Order 1910.2 C - Appendix A

Appendix A – FHWA Geographic Information System Support for Emergency Operations

Purpose:

This process has been developed to standardize Geographic Information Systems (GIS) map requests during incidents to support the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Emergency Operations Program (EOps) and U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) emergency response and coordination efforts.

Procedure:

The FHWA GIS Fully Leveraging Expertise (FLEx) Cadre is a pre-identified group of agency employees who have GIS analysis abilities and access to the necessary IT hardware and software resources.  This group will develop products to support FHWA or DOT emergency coordination, response, or recovery efforts and is led by the designated FHWA Geographic Information Officer (GIO).

The FHWA GIS FLEx Cadre may be activated due to a notice or no-notice all-hazards incident, planned special event, or exercise.  Activation of the DOT Emergency Response Team (ERT) or the DOT Transportation Operations Center (formerly the Crisis Management Center) does not automatically necessitate activation of the FHWA GIS FLEx Cadre.  Rather, an incident’s complexity, dynamics, and impact to highway transportation will determine the need to convene the FLEx Cadre. The FHWA GIS FLEx Cadre may only be formally activated by the FHWA GIO or designee.

1. Membership:
   1. FHWA GIO or designee will maintain a list and email directory of FHWA GIS FLEx Cadre members and provide it on an annual basis to the FHWA Headquarters (HQ) Emergency Coordinator (EC) and Transportation Security Coordinator (TSC) on June 1.  Annually, the GIO will request a review of current FLEx Cadre members and solicit new members from the Associate Administrators and Directors of Field Services.
   2. FHWA GISCadre@dot.gov will be used as a distribution list to contact the FHWA GIS FLEx Cadre.
   3. All changes to FHWA GIS FLEx Cadre membership will be documented and submitted by the FHWA GIO or designee to the 5-Help Service Center to ensure the FHWA GISCadre@dot.gov distribution list remains current.
2. Activating the FHWA GIS FLEx Cadre and requesting GIS products:
   1. The FHWA GIO may activate the GIS FLEx Cadre to support FHWA response to an emergency, a planned special event, or an exercise. Triggers for activating the FHWA GIS FLEx Cadre or requesting GIS products include, but are not limited to:
      1. An incident or threat that impacts or threatens to impact the surface transportation network that meets the criteria identified in FHWA Order 5181.1 B (Emergency Reporting Procedures);
      2. Identification and prioritization of preparedness, response, and recovery strategies for an incident, known threat, exercise, or special event; or,
      3. An incident that may require the activation of the FHWA Continuity of Operations Plan, Devolution Plan, or Reconstitution Plan.
   2. Upon activation of the FHWA GIS FLEx Cadre, the FHWA GIO will notify the FHWA EOps. FHWA EOps will notify members of the FHWA Leadership Team in accordance with typical EOps procedures.
   3. FHWA EOps will coordinate with the FHWA GIO and the FHWA GIS FLEx Cadre to exercise FHWA GIS FLEx Cadre capabilities on an annual basis, likely during the annual Eagle Horizon Continuity of Operations Exercise or the annual interagency National Level Exercise for emergency response.
3. FHWA GIS FLEx Cadre Support to the Office of the Secretary of Transportation (OST)(1)
   1. In response to an incident, known threat, exercise, or special event, the DOT ERT may be activated by OST leadership, including representatives from the Office of Intelligence, Security, and Emergency Response. 
   2. In accordance with current or future OST procedures, FHWA GIS FLEx Cadre members may be requested to activate to support Departmental GIS initiatives.
      1. Any OST requests for activation of the FHWA GIS FLEx Cadre should follow a formal process, and will follow applicable DOT procedures, whereby a request for assistance is formally placed to FHWA via the FHWA GIO. The following information requirements will be conveyed:
         1. Nature of assistance requested;
         2. Dates/hours when staff is needed for coverage (if known); and,
         3. Availability of a Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) Mission Assignment or other Departmental resources to ensure FHWA reimbursement of costs.
   3. The FHWA GIO will notify FHWA EOps of the request for assistance. The FHWA GIO will notify the GIS FLEx Cadre with information on the activation. Availability of staff to support a request will be collected by the FHWA GIO or designee via email.  The FHWA GIO will serve as the single FHWA point of contact to determine availability of GIS FLEx Cadre members to support the request, develop a schedule to track on-call employees, and provide availability to OST requestor.
   4. FHWA GIS FLEx Cadre members will secure approval of their first-line supervisor prior to activating to support Departmental GIS support for Emergency Response and Coordination efforts.
   5. Upon activation, FHWA GIS FLEx Cadre members will:
   1. Perform duties as requested by OST; and
   2. Track hours worked in support of OST mission and notify:
      1. Their OST supervisor to validate any overtime hours performed; and,
      2. The FHWA GIO, who will track hours worked by all FHWA employees, including any overtime hours or compensatory time earned.
   6. Process for demobilization, reimbursement, and return to normal duties:
      1. Upon demobilization, activated FHWA GIS FLEx Cadre members will notify the FHWA GIO and their first-line supervisor;
      2. The FHWA GIO will notify FHWA EOps that staff has demobilized; and,
      3. The FHWA Office of the Chief Financial Officer will follow established procedures to request reimbursement for overtime/compensatory time hours performed under Mission Assignment.
      4. If no Mission Assignment is issued for the incident by FEMA, HQ EC, and the FHWA GIO will coordinate to fund eligible costs incurred via FHWA Emergency Response General Operating Expenses (GOE) budget (FHWA-RESPONSEGOE@dot.gov for further information or requests).
4. IT Requirements
   1. Annually on or around January 1, the FHWA GIO will:      
      1. Obtain from OST, in coordination with the FHWA Office of Information Technology Services (HAIS), the technical IT requirements for government issued equipment capabilities, including software versions and hardware needed to perform FHWA GIS FLEx Cadre functions, and
      2. Ensure that members of the FHWA GIS FLEx Cadre have access to any virtual machine, software, and data needed to support FHWA GIS FLEx Cadre functions.
   2. The FHWA GIO will develop and update a checklist to facilitate the IT Requirements in coordination with FHWA HAIS. 
5. Annual Meetings⁽¹⁾
   1. The FHWA GIO will annually host two meetings and trainings for the FHWA GIS FLEx Cadre.
      1. Meeting 1: Annual Training
         1. To occur on or around June 1.
         2. The FHWA GIO to conduct complete system review and connectivity check of FHWA GIS FLEx Cadre.
         3. The FHWA GIO to provide or arrange training to improve skill and efficiency.
      2. Meeting 2: After Action Review
         1. To occur on or around November 1.
         2. The FHWA GIO to work with FHWA EOps to conduct annual After Action Review.
         3. The FHWA GIO to update FHWA GIS FLEx Cadre competencies needed.

Notes:

⁽¹⁾ Subject to available appropriations