Evacuation Plan

By Michael O’Neill; Peace Corps, 1111 20th St., NW, Washington, DC 20526.  moneill@peacecorps.gov

Introduction

An evacuation plan is usually a single document that describes the likely circumstances that warrant, lists the evacuation procedures for, and establishes the duties and responsibilities for agency personnel in the event of, the evacuation of one or more staff members.  Every evacuation will have its own characteristic signature.  Some crises arise that precipitate a quick and intensive evacuation.  Others unfold with excruciating fits and starts over time.  There are those that are highly predictable.  And those that come out of the blue.  Unanticipated variables will always occur during an evacuation that require leadership, judgment, and creativity.  Having a well-conceived evacuation plan will guide an agency’s preparation prior to and procedures during an evacuation that augment the capabilities of agency personnel.

Core Content

The following are only suggestions for the basic content of an evacuation plan. Each agency must choose the most relevant information to present and the best way to present it.  

a. 	Types of Crises Covered.  The evacuation plan can cover a range of crisis situations including medical emergencies, family crises, natural disasters, environmental hazards, civil unrest and political uprisings, or country-wide evacuations.  These crises can affect single individuals or the entire agency.  An agency may choose to evacuate a single site, a province or an entire country.

b. 	Roles and Responsibilities.  It is important to define the chain of command and decision making process in an evacuation.  This includes the role of the chief of Mission, field directors, headquarters leadership, embassy personnel, and all agency personnel at every level in responding to a crisis.  The functions and responsibilities of each staff member should be clearly defined.  It is most useful to refer to positions rather than individuals in defining roles and responsibilities to account for frequent staff turnover and absences from post.  It is important to clearly detail agreements and understandings with respect to the coordination of communication and movement, leadership and command with other agencies and governments.

An Evacuation Task Force representing the various staff levels within the agency and representatives of cooperating entities should be established at this point.  In addition to overall leadership and guidance as the crisis unfolds, the task force can help process information, develop responses to changing conditions and provide:
•	liaison with host country government, police, military, etc.;
•	liaison with headquarters leadership;
•	communications with field staff;
•	information gathering and processing (including media relations);
•	logistics coordination (transportation, supplies, housing, etc.);
•	financial and administrative advice; and
•	medical advice

c. 	Communication.  Effective communication is the key to any crisis management system.  Experience indicates that effective communication must operate on several levels: country office with headquarters, country office with other agencies, country offices with field offices/personnel.  Pre-existing cordial working relationships with other agencies (especially those with broad radio nets and transport) has often proved crucial to timely communication and logistics as local infrastructure deteriorated.  Creating and developing these networks prior to an emergency reduces the chances of a breakdown and misunderstanding at the moment of crisis.  Field staff (especially local staff) can play a major role in developing a working communication system by:
•	identifying the resources in local communities;
•	developing liaison with other agencies, missionaries, and local groups;
•	keeping their staff lists up-to-date;
•	keeping the country office apprised of movements and whereabouts;
•	following standard operating procedures as stipulated in a security plan.

It is not unusual for telephones to malfunction during a number of crisis scenarios.  Radio stations and government radio networks can be very helpful in getting messages out to field staff.  Whatever information is provided in the evacuation plan should be complete, specific (who, what, how) and up-to-date.

An agreed upon time and schedule for radio or telephone contact should also be established and maintained.  The frequency of contact will depend on the acuity of the situation and developing circumstances.  It is not only important to determine who, where, and how communications should take place, but what kind of information is needed and the relative urgency of the message.  Establishing a series of precise neutral-sounding statements that when transmitted over public airways informs the agency staff to proceed to a particular stage of alertness, may prove useful.  Checking to see if the message was received accurately is also very important, especially under conditions of stress.  Having the person repeat the message and write it down assures better accuracy and reliability.

