Disaster Response and Recovery Resource for Transit Agencies
Contents

1.    Introduction and Background
       How to find Information and Resources in this Document

2.    Frequently Asked Questions
       2.1    Info for Transit Providers in Affected Areas
       2.2    Info for Transit Providers serving Displaced/Relocated Persons
       2.3    Charter Service Requirements
       2.4    Emergency Transportation for Persons with Special Needs (including ADA Paratransit)
       2.5    Funding Eligibility and Reimbursement
       2.6    How to Help Emergency Evacuees
       2.7    Assisting Special Needs Populations

3.    The Role of Federal Agencies and States in Disaster Response
       3.1    The National Response Plan and NIMS.
       3.2    State Emergency Management Plans
       3.3    FEMA
       3.4    FTA

4.    Local Disaster Response Resources and Best Practices
       4.1    Introduction and Background
       4.2    Emergency Preparedness: Planning and Best Practices
       4.3    Disaster Response
       4.4    Disaster Recovery
       4.5    Characterizing Possible MPO Roles in System Operations and Security/Disaster Planning
       4.6    Providing Emergency Services to Persons with Special Needs
       4.7    The Transit Industry at Large

Appendix A: FTA Emergency Response Personnel Contact List

Appendix B: FEMA and State Contact List

Section 1: Introduction

Based on lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina and other events, FTA has documented practices and procedures to improve emergency preparedness. The purpose of this Disaster Response and Recovery Resource for Transit Agencies is to provide local transit agencies and transportation providers with useful information and best practices in emergency preparedness and disaster response and recovery.

The Resource provides summary information for general background, and includes best practices and links to more specific resources and more detailed information for local agencies concerning critical disaster related elements such as emergency preparedness, disaster response, and disaster recovery.

How to find information in this Disaster Response and Recovery Resource for Transit Agencies:

Section 2: Frequently Asked Questions provides quick, easy to read possible solutions to challenges related to providing transit in emergencies and disaster impacted areas, serving persons with special needs, as well as funding eligibility and reimbursement.

Section 3: The Role of Federal Agencies and States in Disaster Response presents an overview of available federal resources in support of emergency preparedness, disaster response, and disaster recovery and the basic frameworks of the National Response Plan, NIMS and State Emergency Management Plans.

Section 4: Local Disaster Response Resources and Recommended Practices contains local strategies for emergency preparedness, disaster response, and disaster recovery and includes tips on providing critical emergency transportation services for persons with special needs.

This Disaster Response and Recovery Resource for Transit Agencies is available in paper copy and on the FTA web site at www.fta.dot.gov. FTA intends this Resource to be a dynamic document, and plans to regularly update information, best practices, and resources and to release updated Resource as appropriate.

For additional information contact your Regional Office.

Section 2: Frequently Asked Disaster Recovery Questions

FTA published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) related to “Emergency Procedures for Public Transportation Systems” in the Federal Register on August 8, 2006 (71 FR 44957).  Interested parties may access the NPRM by going to http://dms.dot.gov and doing a “simple search” for docket number 22428.  The comment period for this NPRM will close on October 10, 2006.  If adopted as proposed, a final rule would permit transit agencies to request a waiver of certain administrative requirements.  The final rule may supersede the answers to some of the questions posted here.  This Q and A will be updated as necessary when the final rule is published.

• What can I do to help my transit employees who are now out of work?

People who lose their jobs due to a disaster, or those who still have a job but are unable to work and not drawing a paycheck due to a disaster, may apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA).  DUA provides weekly benefits to individuals who are unemployed and not eligible for regular Unemployment Insurance Compensation.  Advise your employees to call 1-800-621-FEMA (TTY: 1-800-462-7585) or the local unemployment office for information.  If your employees are members of a labor union, you should also tell them to contact their union representative to determine if any additional assistance is available from the union.

• Can FTA money be used to pay eligible salaries (i.e., for maintenance costs), if no service is being provided?

Yes and no. If employees are engaged in work to restore service, these salary costs are eligible for FTA reimbursement as a normal capital expense.  If no transit service is being provided, employees who are not engaged in activities related to restoration of service may not be paid with FTA funds.  These out-of-work employees may, however, be eligible for Disaster Unemployment Insurance (see question 1). 

• My transit agency offices were damaged/destroyed.  Can I use FTA capital funds to establish temporary facilities and acquire office equipment?

Yes. The cost of leasing office space and furnishings can be paid for with FTA capital formula funds; however, these costs may also be eligible for FEMA reimbursement.  You should contact your FTA Regional Office if you wish to utilize capital formula funds, but it would also be advisable to contact your State emergency management office and FEMA to seek funding for these expenses

• If I haven’t been able to provide normal service levels or have had to change service routes, what should I do in order to stay in good standing with FTA with respect to funding?

FTA will not take adverse actions against transit agencies that have been unable to provide normal service due to the disaster. 

• Do I need to document the damage to my vehicles and facilities?

Yes.  You should document the condition of the vehicles and facilities against your agency’s written inventory.  Please contact your FTA Regional Office if you have further questions.

• What do I need to do to get my damaged fleet and facilities replaced?  Will FTA or FEMA pay?

FTA does not have an emergency assistance program. However, FEMA’s Public Assistance Program is intended to replace damaged and destroyed property.  A contact list for FEMA and State emergency offices is attached for your use.  You should also contact your insurance company regarding coverage. 

• What if I can no longer carry out the purposes of an open grant?  What happens to the money I’ve already spent?

FTA will not take adverse actions against transit agencies that cannot carry out the purposes of an open grant due to the disaster.  There may be an opportunity to change the grant for other eligible purposes.  Contact your Regional Office to discuss your options.

Adding New Service or Restoring Service

• What do I have to do if I want to add new routes in order to assist relocated residents?

Transit agencies are permitted to add new routes for this purpose at their own discretion.  Transit providers that receive funds through their State Department of Transportation should coordinate their plans to change service with their State transit office.

• Can I provide transit service outside my normal service area in order to help affected people access local community services (i.e., medical offices, church, social service agencies, grocery stores, etc.)?

Yes.  Please contact your local transportation authorities regarding temporary changes in your service area to meet the needs of evacuees.

• Can I borrow a vehicle from another FTA grantee without obtaining an FTA determination that the vehicle is for “incidental use”?

Yes. FTA will consider the loan of vehicles for this use to be a permissible “incidental use.”

• If I borrow a vehicle, whose insurance covers the vehicle?

The transit agencies or other entities involved should communicate with their insurance companies to determine coverage of a borrowed vehicle.

• Can our transit agency keep a contingency fleet of vehicles to be used in case of emergency or disaster?

Yes. Buses may be placed in an inactive contingency fleet --stockpiled -- in preparation for emergencies. However, no bus may be stockpiled before that vehicle has reached the end of its minimum normal service life. Buses held in a contingency fleet must be properly stored, maintained, and documented in a contingency plan, updated as necessary, to support the continuation of a contingency fleet. FTA may request information about the contingency fleet during application reviews. Contingency plans are also subject to review during triennial reviews required for the Urbanized Area Formula Program. Any rolling stock not supported by a contingency plan will be considered part of the active fleet. Since vehicles in the contingency fleet are not part of the active fleet, they do not count in the calculation of spare ratio.

• Does all of my service have to be “open door”?  For example, can I take a group of shelter residents to a specific location without triggering the charter rule?

Transit agencies that desire to provide “open door” services should make good faith efforts to determine whether local private charter operators are able to provide that service.  You should document these efforts.  In addition, you should notify the American Bus Association (email: abainfo@buses.org) and the United Motor Coach Association (email: info@uma.org) of your proposal to provide the service.  Please remember that private charter operators have also been impacted by this disaster and should be given an opportunity to participate in providing service.  Like public agencies, private operators providing service to evacuees may also be eligible for FEMA reimbursement.  

• If I don’t charge affected people for this service, will I trigger the charter rule process?

The same rules apply whether you charge fares or not.

• Am I required by Federal law to charge fares?

No, you are not required by Federal law to charge fares.

• If I provide fixed route service via new routes to serve affected people, do the ADA paratransit requirements apply to those new routes?  What if I don’t have any additional capacity to provide ADA paratransit on those routes?

Yes, ADA paratransit requirements would apply to the new routes,  However, FTA recognizes that the sudden influx of evacuees who need such assistance may place additional demands on a paratransit system, possibly resulting in unavoidable trip denials, long waits, or an inability to provide next-day service. In determining whether an ADA paratransit system is experiencing significant numbers of trip denials, missed trips, untimely pickups, or long trip times, FTA will take into consideration whether these incidents were due to circumstances outside of the providers’ control.

• Will I get reimbursed by FEMA for these extraordinary paratransit expenses?

Transit agencies should keep records of transportation services provided to evacuees and the cost of those services, and contact your State emergency management office to make them aware of these needs.

• If someone comes to me seeking paratransit service, but does not have identification or verification of ADA eligibility, should I provide the service?

FTA encourages transit agencies to provide service to any evacuee who requests paratransit service, even if the individual does not have identification or documentation showing that he/she was eligible at home.  Transit agencies can comply with Federal requirements by granting visitor status for a reasonable time, which may exceed the 21 days provided for in the Department of Transportation ADA Regulation.  If an evacuee permanently relocates to your community, it would be appropriate to use your local eligibility process to determine long-term eligibility for ADA services.

• What operating expenses can I pay for with FTA capital funds?  What specifically am I not allowed to pay for with FTA capital funds? 

Federal law permits areas under 200,000 in population to use all FTA formula funds for operating expenses.  In urbanized areas over 200,000 in population, Federal law does not permit the use of capital funds to pay for operating expenses such as driver salaries, fuel, and non-maintenance administrative costs.  Please note that maintenance costs are an eligible capital expense.  In addition, up to 10 percent of your urbanized area apportionment may be used to pay for ADA paratransit operating costs.

• Will the Federal government waive the 20 percent local share requirement in areas affected by a disaster?

Although waiving this statutory requirement would require Congressional action, FTA may, on a case-by-case basis, permit grantees impacted by a disaster to defer their local match, if needed.  Grantees should contact their Regional Office to discuss possible deferrals.

