IS-800 National Response Plan (formerly Federal Response Plan) INTRODUCTION TO THE NATIONAL RESPONSE PLAN (NRP) Special Operations FEMA Arizona Task Force 1

The National Response Plan Establishes a comprehensive, national, all-hazards approach to domestic incident management across a spectrum of activities. Provides the structure & mechanisms for national-level policy and operational coordination for incident management. Premise is that incidents are typically managed at the lowest possible geographic, organizational and jurisdictional level. It is the general framework through which federal resources can be brought to bear on local incidents.

NRP Addresses the 4 emergency management functions: 1. Preparedness involves measures to reduce damage from hazards that can’t be eliminated. 2. Response is what locals do to address demands of disaster impact. 3. Hazard Mitigation involves reducing or eliminating long-term risk to people and property from hazards. 4. Recovery is the measures taken to restore and improve the community following disaster impact.

NIMS and the National Response Plan (NRP) NIMS provides a nationwide template enabling government and nongovernmental responders to respond to all domestic incidents. The NRP is an all-hazards plan that provides flexible mechanisms for national-level operational coordination for domestic incident management.

Incidents of National Significance (INS) INS are those high-impact events that require a coordinated & effective response by a combination of federal, state, local, tribal, private and non-governmental entities. This might arise in cities where severe storm damage resulted in a Presidential declaration of disaster.

Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief & Emergency Assistance Act Usually Called the “Stafford Act” 1. Has federal definition of Major Disaster & Emergency. 2. Defines “Presidential Disaster Declaration”. 3. Defines federal support & funding that is allowed. 4. Guides what parts of NRP can be activated. 5. ONLY THE GOVERNOR can request federal assistance under the Stafford Act.

More Stafford Act 1. Sets standard procedures and provides forms that are used for requesting federal aid or a Presidential disaster Declaration. 2. Standard procedures may be expedited or, under extreme circumstances, suspended in the immediate aftermath of an event of catastrophic magnitude. 3. An example is the attack on the World Trade Towers in September, 2001. 4. If a disaster is not eligible for a Presidential Declaration, it is called a “Non-Stafford Act” event.

Homeland Security Presidential Directive # 5 HSPD-5 assigns the Secretary of Homeland Security responsibility for managing domestic incidents. The Attorney General has lead responsibility for criminal investigations of terrorist acts or terrorist threats.

HSPD-5 affects private sector Private Sector Operators of certain regulated facilities or hazardous operations may bear responsibilities under law for preparing for & preventing incidents and responding to an incident once it occurs. Thus, private organizations may be involved in the NRP because they are victims in an incident, because they are a response resource, because they partner with emergency response organizations, or because they are required by law.

Federal Perspective: ICS under NRP is an Area Command

Emergency Support Functions: Grouping of government & certain private-sector capabilities in an organizational structure that provides support, resources, program implementation & services. These can be activated selectively for both Stafford Act and Non-Stafford Act incidents. They provide staffing for Incident Management Organizations. Each ESF has a specific scope and is drawn from multiple agencies.

Emergency Support Function Titles Transportation Communications Public works & engineering Fire fighting Emergency management Mass care, housing & human services Resource support Pub Health & Med 9. Urban search & rescue 10. Oil & hazmat response 11. Agriculture & natural resources 12. Energy 13. Public safety & security 14. Long-term community recovery and mitigation 15. External affairs

NRP Coordinating Structures These are the “structures” that the feds recognize as being used to manage incidents. The Incident Command Post is responsible for directing on-scene emergency management & maintaining command & control for on-scene incident operations. The Local Emergency Operations Center is the point of coordination for information & resources to support ICPs. The State EOC supports state response needs.

NRP Coordinating Structures These are controlled by the Feds but may involve many agencies. Not all of them are activated in every incident In addition to these familiar IMS structures, the Feds have created a number of other Coordinating Structures.

Homeland Security Operations Center (HSOC) This is the primary hub for domestic incident management, operational coordination, & situational awareness. When Homeland defense secretary declares an Incident of National Significance, the HSOC notifies affected States & federal agencies. Credible terrorist threat information is reported from a local FBI agent to the national FBI strategic information & operations center and THEN TO THE HSOC.

Interagency Incident Management Group (IIMG) This NRP element is a federal headquarters-level multi-agency coordination entity that facilitates strategic federal domestic incident management for Incidents of National Significance. IIMG comprised of senior reps from federal agencies, DHS, and possibly non-governmental organizations.

Regional Response Coordination Center (RRCC) This NRP element coordinates the deployment of the Emergency Response Team-Advance Element (ERT-A) to field locations. The ERT-A conducts assessments, initiates coordination with the State, & oversees initial deployment of federal resources.

More NRP Coordinating Structures National Response Coordination Center (NRCC) is part of the HSOC; provides overall federal response coordination. Strategic Information & Operations Center (SIOC) is run by the FBI. It is focal point & operational control center for federal intelligence, law enforcement & investigation for terrorist threats & incidents.

JOINT FIELD OFFICE A temporary federal facility established locally to coordinate operational federal assistance to the affected jurisdiction(s) during incidents of national significance. JFO does not manage on-scene operations. Regardless of size or number of states, each incident has only ONE JFO.

JFO SECTIONS mirror ICS but sections support—not direct--scene 1. PLANNING Section responsible for providing current information to the JFO Coordination Group that ensures situational awareness. 2. OTHER sections—management (similar to IC role), logistics, operations, and finance/administration—perform normal ICS functions but operations does not direct local ICP actions.

THE JOINT OPERATIONS CENTER (JOC) Coordinates & directs law enforcement & criminal investigation activities for the incident. Established by the Senior Federal Law Enforcement Officer. The Law Enforcement Investigative Operations Branch includes the JOC & manages unique tactical issues inherent to a crisis such as hostage situations or terrorist threats.

JOINT FIELD OFFICE COORDINATION GROUP Composed of key actors located in the Joint Field Office. Most of these officials are federal. The State Coordinating Officer (SCO) is here to manage the State’s incident management programs & activities. There is also a Governor’s Authorized Representative. Also may contain local representatives with primary statutory authority for incident management.

Key Federal Positions in the JFO Coordination Group Principal Federal Official (PFO) provides primary point of contact & situational awareness locally for Secretary of Homeland Security. Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO) manages & coordinates federal resource support activities related to Stafford Act emergencies & disasters. Federal Resource Coordinator (FRC) manages federal resource support activities related to non-Stafford Act incidents of national significance when federal-to-federal support is requested from DHS.

The JFO also has a Coordination Staff composed of: Chief of Staff: charged with overall organization. External Affairs Officer: Directs Public Affairs, Community Relations, Congressional Affairs, State & Local Coordination, Tribal Affairs & International Affairs. Defense Coordinating Officer: Primary DOD Contact officer for the JFO.

The NRP is the fed’s structure to address Incidents of National Significance Ultimately, all these structures are designed to effectively funnel federal capabilities into the IMS located at one or more scenes. Ideally, they reduce the bureaucracy & delay in getting federal support to local incidents. The NRP creates a chain of contact that allows locals to communicate needs to the state, who then relays to the JFO. Then the feds find federal resources and deploy them to the local scene.

NRP is primarily written by the Feds for the Feds It looks bureaucratic because it is. The federal connection to operations is through Special Response Teams, like: USAR (including AzTF-1) Disaster Medical Assistance Teams Nuclear Incident Response Team And 15 others listed in the NRP!

Under the NRP… When any US&R, DMAT or other team deploys to a scene outside your home jurisdiction, you are a “federal asset”. With all the other federal assets, you are there to support the local incident command.