about the area being evacuated, when people are to leave and where
they are to go.
C. The messages will reach people in the affected area, accelerating the
evacuation process.
D. The broadcasts will also help get the word to people from the
area who are not presently at their affected home or business.
V. Transportation Assistance
A. In the event transportation is required for evacuees, Red River
Parish School Board buses and Community Action buses and wheelchair –
accessible vans are available to be used as needed. If there is not enough
time to acquire transportation for persons without their own mode of
transportation, officials should request persons with vehicles who are
evacuating, to give the persons without a vehicle a ride to the designated
area. Able-bodied evacuees may be asked to walk to the nearest assembly
point to await transportation.
B. All household pets in cages or carriers that safely and secure and confine
such pets and are specifically designed for the containment and transport of
endanger human life.
C. Persons with disabilities who utilize service animals will be evacuated with
those service animals on public transportation.
D. Hotel and motel guests will be expected to use their own modes of
transportation for evacuation.
E. Hospitals are responsible for evacuating their patients and nursing homes
are responsible for evacuating their residents.
F. The Red River Parish Sheriff is responsible for evacuating the inmates of
Red River Parish Jail and the Ware Youth Detention Center.
G. Assistance from the private sector and local voluntary organizations may be
requested by the activated EOC.
VI. Staging Area:
A. In the event of a mass evacuation, a designated staging area will be
determined and announcement of where people who are unable to provide
their own transportation should gather.
B. There are several sites designated as staging areas to be used in the event
of a limited or mass evacuation. These will be used as staging areas and
departure points.
C. If school students are evacuated to a designated staging area, all students
will be transported to the designated staging area and picked up by family at
the staging area.
D. A responsible volunteer, teacher, principal or reserve officer will be
designated to provide direction at the staging area and respond to direction
from the ESF #1 Coordinator.
VII. Special Situations
A. Emergency services should anticipate and be ready to handle special
situations associated with public evacuations. If the area to be evacuated
includes schools, hospitals, nursing homes, day care centers, or similar
facilities, pre-planning efforts make the evacuation much more efficient.
Close coordination with responsible officials at special locations is a
necessity to ensure an orderly evacuation. The relocation of special
populations to similar facilities or arrangement for pickup by family members
can be accomplished with pre-planning.
B. Each school, day-care, nursing home and hospital has in place an
evacuation plan that coordinates with the Red River EOP and provides for
pickup by family members and or relocation to similar facilities.
C. A staging area will be announced in the event of a limited evacuation. This
will allow family members to pick-up their relations at the staging area, not
the site of evacuation.
D. The following provisions have been made for providing temporary sheltering to special needs populations: These groups will be transported to designated staging area and necessary arrangements for temporary sheltering will be addressed.
1. School Children: will be transported by school buses to designated staging area to be picked up by family. They will be accompanied by teachers and principal.
2. Children in day-care center: will be transported to designated
staging area by van, bus or private vehicle to be picked up by family. They will be accompanied by staff.
3. Nursing home residents: will be transported to designated staging area by van or bus to designated staging area to be picked up by family members. Those who require special assistance, will be transported to another nursing home or to the nearest hospital.
All nursing homes in Red River Parish have plans that address this need.
4. Handicapped: will be transported by wheelchair-accessible van to the designated staging area.
5. Non-English speaking people:will be assisted to the designated staging area.
6. Hospitals: Both hospitals will transport patients to staging area or another facility by ambulance, bus, wheelchair-accessible van or private vehicle.
7. Incarcerated residents: The Red River Parish Jail and the Ware
Youth Detention Center will be evacuated by bus and van to a
neighboring parish facility.
8. Transients and people without transportation:will be transported to
the designated area by bus or van from Community Action.
VIII. Shelter
A. Evacuees will move to designated areas within the jurisdiction or a
neighboring jurisdiction not impacted by the hazard that caused the
evacuation.
B. Emergency services will coordinate with the Red River OHSEP or the
activated EOC to coordinate support resources (including shelters) leaving
field personnel free to concentrate on the movement of people.
C. The Red River OHSEP and 911 Communications District should be informed
of the evacuation as soon as possible because persons not understanding
the message will undoubtedly call to find out more information.
D. Evacuees have to go somewhere. Many will go to the homes of friends or
relatives. Others will need temporary housing in congregate shelters. If
the duration of the evacuation is likely to be more than a short period, it will
be necessary to consider selecting the most comfortable shelters (in
preference to buildings that may not be appropriate for long-term use).
E. Red River Parish has no buildings suitable for a long-term evacuation
center. There are some sites within the Red River Parish suitable for
temporary shelter (24 - 72 hours) for a small number of people depending
upon availability.
F. Anyone who presents to a temporary shelter in need of assistance, will be
registered.
G. In the event of a long-term evacuation, congregate housing will have to be
arranged in the Northwest Region VII area or another part of the state.
H. Volunteer, non-profit, charitable and religious organizations mayprovide
assistance for registration, identification, medical assistance, shelter, mass
feeding, collection of clothing, food commodities, furniture,bedding and
cleaning supplies, as well as cleanup, restoration, temporaryrepairs and
rehabilitation of housing, evacuation, and search and rescue. At time of
warning, they may provide assistance in evacuationand search and rescue.
IX. Security
A. Perimeter security shall be established by law enforcement. The
purpose is to prohibit entry to the affected area. This will preclude people
entering the area while emergency services are trying to get people out or
continue essential operations. The Louisiana Department of Transportation
can furnish barricades to assist with perimeter control. Emergency service
vehicles with flashing lights can also block streets.
B. The ESF #13 Coordinator is responsible for direction and control of security.
(See ESF #13 Appendix #4).
X. Re-Entry Instructions
A. Re-entry into an evacuated area will only be allowed after it is
determined by the ESF #13 Public Safety & Security Coordinator
and the ESF #5 Emergency Management Coordinator that it is safe to do
so. Technical advice from state or federal officials may be necessary in
some instances (radiological, hazardous materials type incidents, etc.)
B. Information regarding return to the area will be disseminated over radio and
TV. Access to controlled areas will be handled by law enforcement.
C. Emergency services and public information advisories should warn people
returning to the evacuated area as to any hazards, so people will be alert to
changes in their environment.
1. Residents should be advised how to turn utilities back on.
2. Instructions for food and water safety should be disseminated. 3. Information should be made available concerning available assistance and how to request it.
D. See ESF #13 Appendix #4.
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Rev: 12/2011ESF #1 – Appendix #3
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