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Planning for "Invacuation." Howard County
ELLICOTT CITY, Md. (AP) - While some cities are preparing
evacuation plans in case of a disaster or terrorist attack, Howard
County officials are preparing an "invacuation" plan.
Officials there worry that residents fleeing from Washington or
Baltimore could cause an influx of traffic into the county, which
sits between the two big cities. Howard is 25 miles from Washington
and 20 miles from Baltimore.
"A lot of those routes pass right through Howard County, and we
need to be prepared," said Richard M. Krieg, chairman of the
Community Emergency Response Network, a group that is helping to
organize the plan.
The scheme, known as an invacuation plan, has been in the
planning stages for several months. Spokesmen for the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security said they were unaware of any
municipalities with similar plans.
Because the plan is in the development stage, authorities could
offer few specifics. But in case of an emergency, the invacuation
plan would be activated by the county's Emergency Operations
Center, which is staffed by the county executive, chief of police
and chief of Fire and Rescue Services.
Police and firefighters would be responsible for moving traffic
through the county. Krieg said he hopes to divide the county into
five tracts, each of which would have one or more high schools that
would serve as shelters.
Each of the centers would be manned by volunteers who have at
least two hours of training and as many as 20, according to
authorities. While the volunteers probably will not be equipped to
perform lifesaving medical procedures, they would be able to
administer first aid, authorities said.
Although the plan is not meant to "encourage people to stay
here ... we have to plan for all contingencies," Krieg said.
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
evacuation plans in case of a disaster or terrorist attack, Howard
County officials are preparing an "invacuation" plan.
Officials there worry that residents fleeing from Washington or
Baltimore could cause an influx of traffic into the county, which
sits between the two big cities. Howard is 25 miles from Washington
and 20 miles from Baltimore.
"A lot of those routes pass right through Howard County, and we
need to be prepared," said Richard M. Krieg, chairman of the
Community Emergency Response Network, a group that is helping to
organize the plan.
The scheme, known as an invacuation plan, has been in the
planning stages for several months. Spokesmen for the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security said they were unaware of any
municipalities with similar plans.
Because the plan is in the development stage, authorities could
offer few specifics. But in case of an emergency, the invacuation
plan would be activated by the county's Emergency Operations
Center, which is staffed by the county executive, chief of police
and chief of Fire and Rescue Services.
Police and firefighters would be responsible for moving traffic
through the county. Krieg said he hopes to divide the county into
five tracts, each of which would have one or more high schools that
would serve as shelters.
Each of the centers would be manned by volunteers who have at
least two hours of training and as many as 20, according to
authorities. While the volunteers probably will not be equipped to
perform lifesaving medical procedures, they would be able to
administer first aid, authorities said.
Although the plan is not meant to "encourage people to stay
here ... we have to plan for all contingencies," Krieg said.
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)