From Planning to Repopulation: Lessons in Comprehensive Evacuation Management from Maui and Oregon

The 2020 Oregon wildfires and the 2023 Lahaina fire underscore a critical truth for emergency managers: evacuation is not a single alert, but a complex, end-to-end process that begins long before disaster and continues through repopulation and recovery. This session opens with an overview of both events as case studies to examine the evacuation continuum, from planning and operational execution to mass care and safe re-entry.

Presenters will explore modern, zone-based evacuation management and how preparedness efforts in Maui County and Oregon evolved in response to catastrophe. Drawing on fire service, emergency management, and technology-enabled operations, the session outlines processes that support individuals and facilities across the evacuation lifecycle, including needs identification, facility coordination, transportation planning, caregiver integration, and continuity of care.

Special emphasis is placed on populations reliant on human services (older adults, people with disabilities, and medically vulnerable residents). Attendees will learn how to integrate human services, transportation, sheltering, and situational awareness to reduce risk and improve outcomes, and maintain visibility into at-risk populations.

The session concludes with Oregon's statewide deployment of Genasys Protect as a scalable model for zone-based evacuation management, demonstrating how technology-enabled workflows support coordinated response, mass care, and equitable repopulation.