• Can I get reimbursed for transit passes that I provide to evacuees?

FEMA reimbursements are managed through state emergency management offices.  You should contact your state emergency office to determine whether or not they will consider the reimbursement of bus passes.  Please see Appendix B of this document for state emergency agency contact information.

• What changes to local share requirements and operating assistance eligibility were made by the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for 2006?

FTA has the authority (under Section 7025) until June 15, 2008 to waive the Federal matching share requirements for Federal transit assistance awarded in existing grants to recipients directly affected by Hurricane Katrina, unless FTA determines that its authority should continue based on a compelling need. FTA may waive the deferred local match accumulated to date on existing grants, but may not reimburse any eligible recipient any portion of the local share already expended.

• How can I find evacuees in my area and what can I do to help ensure that their transportation needs are met?

FTA encourages transit agencies to work with the evacuation shelters and human service agencies to identify individuals who need transportation services.  You should let evacuation shelter and other social service agency staff know about the tool, “Building an Individualized Transportation Plan” (www.unitedweride.gov).  This tool helps providers assess an individuals’ skills, experience, and ability to get to the bus, get on the bus, and safely navigate the transportation system to help identify the most appropriate transportation services.

• I want to implement a transit pass program with evacuation shelters.  How can I do that?

One way to implement a transit pass program in conjunction with an evacuation shelter is to simply give individuals with Shelter Identification free access to the fixed routes within the transit system.  For transit agencies that want to give paper passes or tokens, you might consider setting up a dissemination point at the shelter.  Transit agencies should contact their State emergency management office and FEMA regional office to seek reimbursement of transit passes as an eligible expense. 

• Are there other resources available to pay for transit passes?

You should contact human service partners in your community to identify other opportunities for purchasing bus tokens and/or transit passes. The Federal Interagency Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility has identified 37 federal programs that will pay for gas, bus tokens, and transit passes.  In most cases, decisions to do so are made at the local and/or state levels.

• How do I manage the increase in service requests for door-to-door demand response service for individuals who cannot use the fixed route system?

FTA encourages transit agencies to take a leadership role in convening a meeting of all human service and transportation providers in the community to identify the current level of resources available to address the transportation needs of evacuees who require specialized transportation services.  This includes schools, senior centers, head start programs, health centers, churches and other organizations that have vehicles that are typically used for transporting specific populations.  This information can be combined with the level of need identified by the shelters and other social service agencies to develop a coordinated plan for addressing existing and new needs. Communication among community human services and transportation providers is very important.

• How do I contact my human service partners at the local level?

If you do not already know your human service partners, we encourage you to contact your State United We Ride Coordinator (Contact your FTA regional office for further information).

United We Ride teams include multiple agencies from health, employment, transportation, and other related human service areas. 

• How can I determine whether a portion of my clientele that need emergency preparedness or evacuation instructions translated into other languages or into accessible formats?

Agencies can consult Census data to determine whether particular neighborhoods have concentrations of persons with limited English proficiency. Agencies can also consult with school systems and community organizations, local governments, religious organizations, and legal aid entities to collect additional information on the languages spoken, and language needs of area residents.

Agencies can consult with non-profit and community based organizations that serve persons who are blind or who have low-vision or who are hearing impaired to better understand what emergency preparedness and evacuation information should be translated into accessible formats, how to properly translate emergency information, and how to ensure that these population groups receive the appropriate information.

• How can I best communicate emergency preparedness information and evacuation instructions to persons who do not have regular access to TV, radio, newspapers, or email? 

Agencies may consider partnering with local faith or cultural based, social service and other non-profit organizations that work with special needs populations and have credibility with the people they serve. Agencies can forward emergency preparedness information and evacuation instructions to these intermediary organizations who, in turn, can educate their constituents on what transportation will be available in the event of an emergency.

• How can I identify individuals who require transportation assistance before an emergency situation arises?

One way to identify individuals who require transportation assistance prior to an emergency situation is to work with health and human service providers in advance to obtain registries where individuals have voluntarily identified themselves as requiring transportation assistance.  It may also be helpful to explore shared data use agreements with human service agencies to continue identifying those individuals who will require transportation.   If human service providers do not maintain voluntary lists, you may suggest it to them.

• How can I help individuals who require transportation assistance as an emergency situation occurs?

During an emergency situation, FTA encourages transit agencies to work quickly to notify individuals who require transportation assistance of the time and place of pickup and to dispatch drivers in vehicles, including accessible options.  You may also consider launching an emergency hotline regarding transportation evacuation information. In the course of providing notification, consideration should be given to provide translators for individuals with limited English proficiency and that sign language interpreters and TTY service is available for individuals who are deaf.

Section 3: The Role of Federal Agencies and States in Disaster Response

 The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has developed the National Response Plan (NRP) and the National Incident Management System (NIMS). The NRP establishes a comprehensive, national, all-hazards approach to domestic incident management across a spectrum of activities. NIMS provides a nationwide template enabling government and nongovernmental responders to respond to all domestic incidents using a coordinated and modular approach based on the Incident Command System (ICS). 

Beginning FY 2007 (October 1, 2006), federal preparedness funding will be conditioned upon full compliance with the National Incident Management System (NIMS) (see www.fema.gov/emergency/nims). Part of being compliant entails all federal, state, tribal, private sector and non-governmental personnel with a direct role in emergency management and response must be NIMS and ICS (Incident Command System) trained. (For more information, see: www.nimsonline.com) 

The National Response Plan, issued by the Department of Homeland Security in January 2005, provides the overall framework on how Federal departments and agencies will work together and how the Federal government will coordinate with state, local and tribal governments and the private sector during incidents (http://www.dhs.gov/interweb/assetlibrary/NRPbaseplan.pdf). The Department of Transportation and its modal agencies, including FTA, must provide support for the NRP whenever there is a major incident.

 The NRP identifies Emergency Support Functions (ESF’s) – capabilities and resources that are likely needed during an incident (Transportation, Firefighting, Mass Care, etc.): 

• ESF#1 Transportation

• ESF#2 Communications

• ESF#3 Public Works and Engineering

• ESF#4 Firefighting

• ESF#5 Emergency Management

• ESF#6 Mass Care, Housing, and Human Services

• ESF#7 Resource Support

• ESF#8 Public Health and Medical Services

• ESF#9 Urban Search and Rescue

• ESF #10 Oil and Hazardous Materials

• ESF#11 Agriculture and Natural Resources

• ESF#12 Energy

• ESF#13 Public Safety and Security

• ESF#14 Long-Term Community Recovery and Mitigation

• ESF#15 External Affairs

ESF’S may be activated for any incident of national significance. Additionally, ESF’S provide staffing for the National Response Coordination Center, Regional Response Coordination Center, and Joint Field Office as may be required. 

The U.S. Department of Transportation is a primary responder (Emergency Support Function No. 1 “ESF-1”- Transportation) in the National Response Plan. ESF-1 is responsible for Federal and civil transportation support; transportation safety; restoration/recovery of transportation infrastructure; movement restrictions; and damage and impact assessment. The DOT Regional Emergency Transportation Coordinator (RETCO) provides direction of the ESF 1 mission locally. The RETCO is the secretary of Transportation’s representative for emergency preparedness and response matters. The RETCO receives policy guidance and operational direction from the Director, Office of Intelligence, Security, and Emergency Response, Office of the Secretary. 

During an incident, the Federal Transit Administration headquarters and regional offices provide support in four principal areas: 1) ESF-1 (Transportation) support at FEMA headquarters and Joint Field Offices and at field base camps; 2) ESF-14 (Long-Term Community Recovery and Mitigation) support at FEMA Joint Field Offices; 3) DOT Crisis Management Center (CMC); and 4) FTA technical assistance to transit operators. 

The purpose of the USDOT CMC is to coordinate crisis management functions for multimodal transportation emergencies, including all Incidents of National Significance including: natural disasters, technological incidents / accidents, labor strikes, security situations, such as domestic criminal acts or international terrorist acts, and national defense mobilization. FTA provides staffing support to the Crisis Management Center. Hours of CMC operation are 24-hours a day. The FTA assists in the collection, analysis and dissemination of critical transportation infrastructure information. 

During an incident of national significance, various FTA programs and technical assistance may be needed to aid in the restoration of transit service in the affected areas. Technical assistance is customized to the nature and magnitude of the incident. 

Most states have an emergency management plan. This plan establishes a framework through which local governments prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the impacts of a wide variety of disasters that could adversely affect the health, safety and/or general welfare of the residents of their jurisdictions. The plan provides guidance to state and local officials on procedures, organization, and responsibilities, as well as provides an integrated and coordinated local, state and federal response. 

This operations-based plan addresses evacuations, sheltering, post-disaster response and recovery, deployment of resources, communications, and warning systems. The plan calls for annual exercises to determine the ability of state and local governments to respond to emergencies. The plan also defines the responsibilities of local and state agencies and volunteer organizations. 

The plan describes the basic strategies, assumptions and mechanisms through which the state will mobilize resources and conduct activities to guide and support local emergency management efforts through preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation. The plan also addresses NRP Emergency Support Functions. 

At the federal, state and local level the primary agency appoints an Emergency Coordination Officer to manage that function in the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). These appointees and the members of local Emergency Management agency staff the EOC. The EOC staff serves as the primary operational mechanism through which local and state resources are managed and state and federal assistance is requested and coordinated.

State assistance is to be provided to impacted counties under the authority of the State Coordinating Officer, on behalf of the Governor, as head of the State Emergency Response Team (SERT). 

The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, Public Law 93-288, as amended (the Stafford Act) was enacted to support state and local governments and their citizens when disasters overwhelm them. This law establishes a process for requesting and obtaining a Presidential disaster declaration, defines the type and scope of assistance available under the Stafford Act, and sets the conditions for obtaining that assistance.

Under the Stafford Act, States can request assistance from FEMA to provide emergency transit services that are necessary to help an area recover from the damaging effects of a disaster. In addition, FEMA assistance is available to transit authorities to help replace or build transit buses, equipment and the facilities that have been damaged or destroyed during a disaster.

