Sent on behalf of the FEMA Office of Disability Integration and Coordination.

 

FEMA is seeking feedback on the draft document released today, DRAFT_Planning_Considerations_Evacuation_and_Shelter-in-Place_201808. Feedback and recommendations received will help ensure the final version of the guide is an effective resource for emergency managers across the nation. The feedback form can be found here: FEMA Feedback Form

Evacuation and shelter-in-place protective actions are prompted by a variety of threats and hazards. Incident-specific circumstances drive the relevant protective actions based on a community’s demographics, infrastructure, resources, authorities, and decision-making process. Determining that evacuation needs to take place is not an all-or-nothing approach. Lessons learned from disasters, such as hurricanes Katrina, Harvey, Irma, and Maria, have highlighted the value of enacting a zone-phased approach to evacuation and shelter-in-place, enabling jurisdictions to move as few people as necessary. Shelter-in-place populations that are not directly in harm’s way, rather than having them evacuate, help jurisdictions reduce costs, resource requirements, and the negative impacts of evacuations, while promoting improved response and quicker re-entry and recovery.

When reviewing the document, consider:

• Identifying areas that may be confusing and need revision;
• Providing success stories or best practices associated with the critical considerations identified in the document; and
• Identifying additional job aides, training opportunities, or resources for inclusion in the document.

 

FEMA is hosting a series of 45-minute engagement webinars to describe the draft document and answer participants’ questions about providing feedback. The webinars will be open to the whole community.

The National Engagement Period will conclude at 5:00 p.m. EDT on August 31, 2018.

 

To review the draft document and for additional webinar information, please visit https://www.fema.gov/plan.