§ 321a. Evacuation plans and exercises

establish programs for the development and maintenance of mass evacuation plans under subsection (b) in the event of a natural disaster, act of terrorism, or other man-made disaster;

prepare for the execution of such plans, including the development of evacuation routes and the purchase and stockpiling of necessary supplies and shelters; and

conduct exercises of such plans.

establish incident command and decision making processes;

ensure that State, local, and tribal government plans, including evacuation routes, are coordinated and integrated;

identify primary and alternative evacuation routes and methods to increase evacuation capabilities along such routes such as conversion of two-way traffic to one-way evacuation routes;

identify evacuation transportation modes and capabilities, including the use of mass and public transit capabilities, and coordinating and integrating evacuation plans for all populations including for those individuals located in hospitals, nursing homes, and other institutional living facilities;

develop procedures for informing the public of evacuation plans before and during an evacuation, including individuals—

identify shelter locations and capabilities.

In general

The Administrator may establish any guidelines, standards, or requirements determined appropriate to administer this section and to ensure effective mass evacuation planning for State, local, and tribal areas.

Requested assistance

The Administrator shall make assistance available upon request of a State, local, or tribal government to assist hospitals, nursing homes, and other institutions that house individuals with special needs to establish, maintain, and exercise mass evacuation plans that are coordinated and integrated into the plans developed by that State, local, or tribal government under this section.