FEMA Emergency Evacuation Assistance and National Mass Evacuation Tracking System

Emergency evacuations are the responsibility of state and local  governments. FEMA Has Taken Some Steps to Implement, Assess, and Improve Three Disaster Response Programs but Opportunities for Improvement Exist

		FEMA Uses Leading Practices for Implementing and Assessing the US&R Program, but Lacks a Plan for Replacing Aging Task Force Equipment

			FEMA Uses Leading Practices to Implement the US&R Program

FEMA uses leading program management practices for goal setting,  communication, and program execution to provide urban search and  rescue services for a wide variety of disasters. Goal setting: FEMA has ensured that the mission of the US&R  program aligns with the goals and resources of the program. For example, one goal is to save lives  and protect property in an all-hazards environment. FEMA Lacks a Comprehensive Plan to Improve Replacement of US&R Task Force Equipment

The aging status of the task forces’ equipment has not yet been an  operational issue identified by the various US&R assessments, but all 9  task forces we interviewed reported challenges funding the maintenance  and replacement of their equipment caches. However, FEMA has not developed a comprehensive plan that would  enable program managers and task force leaders to prioritize and fund  the replacement of all items in the equipment cache. Developing a plan to prioritize and  fund equipment needs will help FEMA to ensure US&R teams have the  equipment they need to fulfill their mission. FEMA Uses Some Leading Practices to Implement, Assess, and Improve the IMAT Program but Additional Actions Would Strengthen this Program

FEMA uses some leading program management practices in  implementing, assessing, and improving the IMAT  program components  but does not use other practices that would enhance program  management. FEMA also has not developed a plan to address  challenges related to staff attrition. FEMA officials also communicate potential program risks and  performance issues through three strategic working groups, which  address program-specific challenges in the areas of retention, training,  and equipment. However, these efforts do not address the  cadre-specific training needs of CORE IMAT  members. Program officials in FEMA headquarters are to  review these reports after every deployment. In order to more consistently manage the program, NMETS program  officials drafted an NMETS Strategic Implementation Plan in January  2015 to provide guidance to FEMA regional offices for communicating  and training state and local officials on the use and implementation of  NMETS. NMETS program officials said they are taking steps to address NMETS  concerns identified by states such as finalizing the implementation plan  and conducting a workshop on mass care and evacuation assistance in  fiscal year 2016. Recommendations for Executive Action

To enable FEMA to and more effectively respond to disasters, we  recommend the Secretary of Homeland Security direct the FEMA  Administrator to:  1.  develop a comprehensive plan to prioritize and finance the  replacement of equipment for the US&R task forces,  2.  develop a comprehensive training plan that links the IMAT  training  and cadre-specific training requirements to available training  opportunities to help ensure timely completion of the requirements. 3.  implement a process to document, track, and analyze  recommendations and implement lessons learned from Regional and  National IMAT  teams after disaster deployments, and  4.  develop a workforce strategy to manage and improve retention that  includes a process for systematically gathering attrition data and a  plan to retain IMAT  CORE employees. DHS concurred  with all four recommendations and described planned actions to address  them. DHS concurred with our third recommendation that FEMA implement a  process to document, track, and analyze recommendations and  implement lessons learned from Regional and National IMAT  teams after  disaster deployments. Appendix I: Disasters Requiring FEMA Disaster Response Assistance from Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Task Forces and Incident Management Assistance Teams (IMATS) for Fiscal Years 2010 to 2014

	Year

FEMA assigns each major disaster a “disaster declaration number,” preceded by the abbreviation  “DR.”

Appendix II: Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Deployment Event History 1992- 2014

Not applicable (n/a)

	Year- month

Appendix III: National and Regional Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT) Locations1

Regions IV, VI and IX each have 2 Regional IMAT  teams.
Why GAO Did This Study

In a disaster requiring a federal response, the Department of Homeland Security's FEMA provides various response resources to state, local, and tribal governments. Such assistance can include deploying US&R teams to help locate survivors and human remains, IMAT teams to help coordinate and provide federal support, and evacuation assistance, when applicable.
GAO was asked to review aspects of FEMA's disaster response programs. Specifically, this report addresses FEMA's efforts to implement, assess, and improve selected disaster response programs for urban search and rescue, incident management, and evacuation tracking. GAO reviewed documentation such as policies, procedures, after action reports, and readiness assessments for these programs and deployments to select disasters for fiscal years 2010 through 2014—capturing pre and post Hurricane Sandy disasters. GAO also interviewed FEMA and state officials, and a nongeneralizable sample of nine US&R task forces to gain insights into FEMA's efforts.

What GAO Found

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has taken steps to implement, assess, and improve select disaster response programs, but GAO identified opportunities to strengthen program management. Specifically, GAO found that FEMA uses leading management practices in implementing its Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) program. For example, FEMA has aligned the mission of the US&R Program--to save lives and reduce suffering in communities impacted by a disaster-- with its goal setting efforts in its US&R Strategic Plan. It also communicates program risks to stakeholders and assesses performance so the program can be continuously strengthened. However, all nine US&R task forces GAO interviewed reported challenges funding the maintenance and replacement of their aging equipment to ensure that it is not outdated and adheres to manufacturer standards. FEMA has not developed a plan to prioritize and fund the replacement of this equipment and doing so would help ensure that these task forces are capable of meeting their important response mission.
FEMA applies some leading program management practices in implementing, assessing, and improving its Incident Management Assistance Teams (IMAT)—such as setting strategic goals and identifying program risks—but does not use other practices that would enhance program management. National and regional IMAT team members are comprised of FEMA employees hired on temporary 4-year contracts. GAO found that FEMA lacks a standardized plan to ensure that all national and regional IMAT members receive required training, and IMAT teams do not always develop after action reports after disaster deployments and document lessons learned. GAO also found that the IMAT program has experienced high attrition across national and regional IMAT teams—since its implementation in fiscal year 2013—and FEMA has not developed a strategy to address these challenges. Developing a plan to address training and retention challenges would help FEMA better meet IMAT program goals.
FEMA's efforts to implement, assess, and improve its evacuation tracking system nationwide have been inconsistent due to lack of state and local resources and interest in using the system. However, FEMA officials said they are taking steps to address concerns raised by users of the system, including technical issues with the software. For example, FEMA has developed a new implementation plan to provide guidance to its regional offices for better communicating and training state and local officials on the use of its tracking software and intends to finalize a system strategic plan in the next nine to 15 months. Since these efforts are ongoing, GAO cannot yet assess the extent that they will address the inconsistences or user concerns with the system.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that FEMA develop a plan to prioritize and fund the replacement of US&R task force equipment; a plan to ensure that IMAT teams receive required training, and a workforce strategy for retention of IMAT staff; and document, track, and analyze recommendations and lessons learned from disaster deployments. DHS concurred with the recommendations and described plans to implement them.