The responsibility of communicating with the families of staff members should be taken on by an individual or department in the agency headquarters.  As soon as the evacuation order is confirmed, the families of all staff should be contacted.  Regular contact with staff members’ families apprising them of developments as they occur and providing appropriate support should be provided throughout the crisis.  In order for this to occur, appropriate documentation needs to be maintained and accessible, namely:
•	emergency contact names and numbers for all staff;
•	daily updates of staff members’ location and status forwarded to          headquarters;
•	standard procedures for headquarters staff designed to facilitate timely   appropriate contact with staff members’ families.

d. 	Travel and Transportation.  Information on travel methods and routes must also be as specific as possible (overland, air, sea, private, commercial, military).  Maps demarcating pick-up points, potential landing sites for aircraft and/or helicopter, and estimated travel times under normal circumstances should also be included.  Guidance about border crossing should also be provided, indicating when it should occur, where it is safe to cross, and the procedures for crossing and making contact with the appropriate authorities in third country.  Most importantly, alternative methods of travel and routes must be presented and prioritized in the event that the useful routes are no longer safe or feasible.  All field staff residences and work sites should be clearly located on the maps.

e. 	Safety and Health Concerns.  The evacuation plan should address basic safety and health precautions, including information about:
•	safe water and food supplies stocked at safe havens;
•	medications and first aid supplies;
•	safe shelter;
•	dealing with military, police, and other officials.

f. 	Administration.   The evacuation plan should specify what administrative responsibilities require attention in the event of a crisis.  To fulfill these responsibilities it is recommended to have response systems in place before the crisis occurs.  The administrative officer should:
•	keep staff/personnel roster up-to-date;
•	coordinate vehicle dispatch of vehicles up-country;
•	prepare staff travel/exit documents;
•	procure lodging and food supply for assembly locations;
•	assure adequate fuel supply and road worthiness of vehicle fleet;
•	coordinate evacuation transport with Emergency Action Committee;
•	collect inventory of staff personal effects left in country;
•	assure adequate funds on hand for local purchases and payment;
•	provide travel advances to staff;

g.   Scenarios.  Even the best laid plans cannot factor in all possible variables.
	Yet probable scenarios that impact on communications (no telephone lines), transportation (public transport strike), or coordination (capital city destabilized) should be considered and fall-back procedures developed.	

Planning for and Managing Evacuations

Embassies use multi-stage models to identify levels of alert status.  Stages should be clearly defined, along with the criteria for progression to the next stage in coordination with those agencies and collaborating institutions identified earlier in the evacuation plan.  Specific action plans should be developed for each stage so that staff know what to do and what to expect at each step.  A typical progression of stages may appear as:

Stage I		Standfast -impending emergency, remain at site
Stage II 	Consolidation - go to prearranged assembly point, prepare for withdrawal	
Stage III	Evacuation - leave as a group for safe haven

It is absolutely essential to be clear about:

•	how staff will be notified of what stage is in effect and when it changes (specific language that can be transmitted over public airways that alerts staff members without creating further panic)
•	what staff members must do (or not do) at each stage
•	what to bring, what to leave behind (no pets)
•	what to say to local officials, friends, colleagues
•	agency procedures for notifying staff members’ families
•	how to prepare for imminent evacuation (stock supplies, pack evacuation bag, arrange for pets)
•	instructions on how to move from one site to another
•	alternatives/fall-back plan if plan fails (communications, travel, safe havens)

Checklists

Checklists are invaluable in planning and implementing an evacuation plan.  They assure completeness and greatly increase efficiency.  Checklists have the advantage of being readily accessible and easily comprehended.  Countries that are at high risk for certain types of natural disasters (hurricanes, earthquakes, nuclear accidents) should consult the appropriate local department for emergency preparedness and obtain technical assistance in preparing for and responding to these hazards.  The following checklists have been found to be essential or very helpful:

•	
roster of all staff members and their residences and work sites;
•	list of passport numbers, expiration dates, and location of passport for each staff member;
•	names of staff members with special medical needs;
•	complete information on assembly points, who should go where and when
•	maps and contact information for each staff member
•	maps, travel routes, and modes of transportation from each site to assembly points and capital or evacuation point
•	communication networks (telephone numbers, radio locations and frequencies, operators, hours of operation)
•	emergency telephone numbers for local police, fire, hospital, mission, etc.
•	list of other agencies, missionaries, government offices, private citizens who could be a resource during an emergency (including names, addresses, telephone numbers)
•	list of food/water/emergency supplies to be kept in staff members’ homes, assembly sites and safe havens
•	list of essential items to include in an emergency evacuation pack
•	“to do” list if staff member has to leave home in a hurry
•	schedules for testing and updating evacuation plan

Supporting Documents

Supporting documents:

•	budget for developing, testing and maintaining an operation evacuation plan
•	policy statements relevant to emergency planning and evacuations
•	sample communications, letters, and cables
•	summary “pull-out” for each staff member for quick reference (some posts include this in the medical kit)