Evacuation Request For Information Released

The City of Boston recognizes that evacuation planning, education, and implementation is a complex process that requires strong communication, coordination, and access to real time data that can be analyzed by decision makers. Climate change is fueling extreme weather, causing storms to move faster up the coast towards our City, which tightens the timeframe in which we can execute evacuation plans. Terrorism and hazardous materials accidents join a long list of additional scenarios that may prompt residents to leave their homes and head to a safer location. Stationary signage that is difficult to interpret is not enough, and traditional evacuation plans with static routes only provide a foundation for which more dynamic and accommodating operations are needed. Due to evolving hazards, the City’s evacuation planning must improve to ensure decisions can be made faster and communications regarding life safety actions (i.e., evacuation and shelter) can reach all Boston residents through inclusive communication methods.

The City of Boston will be moving its evacuation planning forward to be more innovative, collaborative, supportive and equitable for all residents of Boston. We are reaching out through this Request For Information (RFI) to support the planning we have already done and bring it to the next level.

To help innovate our evacuation planning and execution, we invite you to respond to this RFI. It will help us develop our strategy for future partnerships and investments. The RFI is for planning purposes only and does not commit OEM or the city to issue a solicitation or award a contract. An evacuation does not stop at the City’s border and as a result our approach to evacuation is regional. The responses received through this RFI are public record and will be shared with state and regional evacuation partners to benefit our overall approach. Participation -- or lack thereof -- in this process does not help or hurt any entity's chances for partnership opportunities in the future. Your response can be focused on one area of evacuation or address a holistic approach to evacuation. Responses to this RFI shall serve solely to assist the City and our partners in understanding the current landscape of evacuation with regards to the solicited information or to inform the development of a possible solicitation for a Request for Proposal in the future. The Request for Information may be found at bit.ly/BostonEvacuation-RFI.

After the submission period ends we may invite respondents to tell us more about their ideas. Also, responses may be showcased at public events so we can share the ideas we have received. These steps will help us better build an innovative and comprehensive evacuation process. Should the City choose to pursue any specific ideas from the responses to the RFI we will engage in public processes with the Boston community at that time.

If you would like to share your thoughts with the City on evacuation planning in Boston, you can review the RFI and submit via email to Sarah Eig, Director of Planning, Preparedness, and Coordination for the Office of Emergency Management, at sarah.eig@boston.gov or through our online application:

Please contact the Office of Emergency Management, with any questions or concerns at EngageOEM@boston.gov.

Evacuation RFI Response Form