A. Types of Assistance under the Stafford Act

• Individual Assistance – temporary housing, grants for disaster-related expenses and loans to repair or replace real and personal property. 42 USC 5174.

• Business Assistance-available when ability to continue operation is terminated or impaired by disaster

• Public Assistance - emergency response and recovery. 42USC 5170a, 5172

• Hazard Mitigation Assistance - designed to reduce future losses to public and private property. 42 USC 5170c.

B. Eligible Recipients

• States, local government, certain non-profit organizations, federally recognized Indian tribes or trial organizations.

C. Roles and Responsibilities

• Administered through a coordinated effort between

• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),
• State (grantee), and

• Applicants (subgrantees).

• FEMA’s primary responsibilities

• Determine amount of funding.

• Participate in educating applicant on program issues and procedures.

• Assist applicant with developing projects.

• Review the projects for compliance

• Grantee’s primary responsibilities

• Determine eligibility for FEMA funds

• Provide grantee portion of the non-federal share,

• Notify subgrantee (applicant) that funds are available and disburse funds.

• Provide technical advice to eligible applicants.

• Ensure that potential applicants are aware of assistance programs.

• Provide support for damage assessment operations.

• Submit necessary paperwork for grant awards.

• Subgrantee’s (applicant) responsibilities

• Accountable to grantee for use of the funds.

• Attend Applicants’ Briefing on how to apply for Federal assistance and documentation required for the Project Worksheet process.

• Submit Request for Public Assistance at Applicants’ Briefing or not later than 30 days after designation of County.

• Provide documentation and personnel to work with FEMA and state in damage assessment and project application processes.

• Must identify all damages to the state and FEMA for reimbursement.

D. Scope of Public Assistance

     1. Emergency Response Assistance

• Eligible Purposes

• Debris removal.

• Emergency protective measures taken before, during, and after a disaster to save lives, protect public health and safety, and protect property, including temporary public transportation service to meet emergency needs and provide transportation to governmental offices, employment centers, and such other places as necessary to enable the community to resume its normal pattern of life as soon as possible. 42 U.S.C 5186.

• Emergency public transportation service is intended to supplement but not replace pre-disaster transportation facilities that remain operable after a major disaster. FEMA funding for such transportation will be discontinued as soon as the needs have been met. See 44 CFR 206.225.

     2. Recovery Assistance 

• Eligible Purposes

• Permanent work, i.e., repairs, restoration, or replacement of disaster-damaged public and certain non-private organization facilities, including public transportation facilities, up to 100 percent of the costs.

 3.4.1 General

There is broad flexibility under FTA’s planning and capital funding programs for states, metropolitan planning agencies and transit authorities to spend FTA funds for emergency preparedness and response planning and capital security projects, including security training for personnel and conducting emergency response drills under our discretionary planning and research programs and our program management oversight program. FTA is also able to hire contractors to provide assistance to transit grantees in disaster areas for some of the following support activities; transit planning, transit operations support and technical assistance and engineering and project management support.

Although FTA cannot normally regulate transit operations, SAFETEA-LU now allows the Secretary of Transportation to regulate the charges and operation of public transportation systems that receive FTA funds when there is a disaster or other national emergency.

3.4.2 FTA Security and Funding Authorities (Chapter 53 of 49 USC, as amended.)

I. Prohibition Against Regulating Operations and Charges

• Prior to enactment of Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) could not regulate the operations and charges of public transportation systems receiving funds under the discretionary or capital investment program.
   

• Currently, the prohibition applies to all Federal transit grant programs, except that the Secretary of Transportation may regulate the charges and operations of Federally-funded transit systems for national defense purposes or in the event of a national or regional emergency. 49 USC 5344 (b)(1).
   

• Pursuant to its rulemaking authority, FTA is proposing to establish emergency relief procedures for granting relief from Federal transit regulations in times of national or regional emergencies under 49 CFR 601.40-46.*

II. Capital Security Projects 

• Under all Federal Transit Assistance Formula and Discretionary Programs in Chapter 53 of Title 49, U.S.C, capital security projects (including security training for personnel and conducting emergency response drills) are eligible uses of Federal transit capital funds 49 USC 5302(a)(1)(J).

  * Section 5141 of title 42, USC (Section 301 of the Stafford Act, Pub. L. 92-288, as amended) provides that “(a) ny Federal agency charged with the administration of a Federal assistance program may, if so requested by the applicant State or local authorities, modify or waive, for a major disaster, such administrative conditions for assistance as would otherwise prevent the giving of assistant under such programs if the inability to meet such conditions is a result of the major disaster.” 

III. Security Planning 

• Prior to SAFETEA-LU, States were required to jointly consider safety and security factors in statewide transportation planning.
   

• SAFETEA-LU separated factors for purposes of consideration to highlight heightened concerns with security at all levels of Government. 49 USC 5304(d)(1)(C).
   

• Funds available to carry out planning activities may be used for statewide and metropolitan emergency response and recovery planning in areas impacted by disasters of national significance.

IV. Research 

• Research funds are available for research, development, demonstration, deployment projects, and evaluation of technology related to public transportation emergency response and recovery activities in areas impacted by disasters of national significance.

V. Security under the Urbanized Area Formula Grant program

• Under the urbanized area Formula Grants program, a recipient must certify that it has the legal, financial, and technical capacity for carrying out the program, including the safety and security aspects of the program. 49 USC 5307(d)(1)(A).
   

• Recipients must certify that they will spend one percent of the funds apportioned to them for security projects, unless they decide that the expenditure for security projects is not necessary and FTA accepts the certification. 49 USC 5307(d)(1)(J).
   

• Expenditures of a capital grant funds are limited to capital security projects.
   

• Expenditures of operating assistance grant funds are limited to operating expenses for security purposes.

VI. Program Management Oversight 

• Given the new security concerns—and in keeping with actual practice in the field—major capital investment projects must have a project management oversite (PMO) plan that includes safety and security management. 49 USC 5327(a)(13).
   

• Program Management Oversight may include expenditures for damage assessments in areas impacted disasters of national significance.

VII. Investigation Authority 

• FTA has authority to investigate safety hazards and security risks.
   

• FTA may assist grantees on security matters and investigate security concerns without notice of a specific breach of security at a transit system. 49 USC 5329.

VIII. Relationships between Federal Agencies

• Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by Departments of Transportation (DOT) and Homeland Security (DHS) on September 28, 2004, which defines and clarifies the respective transit security roles and responsibilities of each department.
   

• As required by SAFETEA-LU, FTA and the Transportation Security Agency (TSA), an agency within DHS, signed an Annex to the MOU on public transportation security on September 8, 2005. Pub. L. 109-59, section 3028(b).
   

• The Annex

• • recognizes DHS’s role as lead agency on public transportation security matters;

  • provides for DHS funding of certain FTA programs during the immediate period of increased risk (including training courses, the Public Transportation Information Sharing and Analysis Center, an emergency drill grant program, and stakeholder sessions);

  • lists DHS as the agency responsible for vulnerability and criticality assessment programs;

  • establishes procedures during emergency situations, including information and intelligence sharing;

  • establishes specific procedures for coordination on regulations, legislation, budget requests, public statements, research activities, and TSA security directives; and

  • establishes mechanism for temporarily detailing employees between TSA and FTA

• Neither the MOU nor Annex is sensitive security information.

VIII. Other 

• FTA and DHS are jointly finalizing a notice of proposed rulemaking mandated by SAFETEA-LU, which outlines requirements and characteristics of public transportation security grants, including funding priorities and eligible activities, methods for awarding grants and limitations on administrative expenses. Pub. L.109-59, section 3028(c).
   

• It is anticipated DHS will administer its security grants and FTA will provide technical assistance with developing the application and eligibility process.

I. Section 7025

• Section 7025 of the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Hurricane Recovery, 2006, states:

  “For recipients of assistance under chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code, directly affected by Hurricane Katrina, the Secretary may waive the Federal matching share requirements for Federal transit assistance programs under such chapter, including the Federal matching share requirements contained in existing Federal assistance grant agreements:

  Provided, That the Secretary may allow such recipients to use such assistance for operating assistance, notwithstanding the terms and conditions contained in existing Federal assistance grant agreements: Provided further, That the authority of the Secretary hereunder shall expire two years after the date of enactment of this section, unless determined otherwise by the Secretary for a compelling need." 

II. Explanation of Section 7025 

• FTA has the authority until June 15, 2008 to waive the Federal matching share requirements for Federal transit assistance awarded in existing grants to recipients directly affected by Hurricane Katrina, unless FTA determines that its authority should continue based on a compelling need. 
   

• FTA is responsible for determining those recipients directly affected by Katrina. 
   

• FTA has the authority until June 15, 2008 to waive the Federal matching share requirements for Federal transit assistance grant to be awarded to recipients directly affected by Hurricane Katrina, unless FTA determines that its authority should continue based on a compelling need.  
   

• FTA may waive the deferred local match accumulated to date on existing grants. 
   

• FTA may not reimburse any eligible recipient any portion of the local share already expended. 
   

• FTA has the authority through June 15, 2008 to permit recipients directly affected by Katrina to use funds in existing capital grants and yet to be awarded grants for operating assistance, unless FTA determines that its authority should continue based on a compelling need.

Section 4: Local Disaster Response Resources and Best Practices 

This section of the Transit Agency Resource has been assembled by FTA to assist local transit agencies, transportation providers and local planning agencies in the preparation, response and recovery of natural disasters and emergencies. This document is part of our ongoing effort to provide technical assistance to facilitate the provision of public transportation in affected communities.

This section presents an overview of best practices and available resources in support of emergency preparedness, disaster response, and disaster recovery, and includes tips on providing emergency service for persons with special needs.

This Resource is a dynamic document that will be amended regularly to reflect the experiences of state and local governments who perform admirably in the most difficult circumstances.

In addition to this Resource, FTA offers additional emergency preparedness resources to transit agencies, including the Top 20 Security Action Items on the FTA website ( http://transit-safety.volpe.dot.gov/security/SecurityInitiatives/Top20) and Connecting Communities forums.

