Recommends more work on how to move elderly, disabled and poor in emergency

By Richard Wronski and Jon Hilkevitch 
The Chicago Tribune

CHICAGO — Emergency response officials and mass-transit agencies in Chicago need to do a better job of planning for the evacuation of the elderly, the disabled and the poor in the event of a terrorist attack or serious natural disaster, a new federal report concluded Tuesday.

A new report warns that Chicago-area officials must develop a more regional evacuation plan to ensure all major agencies are coordinated in the event of a serious emergency. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

More work needs to be done to identify and communicate with these special-needs individuals who rely heavily on mass transit and to provide assistance and shelter for those who cannot help themselves in an emergency evacuation, according to the National Research Council's Transportation Research Board.

"Identifying and evacuating special-needs populations, particularly those who would need assistance in an emergency, remains a major challenge," the report said.

The city has a high percentage of vulnerable populations, the report said. Eighteen percent of families are living below the poverty line; more than 10 percent of the population is 65 or older; 12 percent of people over age 5 have disabilities; and 34 percent of residents speak a language other than English at home, primarily Spanish.

Also, 15 percent of occupied housing units within the area's transit system were without access to a private vehicle, according to the 2000 U.S. census.

Chicago-area officials must also develop a more regional evacuation plan to ensure all major agencies are coordinated in the event of a serious emergency, said the report on the role of mass transit in emergency evacuations, which was released in Washington.

"[Chicago-area] transit providers believe they have adequate personnel and equipment to handle all but a very major emergency incident, such as the terrorist attacks of September 11 or detection of chemical, biological or radiological agents in the [central business district], which could trigger a major evacuation requiring extensive support from outside agencies and resources," the report said.

The report reviewed 38 urban areas' emergency response and evacuation plans and found that groups such as the disabled and poor would easily exceed limited transit resources in most areas. However, the report credited Chicago for integrating the city's "well-developed transportation system" into emergency planning.

"There is good coordination among all the key agencies, and in the event of an emergency, transit providers would have established methods for communicating both within their own agencies and with other transit agencies, as well as with local emergency managers and law enforcement personnel," the report found.

Nevertheless, better coordination is also necessary with the suburbs, collar counties and neighboring states to ensure adequate shelters, police protection, fuel and supplies so that outlying communities would not be overwhelmed in the event of a major evacuation of the city.

"Progress has been made in several of these areas, but substantial issues still remain to be resolved," the report said.

The Chicago Transit Authority considers itself a first responder in an emergency and is listed as a primary support agency in the event of an evacuation, the report said.

Metra would also play a key role in an evacuation, but the report noted that Metra does not have buses or a sufficient police force to move passengers once they reach suburban rail stations and would have to rely on others to provide such transport and security.

Pace does not consider itself a primary responder, although it has its own evacuation plan, the report said.

The report warned that transit operations could also be hampered by the unavailability of drivers and lack of equipment during off-peak times.

The report also found that during peak periods, traffic congestion impedes travel even in normal conditions.

"New Orleans had an emergency plan to rely on transit for the 100,000 to 200,000 . . . residents estimated to be without means of private transportation, but the plan failed utterly during Hurricane Katrina because few [mass-transit] drivers reported to work; equipment was inadequate; and, perhaps most important, communications and incident command were nonexistent," the report said.

Evacuating special-needs populations by transit poses a major challenge that requires advance planning, working with non-profits and social service agencies to identify groups that need assistance, and a targeted public information campaign and sheltering strategy, the report said.

In response to the report, the city's Office of Emergency Management and Communications said it continually trains and conducts exercises with local, state and federal partners.

The office has established key relationships with regional partners and business leaders through the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System, the Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System, the Building Owners and Managers Association, and area hospitals to increase unified communications, said spokeswoman Jennifer Martinez.

Chicago's evacuation plans focused primarily on the central business district, according to the report. The emergency management office said this focus is due to the district's population density, but added that drills are also conducted around schools, in neighborhoods and at the city's airports.

Pace, which is responsible for providing paratransit service to the disabled under the Americans With Disabilities Act, said a new dispatch system implemented in April enables the agency to track exactly where paratransit riders have been dropped off.

Pace has also worked with the emergency management office to ensure coordination in the event of an emergency and to direct responders to the location of paratransit riders, spokesman Patrick Wilmot said.

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