Emergency Preparedness and Transportation Security

Events in recent years have heightened awareness of regional emergency preparedness. In addition to the tragic attacks of September 11, 2001, the Washington region has experienced a series of sniper shootings, anthrax incidents, Hurricane Isabel, and other emergencies. With its world prominence and its many visible symbols of democracy, the Washington region remains a target for terrorism and other attacks. These events and circumstances serve as reminders the region must be as prepared as possible to respond to emergencies and disasters.

Transportation plays multifaceted roles in incidents and emergencies. Every day, transportation agencies handle incidents such as crashes and breakdowns on their systems. But in incidents that become large-scale, such as those necessitating an official declaration of an emergency from a chief official, transportation becomes one of a number of support functions to a public safety agency-led response.

The TPB has an active interest in emergency preparedness, and addresses it in coordination with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG), the National Capital Region Emergency Preparedness Council and other regional stakeholders. In the wake of the 9/11 attacks, a new plan, the Regional Emergency Coordination Plan (RECP℠), was developed.

The RECP discusses how the numerous federal, state, and local agencies in the region should communicate and coordinate during emergencies. It builds from but does not replace the emergency response plans that individual jurisdictions must develop. Sections of the RECP are designated as Regional Emergency Support Functions (RESFs) 1 through 15, following the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) naming convention. Some of the functional areas included are emergency management, law enforcement, fire, health, public outreach, and, of course, transportation, which is referred to as RESF-1. TPB coordinates with an RESF-1 emergency transportation committee that, with police, fire, emergency management, and others, is a part of the COG structure of public safety committees.

Specialized appendices called annexes were developed for certain issues in the RECP. Associated with RESF-1 is the Regional Emergency Evacuation Transportation Coordination (REETC) Annex. The REETC Annex describes communication and coordination needs for transportation agencies in the event of a large-scale evacuation, and identifies transportation management strategies that might be used. The REETC Annex notes the key consideration to manage demand, urging people not in danger to stay off roads and transit, keeping capacity available for those persons who are endangered (as well as for response personnel).

For a list of emergency preparedness resources, please visit COG's Homeland Security pages.