The Top 20 Security Action Items have been designed to ensure that the nation’s public transportation systems:

• are prepared for and well-protected against attacks;
   

• respond rapidly and effectively to natural and human-caused threats and disasters;
   

• appropriately support the needs of emergency management and public safety agencies; and
   

• can be quickly and efficiently restored to full capability.

Recognizing agency interoperability in the event of a natural disaster, terrorist incident, or other emergency is of the utmost importance for a community or region’s effective response, Connecting Communities forums are the Federal Transit Administration’s latest effort to connect the “community” of transit systems with their local, county, state and federal response agencies and resources. The Connecting Communities workshop brings together participants from a variety of agencies, departments, and organizations to foster dialogue, progress planning efforts, review past experiences, and identify best practices to improve overall interoperability during an incident. For more information, see: http://www.transit-safety.volpe.dot.gov/training/Archived/EPSSeminarReg

FTA’s three main priorities include employee training, public awareness, and emergency preparedness.

The development and implementation of an effective emergency management plan is the most critical element for successful disaster response and recovery.

The Florida Department of Transportation’s “Transit Emergency Planning and Response Assessment Initiative” (September 2005) identified a useful set of best practices to be followed by local transit agencies to prepare for emergencies. FTA has adopted and modified these practices as a foundation for its own generic recommended practice list.

The best practices are grouped in the following categories:

• Emergency Management Plans, Policies, and Strategies

• Serving Persons with Special Needs

• Communications

• Staffing and Training

• Facilities, Equipment and Supplies

Recommended Practices: Emergency Management Plans, Policies, and Strategies

Develop Emergency Management Plans
In accordance with FTA’s Security Action Item #1, public transit agencies should develop an emergency management plan addressing various types and scales of disasters and emergency events.

Key elements in an emergency management plan include detailed key personnel contact lists, checklists by functional area of actions to be undertaken, and action timelines for before, during and after an event, standard operating procedures in the event of a disaster, clear disaster response policies and practices, and communications protocols.

Pre-Establish Evacuation Routes
Transit agencies may elect to establish evacuation routes and bus assignments in advance of a storm or emergency event. This allows the system passengers (especially the transit dependent passengers) to be made aware of the transit service that will be made available in the event of a disaster. From an agency’s perspective, the existence of evacuation routes facilitates quick disaster response and expedited implementation of the evacuation service.

Memorandums of Agreement or Mutual Aid Agreements
Transit agencies should, either by themselves or through their local governments, develop pre-established Mutual Aid Agreements with other key agencies in the same and adjoining areas. These agreements formalize and authorize assistance during storm and emergency events and help to facilitate financial reimbursement to service providers.

Coordination with Local School Board and Human Service Transportation Providers
Transit agencies, working in conjunction with the federal and state emergency management structure (e.g., ESF-1), should establish working relationships with their local school boards and human service transportation departments to access available transportation resources (i.e., vehicles, drivers staff, fuel, etc.) for emergency response. In most cases, a local school board’s bus fleet is much larger than the local transit agency’s and includes several smaller specialized vehicles. Often, human service providers (Medicaid, Aging, etc) also manage a substantial fleet of vehicles.

Emergency Service Standards - Maximum Wind Level Policy
To provide a balance of extending the mass evacuation time period as long as possible, as well as other supporting functions, most EOCs and transit agencies establish a maximum wind level threshold at which operations are ceased and the buses and support vehicles return to the garage or seek other shelter. This is especially critical for transit buses that offer a large profile for the wind and makes them susceptible to unsafe operation for the driver, the passengers and the public. As the hurricane intensity increases, there becomes a point where it is unsafe to continue evacuation operations due to the high winds.

Unless conflicting with guidance from your local EOC, the use of 39 or 40 mph sustained winds as the threshold at which bus services should be ceased seems to be a prudent standard.

Fare Suspension Policy
Transit agencies, especially fixed route systems, should consider establishing a no-fare policy that could be instituted in times of emergency response. Such a policy facilities faster vehicle boarding, is more user friendly to first time passengers, and eliminates the security and money handling issues related to fare collection.

Shelter Management Practices
The logistics of getting people to and from evacuation shelters during emergency situations is extremely challenging. Incomplete information, lack of a main point of contact, and other associated factors lead to inefficient deployment of transit resources. A point of contact must be established at each shelter to focus on the transportation needs of that shelter, including accessing vehicles, meeting arriving buses, escorting the transported passengers into the shelter processing area, and arranging for return trips in an organized manner. Transit agencies should work with the shelter sites and ESF-6 (Mass Care, Housing, and Human Services) to establish this contact. In some instances, it may be in the transit agency’s interest to place a staff person on site. Information for passengers should be available in alternative formats (e.g., Braille, electronic, and large print) for individuals with visual impairments and alternative languages for individuals with limited English proficiency.

Recommended Practices: Serving Persons with Special Needs

Pre-Planning for Special Needs Evacuation
Transit agencies, working through the EOCs ESF-1 (Transportation), are often responsible for or play a key part in the evacuation of “people with special needs” (PSN). Working proactively with the local EOC and ESF-6 (Mass Care, Housing, and Human Services) and ESF-8 (Public Health and Medical Services), transit agencies can help add structure to the registration and evacuation routing for these vulnerable population groups. The use of the transit agency’s paratransit scheduling software can improve aspects of the PSN process.

Special Population Evacuation
Planning for the evacuation of special populations to shelters should be proactive. Working with community human service agencies, transit agencies can pre-establish pick-up locations for transport to shelters. In addition, transit agencies should work with human service agencies to identify individuals who will need special transportation assistance at various locations.

Coordinating Paratransit Services
Some passengers will require pick up at their individual locations in order to evacuate. Prior to an emergency it will be important to create a voluntary registry or agreement for information sharing regarding passengers requiring special transportation assistance. Transit agencies can also plan the scheduling, dispatching, and rider notification processes (that will be necessary during an evacuation) in advance.

Recommended Practices: Communications

Backup Communication Systems and Protocols
Transit agencies must be prepared for disruptions in their communication systems during and immediately following storm events. Wind damage to radio towers and cell phone towers may temporarily disrupt reliable reception for primary communication systems. Telephone systems, especially today’s more sophisticated telecommunication modules, may become non-functional. A lack of electricity may limit access to telephone communications, especially if they are routed through internal systems. Each agency should plan for redundancy and expect disruption. Transit providers are encouraged to create hard copies of communications protocols and contact information and back up electronic versions of passenger records and manifests used for scheduling and dispatching during paratransit operations.

Emergency Preparedness Education
It is critical to provide passengers with both general preparedness advice and specific directions for how to access transportation services during an emergency. This education is important for special needs passengers requiring specialized transportation evacuation services. Information should be made available in alternative formats (e.g., Braille, audio, electronic, large print) for individuals with visual impairments and in several languages for populations with limited English proficiency.

In addition to providing employee training on emergency preparedness, each transit agency should also provide and disseminate preparedness information to passengers. Transit agency employees are encouraged to establish plans with their own families, such that in the event of an emergency, employees will then be free to perform their emergency response duties.

Recommended Practices: Staffing and Training

Clarify Staff Expectations and Duties
Each transit agency should clarify the expectations and duties of their employees during emergency events. If mandatory, these expectations should be part of the employee job description. If voluntary, prior commitments should be obtained to insure proper staffing for emergency response.

Staff Training
The best-prepared emergency management plans are of limited value if the transit agency staff is unaware of what is expected of them. Transit agencies should conduct ongoing staff training (both for new and current employees) that provides a thorough background on the agency’s emergency management plan, details of the duties and responsibilities of each employee, and provides the employees with the necessary training to successfully implement the plan.

Mock Training Drills
As suggested by FTA’s Top 20 Action Items, transit agencies should conduct training drills and mock exercises at the agency level, as well as participate in local and state EOC exercises.

Such activities provide a means to assess whether or not transit agency employees understand the agency’s emergency management plan and the critical interrelationships with community partners and passengers, including people with disabilities, older adults, persons with lower incomes, and individuals with limited English proficiency.

Use of Volunteers on Evacuation Buses
Effective and efficient bus evacuation can be greatly enhanced by including staff in addition to the bus operator in the loading and unloading of vehicles and communication with shelters and other agencies. Several transit agencies have utilized non-driving personnel and/or volunteers for this function. As an example, some transit agencies have successfully developed a relationship with the local school board to have teachers volunteer to assist with the bus evacuation process.

Compensation Policies
Public transportation personnel at all levels of an agency make personal sacrifices and go above and beyond the line of duty during emergency events. Transit agencies should make sure that their compensation policies do not penalize those employees who respond during emergency events. Such policies may have a short-term economic savings for the agency through not having to pay overtime, but in the long run will negatively impact the employees’ willingness to respond in future emergencies.

Employee Support and Assistance Programs
During and after emergency events, transit agencies must remember to support their most valuable assets– their employees. This support can come in many forms, including offering Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs).

In addition, some operators allow their employees and their families to use the maintenance/operations facility as an emergency shelter. Some operators offer day care assistance and respite during extended power outages.

Recommended Practices: Facilities, Equipment, and Supplies

Bus/Rail Parking and Deployment Strategies
The Emergency Management Plan should also identify specific strategies and procedures that transit agencies use to park and/or deploy their bus and/or rail fleet during a storm event or other emergency. Some general guidance and practices employed include:

• Moving buses out of flood prone areas

• Using perimeter fencing to minimize the impacts of flying debris

• Parking buses “nose-to-nose” to minimize debris striking the windshields

• Parking buses inside structurally safe facilities where available

• Avoiding parking buses inside marginally safe facilities

• Parking buses in front of the bus facility garage doors to protect the doors

• Tying down engine compartment doors and front doors to keep them closed during high winds and to avoid damage by wind driven rain

• Splitting a fleet between two or more locations to maximize the survival of vehicles

• Avoiding parking near light poles, trees and similar potential hazards

Fueling Fleet and Staff Vehicles Prior to an Emergency Event
Although self-explanatory, it is important to remember to fuel the bus fleet and support vehicles prior to any anticipated storm event or other disaster, as well as secure additional fuel for main fuel tanks. It is recommended that fueling be added to the action lists within each agency’s emergency plan.

