Integration Memo 9-22-09

MEMORANDUM To: Dr. Larkin Dudley From: Evacuation Transportation Planning Group (Lisa Cotting, Barry Ewell, Kelsey Simons, Aaron Smith-Walter) Date: September 22, 2009 SUBJECT: Proposal for Analysis of Policy Arena

Please accept the attached proposal regarding the Evacuation Transportation Planning Group’s topic for the Policy Arena Analysis. The Group topic is post-Katrina evacuation planning at the federal, state and local level, specifically in regards to transportation needs of the community. The Group will be analyzing the Federal mandates and policies and how the States and localities have proceeded with implementation plans. The attached proposal includes justification for the policy question as well as a brief outline of the proposed analysis. Also included is a timeline of the analysis process. At your earliest convenience, review the attached proposal. The Group requests a response indicating your acceptance or rejection of the proposal for class on Tuesday September 29, 2009. Comments and advice will also be greatly appreciated.

Policy Arena Analysis Paper 9/22/09 Evacuation Transportation Planning Group Lisa Cotting Barry Ewell Kelsey Simons Aaron Smith-Walter

Policy Question The issue of emergency evacuations and the role that transportation plays in them is very important. Federal, state, and local governments must respond to the transportation needs of their citizens when disaster strikes and must coordinate with each other. This paper will explore the question of how federal, state, and local governments have responded to the transportation needs of citizens in evacuations due to emergencies after Hurricane Katrina. The failures in response to Katrina highlighted the need for more cooperation between government at all levels, especially when it comes to transportation issues. In response to this failure, states, localities, and even the federal government reevaluated current evacuation plans and policies. In many cases, such as the federal Stafford Act, the policy was changed to address citizen needs after Katrina. These overhauls of evacuation plans addressed the need for more coordination at all levels of government in response to impending disasters. Hurricane Katrina showed the inadequacies of the plans that were in place and set the stage for a massive reform of evacuation policies. The literature of this paper will show what has been done and also what can be done about emergency evacuation and the carless populations’ need for transportation. Existing Policy/Actors Through the use of a variety of sources of information our group will attempt to define the various policies and protocols that currently exist in order to address the Federal, State and Local roles in evacuations of disadvantaged people prior to a catastrophic event, such as a hurricane. The actors and interests involved, such as the emergency personnel, police services, the disabled, young, poor, elderly as well as others will be investigated. Coordination between the various transportation providers involved with emergency preparedness for those with special needs, such as transit agencies, paratransit providers, school districts and private transportation agencies will also be investigated.

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Coordination Coordinating transportation services in response to disasters (both anticipated and unexpected) represents a major challenge to all levels of government, and is bound to involve actions that span the non-profit, private, and government sectors. In addition, private citizens are both a key resource and potential impediment to achieving an orderly and successful evacuation sparked by response to disaster. The ability to understand who is responsible for what aspects of the evacuation is vital to providing an effective response, and in order to truly understand the workings of responses to future emergencies, it will be essential to identify the responsible actors, the mechanisms of assessing needed actions, and the means by which these actors will communicate during evacuation activities. For example, according to Keith Bea, in a 2005 CRS Report (RS22235), “Disaster Evacuation and Displacement Policy: Issues for Congress”, “…the Department of Transportation (DOT) Regional Emergency Transportation Coordinator (RETCO) coordinates with state and local authorities on ‘issues such as movement restrictions, critical facilities closures, and evacuation.’” While the identification of the coordinators for the various parties for the actual emergency evacuation is important, there is, perhaps, the larger question of how the plans to evacuate are coordinated among stakeholders and potential partners. How do states, municipalities, parishes, counties, Metropolitan Planning Organizations, Coast Guard, National Guard and Local Emergency Planning Committees create realistic evacuation scenarios. How do these plans seek to involve both public and private transportation providers? How do these plans interface with local, and state departments of social services to develop a list of people who are likely to be in need of special

transportation services? While theses are not the only important questions relating to the nature of coordination of transportation services in evacuation planning, they represent the starting point that will yield further paths of needed investigation to understand and analyze the existent process. Recommendation The Group will compile recommendations for future actions at all levels of government, including how the Federal government should restructure its mandates and policies as well as how States and localities should revise their implementation plans. Specifically, the following areas will be focus for the recommendations: 1.

A requirement for an implementation plan to be developed regarding transportation of carless and special needs persons in the communities

2.

A stipulation that such requirements include all or some of the following a.

A time line for evacuation procedures

b.

An evaluation of the size and scope specific community transportation needs during evacuation proceedings

c.

Memorandum of agreements in place to contract with surrounding localities, as well as private and non-profit agencies to provide required services

d. 3.

Sample contracts drafted and attached to such memorandum of agreements

A deadline placed upon the requirement for development of such a plan

Appendix A: Timeline PAPA 6214 – Policy Analysis Paper Group Paper and Presentation Development Schedule 9/21/09 – Proposal finalization meeting (5:15 TCH) Update From On Section Outlines: i. How did problem get on the agenda/History of Issue – Kelsey ii. What are the current existing policies – Barry iii. Who are the actors/interests involved in policy – Barry iv. Who is responsible for coordinating/implementing policy – Aaron v. What are our groups recommendations – Lisa vi. Memo Drafting - Lisa 9/22/09 – Proposal and Memo Submission 9/23/09 – 10/4/09 Section Research and Development 10/5/09 – Group Meeting (Time/Location: TBD) i. Update on Section Research ii. Section expansion, revision, rescission iii. Evaluation of workload distribution 10/6/09 – 10/18/09 i. Section Research and Development 10/19/09 – Group Meeting (Time/Location: TBD) i. Update on Section Research ii. Section expansion, revision, rescission iii. Evaluation of workload distribution 10/20/09-11/1/09 i. Section Research and Development 11/2/09 – Group Meeting (Time/Location: TBD) i. Draft text of Section Research Reports ii. Critique and Initial Report Integration iii. Final Research Needs Identification and Assignment iv. Deliverables Needs Assessment (Charts/Visuals/Handouts) and Assignment v. Initial Report Integration Assignment 11/3/09 – 11/15/09 i. Report Integration ii. Final Research Completion iii. Deliverable Creation iv. Finalization of Text of Draft Research Report (Where Possible) 11/16/09 – Group Meeting (Time/Location: TBD) i. Finalized Report Integration Meeting ii. Presentation Responsibilities Divided

iii.

Tie Up Loose Ends

11/17/09 – 11/29/09 i. Built in Contingency Time ii. PowerPoint Presentation Generation 11/30/09 – Group Meeting (Time/Location:TBD) i. Presentation Practice and Logistics Meeting 12/1/09 – Presentation