3.
Coordination. Planning cannot be done in a vacuum. Planning for emergency situations must be
coordinated and made part of the command emergency plan package. The COMSEC custodian, the signal officer,
and the operations officer do this coordination.
4.
Emergency measures. The three measures a commander can take in an emergency are evacuation, secure
storage, or destruction. Carefully consider evacuation or secure storage before resorting to destruction. However,
conditions may cause the simultaneous implementation of any two or all three measures to be appropriate.
Occasions can arise (such as short-term civil disturbance) where the superseded key will be destroyed, the future
key evacuated, and the equipment securely stored. A key word in developing emergency plans and associated
actions is anticipate. If an emergency is imminent, reduce on-hand COMSEC material to a minimum. This
anticipation reduces the amount of material that must be stored, evacuated, or destroyed.
5.
Emergency evacuation. This is removing COMSEC material to a safe, alternate location. It is carried out
in a systematic manner and under the direction of a responsible individual.
a. When conducting an emergency evacuation, make every effort to prevent loss or unauthorized access.
This is done from the start of the evacuation and ends with the eventual return to the original location or another
facility.
b. There are many factors to consider before deciding to evacuate COMSEC material during a
emergency. Some of these factors are:
(1) The time available.
(2) Future requirements for the COMSEC material involved.
(3) The degree of hazard involved in removing and evacuating the COMSEC material.
(4) The safety of the new location.
(5) The available means of transportation and evacuation.
(6) The available transportation and evacuation routes.
6.
Emergency storage Selecting emergency storage presupposes returning to the site. It also assumes the
storage facilities will be sufficient to safeguard the COMSEC material. Storage facilities include authorized
vaults, safes, or secure rooms. If secure rooms are used, classified boards must be removed from nonsecured
COMSEC equipment. They are stored in approved security containers. The factors to consider include:
a. The time available.
SS0137
6-4
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