Facility Protection
Transit agency facilities should be considered as essential facilities that must remain functional and accessible after any storm or emergency event. When designed, transit facilities should be hardened to maximize their storm survival as well as to provide a shelter for agency personnel. Existing facilities should be assessed to determine weak links and proactive retrofits and supplementary actions should be programmed and undertaken on a priority basis. Storm shutters should be installed where appropriate.

In addition to protecting transit agency facilities for an emergency event, transit agencies may elect to prepare a Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) that designates alternate facilities to be used in an emergency event for the continuation of critical agency functions.

Batteries
Anticipating loss of electrical power, transit agencies should purchase extra batteries for both their portable radios and cell phones. Additionally, vehicular charger units should be purchased and/or installed to permit recharging of both radios and cell phones.

Electrical Generators
To allow transit agencies to resume their critical post-storm/emergency functions, access to backup electrical service is essential. Back up generators should be acquired and installed. Ideally, the units should power all transit facility functions, but at a minimum, should be able to power the fuel system, radio communications, a minimum of lights, electrical outlets, shop equipment, permitting the transit agency to maintain service until normal power is returned.

Putting the Emergency Management Plan into practice is the first function in disaster response. Good planning together with drills and rehearsals will help ensure response is both timely and effective.

4.3.1. Transit System Functions and Responsibilities

The establishment of a chain of command which assigns functions and responsibilities to appropriate personnel is crucial to the emergency response capabilities of a transit system, regardless of the size of the system. The internal organizational structure of a transit system together with rule books, standard operating procedures (SOPs), guidelines, driver's handbook, and emergency plan supporting documentation should provide sufficient basis for internal transit system coordination. The following basic elements should enable transit systems to coordinate internal and external responses:

• Definition of functions and responsibilities during emergencies for transit system personnel at supervisory centers, including operations, maintenance, and security, as appropriate. These should include the functions of transit dispatchers and terminal/garage supervision.
   

• List of telephone numbers of responsible transit system (including subcontractors), service agency, and emergency response personnel, as appropriate, to be notified (covering 24 hours) during an emergency event.
   

• Specification of criteria for deciding that an emergency exists which requires outside assistance from emergency response organizations, subsequently meaning the "Inter-Organizational Agreement" is applicable.
   

• Procedures for determining the specific type, location, and severity of the emergency and thus which procedure is applicable.
   

• Procedures for notifying appropriate participating emergency response organizations when an emergency exists.
   

• Procedures and decision-making criteria for establishing alternatives for local emergency command posts.
   

• Procedures and decision-making criteria for the orderly transfer of command responsibility between transit and participating response organization personnel.
   

• Procedures for coordinating identification, scheduling, and dispatching of paratransit services during an emergency evacuation.

4.3.2. Emergency Command Structure

Knowledge of the framework under which the federal, state and local emergency responses are organized is essential for public transportation agencies. It is critical that these agencies understand their roles and responsibilities in the overall community response, as well as how best to seek additional resources and assistance in fulfilling their emergency response missions.

4.3.3. Disaster Response Experiences

Florida and other states have gained considerable experience in response to natural disasters and emergencies. These are valued “lessons learned” in emergency planning and response.

A. Communication Needs

1. Current, accurate contact lists should consistently be maintained. For key personnel and all agencies, obtain:

   1. Names

   2. Titles

   3. Telephone numbers

   4. E-mail addresses

2. Define key personnel: minimum of three (3) contacts per agency.

3. Accessibility of contact information: create hard copies (in event computer systems are non-operable)

4. Need to expand contacts between neighboring transit agencies and within the state. Also, coordination with shelters by learning their basic transportation support needs in advance.

B. Specialized Needs

Transit’s unique role in facilitating the evacuation of people with special needs before and after an event needs to be coordinated and planned for in advance. Individuals who may require transportation assistance include:

1. individuals who can independently get to a pick up (evacuation) point;
2. individuals who live independently and require transportation from their location;
3. individuals who live in a group setting (e.g., group home, assisted living center, etc) that require transportation directly from their location;
4. individuals in acute care/in-patient facilities;
5. individuals with disabilities; and
6. individuals with limited English proficiency.

Increased coordination (at both state and local EOC’s) between ESF-1 (Transportation) ESF-8 (Health and Medical Services), and ESF-6 (Mass Care) is necessary to insure adequate, timely and efficient transportation to and from individuals’ homes, group homes, shelters, assisted living facilities, and hospitals. Be aware of the following:

1. Need to coordinate the identification of individuals with specialized needs, their locations, and their requirements for transportation assistance (e.g, type of vehicle, language translation services, etc. according to the above list) prior to an emergency event.
    

2. Need to coordinate the roles, responsibilities, and dispatching functions for paratransit services in order to evacuate individuals requiring transportation from their location. This includes the interface with human service transportation providers (e.g., Medicaid, aging, etc).
    

3. Need to coordinate resumption of critical health care functions such as dialysis treatments, outpatient treatment, etc. This may also include treating patients with limited English proficiency, so translators should be included in treatment plans.
    

4. Post event coordination and management of special needs patients in shelter settings.
    

5. People with Special Needs (PSN) transportation:
   i. Define roles of public transit agencies
   ii. Coordinated PSN lists with CTC and ADA passengers
   iii. Pre-planning of PSN routes

C. Accounting and Record Keeping Needs

Although transit agencies willingly provided much needed service, the lack of understanding of required fiscal accounting and record keeping jeopardized their future reimbursement for related expenses. Be aware of the following:

1. Mutual Aid Agreements

2. Need to register service request or resource request with SEOC and local EOC “Tracker” system to get project number assigned

3. Timely reimbursement to private, for profit and non-profit agencies who provide emergency services

D. Required Resources

As disaster events unfold, the need to plan for and provide outside assistance and critical resources to local transit agencies will evolve. Pre-planning for the provision of required resources should take place. Be prepared for the following anticipated needs:

1. Communication Resources:
      i. Extra portable radios
      ii. Replacement towers
      iii. Satellite telephones
      iv. Stand-alone portable communication system at a common frequency
      v. Back up database and manifest of paratransit related information

2. Fuel Needs:
      i. Portable fueling systems
      ii. Replacement fuel availability
      iii. Access to state DOT fuel sites as needed in emergency situations if all other avenues have been exhausted

3. Electric generators

4. Parts and supplies
      i. Maintenance related
      ii. Facility related
      iii. General

5. Mobile Repair Trucks

6. Staffing Back-Up: temporary reassignment of staff to impacted agencies/systems (such as mechanics, operation supervisors, dispatchers, bus aides, etc.)

7. Portable Command Center/Bus

8. Dispatch upgrades to allow conversion of “visiting buses” two-way radios to common local radio frequency

9. Availability of extra buses for service and for relief support, including accessible vehicles.

10. Battery replacement and recharge capabilities

E. Public Relations

Public relations for transit agencies are often an after-thought during an emergency event. Good media contacts are necessary to communicate system status to riders, as well as to tell transit’s story of impacts before, during and after an event.

Media can help disseminate information on transportation resources during an emergency in alternative formats (e.g., Braille, electronic, and large print) for individuals with visual impairments and alternative languages for individuals with limited English proficiency. Television messages should be made available in closed caption.

Putting things back together in longer term recovery after an emergency or disaster can be a difficult process for transit agencies and transportation providers that have depleted their energy and resources in disaster response. However, it is essential that diligence be maintained. This section provides a brief overview of some of the primary items to be addressed in the disaster recovery stage.

This section will be supplemented over time as the transit industry gains recovery experiences ranging from large scale reinvestment in Lower Manhattan following 9-11 to a broader regional and local recovery planning in Louisiana and Mississippi following Hurricanes Katrina an Rita, and to smaller scale, focused recovery efforts following mudslides, fires, and other emergencies.

The following are items that should be addressed in disaster recovery.

1. Damage Assessment

Facilities, equipment and rolling stock should be inventoried and inspected. The state DOT and FTA should be notified if additional assets are needed and provided information as to the condition of assets. Insurance providers should be notified. Contact FEMA to learn about its grant assistance program to financially aid public agencies in disaster response and recovery.

2. Debriefing

As the emergency events draw to a close and transit service returns to normal, it is essential to take some time to debrief the emergency response experience. Transit agencies are encouraged to have their staffs maintain logs of their actions during the emergency events. At the conclusion of the event, an overall summary of actions should be compiled, key statistics of services rendered detailed, the chronological timeline of events committed to writing, and finally, an assessment of what went right, what went wrong and what lessons were learned, should be documented and discussed.

3. Long Range Transportation Plan Update

Information gathered from the debriefing should then quickly be used to update the transit agency’s emergency management plan. Educational and training needs should be identified. Transit operators should join with the Metropolitan Planning Organization to update the long range transportation plan to reflect changes in population and employment caused by the natural disaster. A comprehensive route analysis may be required in the near term to reflect demographic changes.

Transit agencies and other transportation providers need to ensure they will be active participants with state, MPO, and local disaster recovery planning initiatives.

As noted earlier, the role of MPOs in regional planning and decision-making will vary from one region to another. In some cases, MPOs have a long history of strongly influencing operations strategies for the regional transportation system. In others, the MPOs have very little authority or responsibility beyond that of developing the transportation plan and transportation improvement program. Recently, the Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration and many other groups have been looking closely at institutional strategies for providing metropolitan-level coordination of transportation system operations.

In particular, the role of the MPO in such coordination has been the topic of much discussion for several transportation planning advocacy organizations such as AMPO– Associations for Metropolitan Planning Organizations and NARC – National Association of Regional Councils. The roles that MPOs could play in security/disaster planning have been categorized as follows:

Traditional:  The MPO incorporates system management and operations (M&O) in its ongoing transportation planning activities.  The focus would be on specific M&O projects that arise as part of the transportation planning process; but the primary responsibility for operations-type projects would rest elsewhere, most likely with the region’s operations agencies.   

