An ADA Guide for Local Governments
Making Community Emergency Preparedness and
Response Programs Accessible to People with Disabilities
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/docs/info197.pdf
askcsid@dhs.gov, 1-800-368-6498.
One of the most important roles of local government is to protect their citizenry from harm, including helping people prepare for and respond to emergencies. Making local government emergency preparedness and response programs accessible to people with disabilities is a critical part of this responsibility. Making these programs accessible is also required by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA).TO: All State Homeland Security Directors
All State Administrative Agency Heads
All State Administrative Agency Points of Contact
All Urban Area Core City/Core County Points of Contact
FROM: Robert B. Stephan
Acting Under Secretary for Preparedness
SUBJECT: Nationwide Plan Review
In response, Congress issued H.R. 2360, Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act,
2006, which states, in part:
"It is imperative all States and Urban Area Security Initiative grantees ensure there are
sufficient resources devoted to putting in place plans for the complete evacuation of residents,
including special needs groups in hospitals and nursing homes, or residents without access to
transportation, in advance of and after such an event, as well as plans for sustenance of
evacuees. The conferees direct the Secretary [of Homeland Security] to report on the status of
catastrophic planning, including mass evacuation planning in all 50 States and the 75 largest
urban areas by February 10, 2006. The report should include certifications from each State
and urban area as to the exact status of plans for evacuations of entire metropolitan areas in the
State and the entire State, the dates such plans were last updated, the date exercises were last
conducted using the plans, and plans for sustenance of evacuees."
National Plan Review - page 2
Congress also issued H.R. 3, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity
Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), which states in part:
"The Secretary [of Transportation] and the Secretary of Homeland Security, in
coordination with Gulf Coast States and contiguous States, shall jointly review and assess
Federal and State evacuation plans for catastrophic hurricanes impacting the Gulf Coast
Region and report its findings and recommendations to Congress. ...The Secretaries shall
consult with appropriate Federal, State, and local transportation and emergency
management agencies...and consider, at a minimum, all practical modes of transportation
available for evacuations; the extent to which evacuation plans are coordinated with
neighboring States; methods of communicating evacuation plans and preparing citizens in
advance of evacuations; and methods of coordinating communication with evacuees during
plan execution."
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Preparedness Directorate will lead the nationwide
review in coordination with the Department of Transportation. Many States and major cities
have already begun to examine their plans, and Federal departments and agencies have been
directed to identify lessons learned from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Close coordination will be
essential in order to complete the review before the start of the 2006 hurricane season.
Participation is a prerequisite for receipt of FY2006 DHS Homeland Security grant funds.
The review will be divided into two phases. The first phase will consist of self-assessment and
certification of plan status by each State and urban area/major city, as described in this
Information Bulletin. The second phase will consist of peer review by teams of former State and
local emergency management and homeland security officials who will visit each State and
urban area/major city to validate plan status and determine requirements for planning assistance.
Both phases will focus on efforts to identify, prioritize, and correct critical deficiencies (i.e.,
those that may prevent execution of the plan as written).
In order to support this process, your State / urban area / major city needs to provide the
following to the Directorate's Office of Grants and Training (formerly the Office of State and
Local Government Coordination and Preparedness) by Tuesday, January 17, 2006:
1. A brief narrative self-assessment, as outlined below,
2. A statement of certification (see attached sheet), and
3. Electronic copies of plans or plan components referenced in the narrative, a list of mutual
aid agreements supporting those plans (if not listed in the plans themselves), and a list of
After Action Reports for recent exercises and operations. These will assist the peer
review teams in preparing for their onsite visits.
