Chapter Chapter 2
Section NRP Concept of Operations
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NRP Concept of Operations
When applied together, the components of the NRP should provide for a unified command structure to serve as the local, multi-agency coordination center for the effective and efficient coordination of Federal, State, local, tribal, nongovernmental, and private-sector organizations with primary responsibility for incident-related prevention, response and recovery actions.51 In many cases, this takes place at a Joint Field Office (JFO). The JFO co-locates the Principal Federal Official (PFO) and Federal Coordinating Officer in situations not involving multiple FCOs.52 In HSPD-5, the President designated the Secretary of Homeland Security as the “principal Federal official for domestic incident management.”53 The NRP allows the Secretary to delegate his responsibility, defining a PFO “as the Federal official designated by the Secretary of Homeland Security to act as his/her representative locally to oversee, coordinate, and execute the Secretary’s incident management responsibilities under HSPD-5 for Incidents of National Significance.”54 The FCO, a position created by the Stafford Act, manages Federal resource support activities and is responsible for coordinating the timely delivery of Federal disaster assistance resources to affected State and local governments, individual victims, and the private sector.55 At the regional level, a Regional Response Coordination Center (RRCC) coordinates disaster response activities until a JFO can be established.56
At DHS headquarters, the Homeland Security Operations Center (HSOC) coordinates “incident information-sharing, operational planning, and deployment of Federal resources” together with its component element at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) headquarters, the National Response Coordination Center (NRCC), a “multiagency center that provides overall Federal response coordination for Incidents of National Significance and emergency management program implementation.”57 Strategic-level coordination and resolution of resource conflicts unresolved by the NRCC occurs at the Interagency Incident Management Group (IIMG), an interagency body housed at DHS headquarters.58
The coordination of the Federal response—to include capabilities and resources—occurs at the field, regional, and Federal agency headquarters levels through the Emergency Support Function (ESF) framework. ESFs are organized groups of government and private sector entities that provide support, resources, and services. An ESF is staffed by specialists from multiple Federal departments, agencies, and the private sector. The purpose of the ESFs is to integrate skills and capabilities that reside in disparate organizations to coordinate support to State and local response agencies, including both physical resources and staff. The ESFs are structured so that resources and capabilities that are required to assist State and local officials in response and recovery operations can be handled by the appropriate Federal agency. A detailed break-down of each ESF by function and the primary Federal department or agency charged with leading each ESF can be found in Table 2.1.59
Table 2.1 Emergency Support Functions
ESF Primary Department or Agency
ESF #1 Transportation DOT
ESF #2 Communications DHS (IAIP/NCS)
ESF #3 Public Works and Engineering DOD (USACE) and DHS (FEMA)
ESF #4 Firefighting USDA (Forest Service)
ESF #5 Emergency Management DHS (FEMA)
ESF #6 Mass Care, Housing, Human Services DHS (FEMA) & American Red Cross
ESF #7 Resource Support GSA
ESF #8 Public Health and Medical Services HHS
ESF #9 Urban Search and Rescue DHS (FEMA)
ESF #10 Oil and Hazardous Materials Response EPA and DHS (U.S. Coast Guard)
ESF #11 Agriculture and Natural Resources USDA and DOI
ESF #12 Energy DOE
ESF #13 Public Safety and Security DHS and DOJ
ESF #14 Long-Term Community Recovery & Mitigation USDA, DOC, DHS (FEMA), HUD, Treas, & SBA
ESF #15 External Affairs DHS (FEMA)
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