Convener:  The MPO would act as a forum where operations plans could be discussed and coordinated with other plans in the region.  Regular meetings on operations issues would be held, but the MPO would still not be responsible for developing a regional operations plan. 

Champion:  The MPO works aggressively to develop a regional consensus on operations planning.  MPO planners work with operating agencies to create programs and projects that improve system performance.  The MPO takes the lead in developing regional agreements on coordinated operations.

Developer:  The MPO would develop regional operations plans in addition to incorporating operations strategies into the transportation plan.  System-oriented performance measures would be used to identify strategic operations gaps in the transportation system. 

Operator:  The MPO would be responsible for implementing operations strategies that were developed as part of the MPO-led planning process.

MPO Roles Relating to Phases of Security/Disaster Incidents

Figure 1 presents a concept of what roles an MPO might be able to adopt for different phases of a security/disaster incident.  As shown, the major roles for an MPO would primarily be as a convener or champion for many of the actions that relate to the prevention, response/mitigation, monitoring and recovery phases.  In each case, the MPO would most likely focus on some aspect of the transportation system that is part of the larger regional response to security/disaster incidents. 

• Given the MPO’s strengths in technical analysis and transportation planning, the actions that seem most appropriate for the MPO in the context of security/disaster planning are: Conducting vulnerability analyses on regional transportation facilities

• Analyzing transportation network for redundancies in moving large numbers of people (e.g., modeling person and vehicle flows with major links removed or reversed, accommodating street closures, adaptive signal control strategies, impact of traveler information systems), and strategies for dealing with "choke" points such as tollbooths

• Analyzing transportation network for emergency route planning/strategic gaps in the network and services

Transit providers and metropolitan planning organizations serve demographically diverse populations with some common interests. In emergency situations, all people, regardless of their race or ethnicity, income, age, or ability want to remain safe, have adequate shelter, food, water, and medical assistance and have access to reliable information and instructions before, during, and after an emergency. However, some segments of the recipients’ population, notably predominantly minority and low-income communities, persons with limited English proficiency, older adults, and persons with disabilities, may face obstacles that prevent or impair their safe evacuation, shelter, and return to their neighborhoods after the emergency has ended.

This section of the Resource discusses the special needs of predominantly minority communities, persons with limited English proficiency, persons with disabilities, and older adults and provides tips for ensuring that transit agencies and MPOs adequately address these needs.

Overview of Segments of Society with Special Needs

Predominantly minority and low-income communities

All metropolitan regions include members of minority groups and persons with a range of income levels and these persons live throughout the metropolitan region. Many regions also have neighborhoods with high concentrations of residents who are both members of minority groups and who are living below the poverty line. In many cases, residents of these communities are disproportionately vulnerable to the effects of natural or man-made disasters. Vulnerabilities may include:

• Limited access to passenger vehicles.

• Limited financial resources.

• Limited English proficiency and low literacy.

• Higher incidents of medical conditions, such as diabetes and asthma.

• Greater proportions of people with disabilities.

People living in these isolated communities with limited access to information and financial resources may have greater difficulty than the public at large in contributing to the development of emergency preparedness plans. These same factors, as well as mistrust of government institutions in many predominantly minority and low-income communities, means that people in these communities may have greater difficulty accessing emergency preparedness instructions and may discount what information is received. Due to limited access to automobiles and financial resources, minority and low-income persons have fewer options by which to evacuate prior to or immediately following a disaster. The adverse effects of such disasters may be compounded in populations with higher incidents of medical conditions and disability.

Along with these vulnerabilities, members of many minority and low-income communities have access to resources that can assist them in participating in emergency preparedness planning and in responding to a disaster. These resources include faith-or cultural-based, social-service and other non-profit organizations that are active in local communities and can link residents with emergency preparedness information and services. Many predominantly minority and low-income communities in large metropolitan areas are also well served by the region’s transit network, which could be used as a means of evacuation under certain circumstances and if transit agencies have incorporated evacuation procedures for vulnerable populations into their emergency preparedness plans.

Limited English Proficient Populations

The United States has a highly diverse population representing cultures from all over the world. English is not the primary language of many people living in the United States and significant numbers have little or no English skills. According to the 2000 Census, more than 10 million people reported that they do not speak English at all or do not speak English well. The number of LEP persons grew by 65% from 1990 to 2000.

Among limited English speakers, Spanish is the language most frequently spoken, followed by Chinese (Cantonese or Mandarin), Vietnamese, and Korean. Some persons with limited English proficiency also have low-literacy in their native language.

For many LEP persons, public transit is a key means of achieving mobility. According to the 2000 Census, more than 11 percent of LEP persons aged 16 years and over reporting using public transit as their primary means of transportation to work, compared with about 4 percent of English speakers. LEP persons, more than the general public, may need to use public transportation to evacuate in case of an emergency.

Persons with Disabilities and Older Adults

According to the 2000 Census, there are 52 million persons with disabilities living in the United States. A person with a disability includes any individual with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual.

People with disabilities include people with mobility, sensory, cognitive, intellectual, or psychological impairments. In addition, many older adults acquire some type of disability as they age.

In metropolitan regions and in rural areas, people with disabilities and older adults live together in institutions such as assisted living facilities, and also live independently and in neighborhoods throughout the transit provider or MPO’s service area. Certain areas may have a higher proportion of older adults than others.

People with disabilities and older adults are more likely than the population at large to rely on public transportation for mobility. In addition, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, three million people with disabilities reported that they never leave their homes and many of these individuals sited problems with transportation as a contributing factor.

In those metropolitan regions that provide fixed-route transit, a portion of the region’s disabled population uses the transit agency’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Complementary Paratransit system. In order to be eligible for ADA Complementary Paratransit, a person must have a disability that prevents him or her from using the transit agency’s fixed route system or must face accessibility barriers that prevent the person from using fixed route service. In the event of an emergency, some ADA Complementary Paratransit-users may be able to rely on a friend, neighbor, or relative to evacuate. For other persons, the ADA Complementary Paratransit system may be their only option.

Tips for Including Special Needs Populations in the Emergency Preparedness Planning Process

1. Seek out and consider the viewpoints of minority and low-income persons, persons with limited English proficiency, persons with disabilities, and older adults in the course of preparing emergency plans. Transit agencies and MPOs who are in the process of developing their emergency preparedness plans should identify and address any linguistic, institutional, cultural, economic, historical, or other barriers that may prevent special needs populations from participating in the agency’s emergency planning process. Agencies should consider employing the following tactics to encourage participation in this planning process by all segments of society:

• Coordinating with individuals, institutions, or organizations that serve special needs populations to reach out to members in the affected communities.

• Providing opportunities for public participation through means other than written communication, such as personal interviews or use of audio or video recording devices to capture oral comments.

• Using locations, facilities, and meeting times that are local, convenient and accessible to special needs populations.

• Translating notices that advertise the ability to become involved in the emergency planning process and providing interpreters at public meetings.

• Using different meeting sizes or formats, or variations in the type and number of news media used to announce public participation opportunities, so that communications are tailored to the particular community or population.

• Providing documents that are accessible to people with disabilities, including individuals who are blind, have low-vision, or are hearing impaired.

Transit agencies and metropolitan planning organizations should choose specific public involvement strategies based on the demographics of their population, the nature of the public involvement activities, and the resources available to the agency.

2. Identify any areas with high concentrations of minority and low-income persons, persons with limited English proficiency, persons with disabilities, and older adults and share this information with partner organizations. Transit agencies and MPOs who identify these areas in advance of a natural or man-made disaster can develop plans to provide additional resources to these areas in the event of an emergency. Additional vehicles or runs may need to be assigned to evacuate people from areas with high concentrations of special needs populations because these populations generally have less access to personal vehicles.

Agencies can consult Census data to determine demographic information on neighborhoods within their region but should be advised that Census information is dated and may undercount the number of limited English proficient persons. Agencies may also elect to consult with school systems and community organizations, local governments, religious organizations, and legal aid entities to collect additional information on community demographics.

Agencies should also consider working with community partners to prepare a voluntary registry of individuals who may require additional assistance in an emergency, including assistance evacuating an area. This registry should include a list of those persons who would be able to travel to an evacuation pickup location and those persons who would need to be picked up from their residence (including those persons who would need assistance traveling from their residence to the vehicle).

3. Work with intermediary organizations to provide information to special needs populations. Transit agencies and metropolitan planning organizations should partner with local faith-or cultural-based, social-service and other non-profit organizations that work with special needs populations and have credibility with the people they serve.  After the transit agency and MPO have developed emergency transportation plans, the agencies can forward this information to the intermediary organizations who, in turn, can educate their constituents on what transportation will be available in the event of an emergency.

Transit agencies and MPOs may want to establish procedures by which, in the event of a disaster such as a hurricane, provide some advance time to respond. The agency could quickly disseminate specific instructions to the intermediary organizations who can then quickly disseminate the information to their constituents.

4. Provide emergency instructions in alternate languages and accessible formats and disseminate using media that is targeted to special needs populations. Transit agencies and MPOs should consider translating information on how to prepare for a disaster into languages other than English and should prepare large-print, Braille, or, audio-tape versions of this information. Electronic information should be in formats that can be read with a computer assistive device. Written information should be written for persons with low-literacy levels and should avoid jargon.

Agencies disseminating emergency preparedness information through the news media should also disseminate information through foreign-language newspapers and radio programs and other media that is targeted to minority, low-income, and limited English proficient populations.

5. Prepare internal staffing fleet management, and evacuation plans in order to assist special needs populations in an emergency. Transit agencies and MPOs should consider identifying members of their staff who are bi-lingual and who could provide assistance to limited English proficient persons in an emergency. Depending on their qualifications and agency needs, these individuals could be given assignments that would allow them to interact with limited English proficient populations in the event of an emergency.

It is important that agreements are made prior to any emergency to ensure that there are the appropriate types (e.g., lift equipped) and numbers of vehicles available. Consideration should also be given to modifying larger buses to accommodate more than two passengers who utilize mobility devices.  All of this information should be based on the predetermined needs of the population and geographic locations in order to project vehicle requirements.

