NSA Jail Evacuation Programs

The Jail Evacuation programs, originally developed by the NSA through a cooperative agreement funded by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), provide an overview of primary topic areas that Sheriffs and Jail Commanders can utilize to determine the status of their current jail evacuation plan.

JAIL EVACUATION 1

The Jail Evacuation 1 course is for Wardens, Jail Commanders and immediate subordinates of Jail Commander, Command Staff of neighboring jurisdictions, Local Emergency Responders and Mutual Aid partners, Local Emergency Management Office representative, other jail supervisors as deemed appropriate by the Jail Commander.  This course was developed in response to calls from Sheriffs across the country who realized that their jails might be directly or indirectly affected by a terrorist attack and that an evacuation of the facility may be called for.  Most Sheriffs and Jail Commanders have developed plans for an event in which their facility was affected by a local disaster.  These plans did not consider the possibility of a terrorist attack affecting the facility directly, or indirectly, or a major all-hazards event.

The Jail Evacuation 1 course is designed to give jail officials (and other community and mutual aid responders) a new perspective regarding their institution and terrorism.  It provides prevention, deterrence and target hardening ideas, offers insights, and highlights areas for concern, before, during and after a jail evacuation event.  Participants will come away with a better understanding of:

• Defining elements of terrorism, categories of terrorism, the types of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) that may be deployed by terrorists, and simple actions that may be taken to reduce exposure to a WMD
• Identifying why/how the jail may be a terrorist target
• The various factors that may necessitate evacuation of a jail
• The initial responses that must take place in the event that a jail evacuation becomes necessary
• Contingencies or “what ifs” that could affect the efficiency of the implementation of the evacuation as well as the actions that need to be taken at the conclusion of the evacuation cycle, when inmates are again housed in the facility

This one-day training can be hosted by any agency.  Agency must provide the facility and an LCD projector with screen.  A minimum of 25 attendees is required to hold the training for a cost of only $240 per person.  A flat fee of $6,000 is charged for classes of less than 25.  Maximum class size is 50.  Participants are responsible for their transportation, lodging, and meals.

JAIL EVACUATION 2

The Jail Evacuation 2 program is for Sheriffs, Wardens, Jail Commanders and subject matter experts who have attended the Jail Evacuation 1 course.  Attendees will learn a four-step process which includes allowing participating agencies to develop, review, and refine their current jail evacuation plans based on Incident Command System (ICS) compliant systems and proven models provide during the course.  The program will take participant learning to the next level by reaffirming DHS recommendations and mandates such as implementation of ICS, adherence to National Incident Management System (NIMS) compliance mandates, development and utilization of tabletop exercises for training, and encouraging inter-agency cooperation and department coordination.  During this training, participants will have an opportunity to:

• Query past attendees on their progress in developing and testing their current plans
• Review and audit the plans they developed or enhanced after the Jail Evacuation 1 course
• Test their jail evacuation plans
• Conduct exercises and drills
• Bolster inter-agency cooperation
• Reinforce networking opportunities
• Create Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with other local emergency response agencies

This one-day training can be hosted by any agency.  Agency must provide the facility and an LCD projector with screen.  A minimum of 25 attendees is required to hold the training for a cost of only $240 per person.  A flat fee of $6,000 is charged for classes of less than 25.  Maximum class size is 50.  Participants are responsible for their transportation, lodging, and meals.

JAIL EVACUATION TRAINING LOCATIONS

These trainings can be hosted by any agency, either separately as one-day trainings or back-to-back as a two-day training.  Agency must provide the facility and an LCD projector with screen.

For the one-day trainings, a minimum of 25 attendees is required for a cost of only $240 per person or a flat fee of $6,000 is charged for classes of less than 25.  To hold the trainings back-to-back as a two-day training, a minimum of 25 attendees is required for a cost of only $320 per person or a flat fee of $8,000 is charged for classes of less than 25.  Maximum class sizes are 50.  Participants are responsible for their transportation, lodging, and meals.

Law enforcement agencies or other organizations interested in hosting a training should contact Hilary Burgess at hburgess@sheriffs.org or 703.838.5320.