Transit agencies should also assess the capacity of their ADA complementary paratransit system to provide emergency evacuation to paratransit users. ADA paratransit providers should assess the time and resources required to call through their membership rolls, identify those individuals who would need to be evacuated by paratransit, prepare evacuation schedules, and pickup their clientele.

Transit agencies should establish a maximum wind level threshold at which operations are ceased and the buses and support vehicles return to the garage or seek other shelter. They also should develop this threshold for the agency’s paratransit vehicles. Vehicle parking and deployment plans should be developed for the agency’s paratransit fleet.

Agencies choosing the location of pickup points should choose locations that are accessible to persons with disabilities and older adults.

6. Coordinate with local human service transportation providers and assisted living facilities. There are many rules and requirements associated with emergency evacuation and transportation. It will be important to sort out the various roles and responsibilities with partner agencies prior to emergency events. Transit agencies and MPOs should share information with partner agencies and organizations on coordinating vehicles, drivers, dispatch, technology, and information regarding passenger, pick up, and requirements.

Non-profit organizations that provide transportation service to people with disabilities and other special needs populations may have developed their own emergency transportation plans. In addition, institutions such as assisted living facilities may have plans to evacuate their residents in the event of a disaster. These organizations should be part of the emergency transportation planning process developed by the transit agency and MPO. A regional transportation plan inclusive of these organizations will help ensure that agencies do not provide overlapping service or service that misses certain facilities or populations.

Assisting Special Needs Populations in Disaster Response

1. Use partnerships developed prior to the disaster to disseminate specific instructions to targeted groups. Those intermediary organizations that partnered with transit agencies and MPOs prior to a disaster, to provide general emergency preparedness information, may be able to relay specific information developed by the transit agency and/or MPO on how to evacuate using the transit system.

2. Disseminate evacuation information using media targeted to special needs populations. Transit agencies and MPOs can disseminate specific evacuation instructions through radio stations that are targeted to special needs populations.

3. Evacuate People with Disabilities. People with disabilities and older adults who can travel to an evacuation pickup location can be transported along with non-disabled persons using the transit agency’s fixed route service. In situations where people will need to wait for vehicles to transport them to shelters, transit agencies should give priority to older adults and persons with disabilities who have medical conditions that make it difficult to endure long waits. Persons with disabilities who use service animals should be allowed to travel with their service animal.

People with disabilities and older adults who are not able to travel to a pickup location should be evacuated using curb-to-curb or door-to-door paratransit service. This process can be expedited to the extent that individuals have pre-registered with the transit agency indicating that they would need a ride during an evacuation (and indicating whether they would need assistance traveling from their residence to the curb). Even if a voluntary registry has been established, paratransit providers should call through their membership rolls to verify that individuals would need to be picked up and transported to a shelter. Paratransit providers should attempt to accommodate riders’ requested pickup times, but should schedule pickups at times and in a sequence that allows the system to safely evacuate all persons in advance of the onset of the disaster. Paratransit riders should be allowed to travel with a personal care attendant and/or service animal.

4. Use accessible vehicles to evacuate people after disaster strikes. If it is possible for transit vehicles to access and evacuate people from an area that has been impacted by hurricane, earthquake, or other disaster, agencies should consider deploying their low-floor or other accessible vehicles to transport persons who have suffered temporary but non-life-threatening disabilities, such as sprains or fatigue.

Assisting Special Needs Populations in Disaster Recovery

Transit agencies and MPOs should plan to address the needs of minority and low-income persons, persons with limited English proficiency, and persons with disabilities in the course of providing transportation from shelters to neighborhoods once it is safe to return. Prior to a disaster, transit agencies and MPOs should use intermediary organizations and accessible dissemination methods to inform special needs populations of plans to provide return service. Specific information should be communicated in accessible formats and through media targeted to special needs populations.

In response to the 2005 Hurricane season, many transit and transportation industry organizations have increased their support, programs and outreach related to emergency preparedness and disaster response. This section of the Disaster Response and Recovery Resource provides an overview and links to some of these activities. This section will be updated as more information becomes available.

APTA Emergency Preparedness Task Force

During the 2005 Hurricane season, many transit agencies provided much-needed assistance to the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast. However, many transit agencies that sought to provide additional relief were underutilized. The APTA Emergency Preparedness Task Force was formed to plan a better coordinated role for the transit industry. Its purpose is to design a program for voluntary industry response to a Katrina-like circumstance, with the objectives of providing evacuation support and business continuity/service restoration. APTA is partnering with FTA and other Federal agencies on this effort to develop a broader, long range plan for support not only for catastrophic hurricane evacuation, but on all types of possible emergencies.

In the short term (by 2006 hurricane season) the Task Force will develop an action plan for upcoming hurricane season focused on Gulf and Atlantic Coast cities. The fundamental short-term strategies include identifying cities in the hurricane zones, identifying cities in a position to provide help, and outreach to other groups of cities for their inclusion in a mutual aid proposal. The Task Force will estimate an initial pool of support resources, inventory resources available from participating organizations, develop database of available resources, and develop and organize a national response plan designed to address emergencies and catastrophic events throughout the U.S.

For more information, see: http://www.apta.com/services/emergency/index.cfm .

CTAA Disaster and Emergency Assistance

CTAA staff members, as well as members of its peer network, may be available to provide hands-on help in reestablishing disrupted transit service and providing consultants on a short- term basis to both transit agencies and state departments of transportation. United We Ride Ambassadors are also available for technical assistance. Additionally, short-term financing for transit in hurricane or other disaster impacted areas may be available through the Community Transportation Lending Services Corporation or through the Community Reinvestment Fund, Inc.

For more information, see: http://www.ctaa.org

* POC = Point of Contact                  ** REC = Regional Emergency Coordinator

Appendix B: FEMA and State Emergency Office Contact Information

Alabama Emergency Management Agency 5898 County Road 41 P.O. Drawer 2160 Clanton, Alabama 35046-2160 (205) 280-2200 (205) 280-2495 FAX http://www.ema.alabama.gov/

Alaska Division of Emergency Services P.O. Box 5750 Fort Richardson, Alaska 99505-5750 (907) 428-7000 (907) 428-7009 FAX http://www.ak-prepared.com

American Samoa Territorial Emergency Management Coordination (TEMCO) American Samoa Government P.O. Box 1086 Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799 (011)(684) 699-6415 (011)(684) 699-6414 FAX

Arizona Division of Emergency Management 5636 E. McDowell Rd Phoenix, Arizona 85008 (602) 244-0504 or 1-800-411-2336 www.a2dema.gov

Arkansas Department of Emergency Management P.O. Box 758 Conway, Arkansas 72033 (501) 730-9750 (501) 730-9754 FAX http://www.adem.state.ar.us/

California Governor's Office of Emergency Services P.O. Box 419047 Rancho Cordova, CA 95741-9047 (916) 845-8510 (916) 845-8511 FAX http://www.oes.ca.gov/

FEMA Region 9, San Francisco, CA
Regional Director
Karen Armes, Acting
(510) 627-7100 (office)
(510) 712-0180 (cell)

Colorado Office of Emergency Management Division of Local Government Department of Local Affairs 9195 East Mineral Avenue Suite 200 Centennial , Colorado 80112 (720) 852-6600 (720) 852-6750 Fax www.dola.state.co.us/oem/oemindex.htm

FEMA Region 8, Denver, CO
Regional Director
Robert L. Flowers
(303) 235-4812 (office)
(303) 941-4445 (cell)

Connecticut Office of Emergency Management Military Department 360 Broad Street Hartford, Connecticut 06105 (860) 566-3180 (860) 247-0664 FAX http://www.mil.state.ct.us/OEM.htm

Delaware Emergency Management Agency 165 Brick Store Landing Road Smyrna, Delaware 19977 (302) 659-3362 (302) 659-6855 FAX http://www.state.de.us/dema/index.htm

District of Columbia Emergency Management Agency 2000 14th Street, NW, 8th Floor Washington, D.C. 20009 (202) 727-6161 (202) 673-2290 FAX http://www.dcema.dc.gov

Florida Division of Emergency Management 2555 Shumard Oak Blvd. Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2100 (850) 413-9969 (850) 488-1016 FAX www.floridadisaster.org

Georgia Emergency Management Agency P.O. Box 18055 Atlanta, Georgia 30316-0055 (404) 635-7000 (404) 635-7205 FAX http://www.State.Ga.US/GEMA/

FEMA Region 4, Atlanta, GA
Regional Director
Mary Lynne Miller, Acting
(770) 220-521-6404 (office)
(404) 9009-1700 (cell)
Operations Chief
Ginger Edwards
(205) 280-2366 (office)
(229) 221-5966 (cell)
Planning Section Chief
T.K. Loy (205) 280-224-5615 (office)
(615) 337-1403 (cell)
Logistics Section Chief
Roger Compton
(202) 262-8668 (office)
Finance Administration Section Chief
Steve Gwilliam
(540) 660-5255 (office)

Office of Civil Defense Government of Guam P.O. Box 2877 Hagatna, Guam 96932 (011)(671) 475-9600 (011)(671) 477-3727 FAX http://ns.gov.gu/

Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense 221B Chalan Palasyo Agana Heights, Guam 96910 Tel:(671)475-9600 Fax:(671)477-3727 http://www.guamhs.org

Hawaii State Civil Defense 3949 Diamond Head Road Honolulu, Hawaii 96816-4495 (808) 733-4300 (808) 733-4287 FAX http://www.scd.state.hi.us

Idaho Bureau of Disaster Services 4040 Guard Street, Bldg. 600 Boise, Idaho 83705-5004 (208) 334-3460 (208) 334-2322 FAX http://www2.state.id.us/bds/

Illinois Emergency Management Agency 110 East Adams Street Springfield, Illinois 62701 (217) 782-2700 (217) 524-7967 FAX http://www.state.il.us/iema

FEMA Region 5, Chicago, IL
Regional Director
Edward Buikema
(312) 408-5501 (office)

Indiana State Emergency Management Agency 302 West Washington Street Room E-208 A Indianapolis, Indiana 46204-2767 (317) 232-3986 (317) 232-3895 FAX http://www.ai.org/sema/index.html

Iowa Homeland Security & Emergency Management Division Department of Public Defense Hoover Office Building Des Moines, Iowa 50319 (515) 281-3231 (515) 281-7539 FAX www.Iowahomelandsecurity.org.

Kansas Division of Emergency Management 2800 S.W. Topeka Boulevard Topeka, Kansas 66611-1287 (785) 274-1401 (785) 274-1426 FAX http://www.ink.org/public/kdem/

Kentucky Emergency Management EOC Building 100 Minuteman Parkway Bldg. 100 Frankfort, Kentucky 40601-6168 (502) 607-1682 (502) 607-1614 FAX http://kyem.dma.ky.gov

Louisiana Office of Emergency Preparedness 7667 Independence Blvd. Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70806 (225) 925-7500 (225) 925-7501 FAX http://www.ohsep.louisiana.gov

Maine Emergency Management Agency 45 Commerce Drive, Suite #2 #72 State House Station Augusta, Maine 04333-0072 207-624-4400 207-287-3180 (FAX) http://www.state.me.us/mema/memahome.htm

CNMI Emergency Management Office Office of the Governor Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands P.O. Box 10007 Saipan, Mariana Islands 96950 (670) 322-9529 (670) 322-7743 FAX http://www.cnmiemo.org/

National Disaster Management Office ,Office of the Chief Secretary, P.O. Box 15 Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands 96960-0015 (011)(692) 625-5181 (011)(692) 625-6896 FAX

Maryland Emergency Management Agency Camp Fretterd Military Reservation 5401 Rue Saint Lo Drive Reistertown, Maryland 21136 (410) 517-3600 (877) 636-2872 Toll-Free (410) 517-3610 FAX http://www.mema.state.md.us/

Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency 400 Worcester Road Framingham, Massachusetts 01702-5399 (508) 820-2000 (508) 820-2030 FAX http://www.state.ma.us/mema

FEMA Region 1, Boston, MA
Regional Director
Arthur W. Cleaves
(617) 956-7506 (office)
(617) 834-0265 (cell)

Michigan Division of Emergency Management 4000 Collins Road P.O. Box 30636 Lansing, Michigan 48909-8136 (517) 333-5042 (517) 333-4987 FAX http://www.michigan.gov/msp/1,1607,7-123-1593_3507---,00.html

National Disaster Control Officer Federated States of Micronesia P.O. Box PS-53 Kolonia, Pohnpei - Micronesia 96941 (011)(691) 320-8815 (001)(691) 320-2785 FAX

Minnesota Division of Emergency Management Department of Public Safety Suite 223 444 Cedar Street St. Paul, Minnesota 55101-6223 (651) 296-2233 (651) 296-0459 FAX http://www.dps.state.mn.us/emermgt/

Mississippi Emergency Management Agency P.O. Box 4501 - Fondren Station Jackson, Mississippi 39296-4501 (601) 352-9100 (800) 442-6362 Toll Free (601) 352-8314 FAX http://www.mema.state.ms.us    http://www.msema.org/mitigate/mssaferoominit.htm

Missouri Emergency Management Agency P.O. Box 116 2302 Militia Drive Jefferson City, Missouri 65102 (573) 526-9100 (573) 634-7966 FAX http://www.sema.state.mo.us/semapage.htm

FEMA Region 7, Kansas City, MO
Regional Director
Richard Hainje
(816) 283-7054 (office)

Montana Division of Disaster & Emergency Services 1100 North Main P.O. Box 4789 Helena, Montana 59604-4789 (406) 841-3911 (406) 444-3965 FAX http://www.state.mt.us/dma/des/index.shtml

Nebraska Emergency Management Agency 1300 Military Road Lincoln, Nebraska 68508-1090 (402) 471-7410 (402) 471-7433 FAX http://www.nebema.org

Nevada Division of Emergency Management 2525 South Carson Street Carson City, Nevada 89711 (775) 687-4240 (775) 687-6788 FAX http://dem.state.nv.us/

New Hampshire Governor's Office of Emergency Management State Office Park South 107 Pleasant Street Concord, New Hampshire 03301 (603) 271-2231 (603) 225-7341 FAX http://www.nhoem.state.nh.us/

New Jersey Office of Emergency Management Emergency Management Bureau P.O. Box 7068 West Trenton, New Jersey 08628-0068 (609) 538-6050 Monday-Friday (609) 882-2000 ext 6311 (24/7) (609) 538-0345 FAX http://www.state.nj.us/oem/county/

New Mexico Department of Public Safety Office of Emergency Management P.O. Box 1628 13 Bataan Boulevard Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505 (505) 476-9600 (505) 476-9635 Emergency (505) 476-9695 FAX http://www.dps.nm.org/emergency/index.htm

New Mexico Emergency Management Bureau Department of Public Safety P.O. Box 1628 13 Bataan Boulevard Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505 (505) 476-9606 (505) 476-9650 http://www.dps.nm.org/emc.htm

New York State Emergency Management Office 1220 Washington Avenue Building 22, Suite 101 Albany, New York 12226-2251 (518) 457-2222 (518) 457-9995 FAX http://www.nysemo.state.ny.us/

FEMA Region 2, New York, NY
Regional Director
Steve Kempf
(212) 680-3609 (office)
(917) 273-5184 (cell)

North Carolina Division of Emergency Management 116 West Jones Street Raleigh, North Carolina 27603 (919) 733-3867 (919) 733-5406 FAX http://www.dem.dcc.state.nc.us/

North Dakota Division of Emergency Management P.O. Box 5511 Bismarck, North Dakota 58506-5511 (701) 328-8100 (701) 328-8181 FAX http://www.state.nd.us/dem

Ohio Emergency Management Agency 2855 W. Dublin Granville Road Columbus, Ohio 43235-2206 (614) 889-7150 (614) 889-7183 FAX http://www.state.oh.us/odps/division/ema/

Oklahoma Office of Civil Emergency Management Will Rogers Sequoia Tunnel 2401 N. Lincoln Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73152 (405) 521-2481 (405) 521-4053 FAX http://www.odcem.state.ok.us/

Albert Ashwood
(405) 521-2481 (office)
(405) 5990-0110 (cell)
(405) 521-4053 (pager)
albertashwoodWoem.ok.gov

Oregon Emergency Management Department of State Police PO Box 14370 Salem, Oregon 97309-5062 (503) 378-2911 (503) 373-7833 FAX http://egov.oregon.gov/OOHS/OEM

Palau NEMO Coordinator Office of the President P.O. Box 100 Koror, Republic of Palau 96940 (011)(680) 488-2422 (011)(680) 488-3312

Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency 2605 Interstate Drive Harrisburg PA 17110-9463 (717) 651-2001 (717) 651-2040 FAX http://www.pema.state.pa.us/

FEMA Region 3 Philadelphia, PA
Regional Director
Patricia G. Arcuri, Acting
(215) 931-5604 (office)
(215) 327-4592 (cell)

Puerto Rico Emergency Management Agency P.O. Box 966597 San Juan, Puerto Rico 00906-6597 (787) 724-0124 (787) 725-4244 FAX

Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency 645 New London Ave Cranston, Rhode Island 02920-3003 (401) 946-9996 (401) 944-1891 FAX http://www.state.ri.us/riema/riemaaa.html

South Carolina Emergency Management Division 2779 Fish Hatchery Road West Columbia South Carolina 29172 (803) 737-8500 (803) 737-8570 FAX http://www.scemd.org/

South Dakota Division of Emergency Management 118 West Capitol Pierre, South Dakota 57501 (605) 773-3231 (605) 773-3580 FAX http://www.state.sd.us/dps/sddem/home.htm

Tennessee Emergency Management Agency 3041 Sidco Drive Nashville, Tennessee 37204-1502 (615) 741-4332 (615) 242-9635 FAX http://www.tnema.org

Texas Division of Emergency Management 5805 N. Lamar Austin, Texas 78752 (512) 424-2138 (512) 424-2444 or 7160 FAX http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem/

FEMA Region 6, Denton, TX
Regional Director
William E. Peterson
(940) 898-5123 (office)
(940) 368-6958 (cell)
Operations Chief
Joe Beardon
(940) 898-5245/41 (office)
Planning Section Chief
Joe Iandoli
(940) 898- 5168/69 (office)
Logistics Section Chief
Kent Weathers
(940) 898-5255/5309 (office)
Administration Section Chief
Lynn Murray
(940) 898- 5166 (office)

Utah Division of Emergency Services and Homeland Security 1110 State Office Building P.O. Box 141710 Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-1710 (801) 538-3400 (801) 538-3770 FAX http://www.des.utah.gov

Vermont Emergency Management Agency Department of Public Safety Waterbury State Complex 103 South Main Street Waterbury, Vermont 05671-2101 (802) 244-8721 (802) 244-8655 FAX http://www.dps.state.vt.us/

Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management - VITEMA 2-C Contant, A-Q Building Virgin Islands 00820 (340) 774-2244 (340) 774-1491

Virginia Department of Emergency Management 10501 Trade Court Richmond, VA 23236-3713 (804) 897-6502 (804) 897-6506 http://www.vdem.state.va.us

State of Washington Emergency Management Division Building 20, M/S: TA-20 Camp Murray, Washington 98430-5122 (253) 512-7000 (253) 512-7200 FAX http://www.emd.wa.gov/

FEMA Region 10, Bothwell, WA
Regional Director
Dennis Hunsinger, Acting
(425) 487-4604 (office)
(206) 604-5124 (cell)

West Virginia Office of Emergency Services Building 1, Room EB-80 1900 Kanawha Boulevard, East Charleston, West Virginia 25305-0360 (304) 558-5380 (304) 344-4538 FAX http://www.state.wv.us/wvoes

Wisconsin Emergency Management 2400 Wright Street P.O. Box 7865 Madison, Wisconsin 53707-7865 (608) 242-3232 (608) 242-3247 FAX http://emergencymanagement.wi.gov/

Wyoming Office of Homeland Security 122 W. 25th Street Cheyenne, Wyoming 82002 (307) 777-4900 (307) 635-6017 FAX http://wyohomelandsecurity.state.wy.us

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