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146 Below is a list of key terms that the authors perceive to be particularly germane to state trans- portation agencies and their counterparts at the other levels of government. Most definitions are nearly exact quotes, but in some cases, words in brackets were added for further clarification or expansion. The sources used for the definitions are indicated in parentheses. Further explana- tory notes are in the third column. Note that the National Incident Management System and most other policy and guidance documents referred to in this 2010 Guide contain definition lists as well. A P P E N D I X D Key Emergency Response Definitions Term Definition Comment Catastrophic incident Any natural or man-made incident, including terrorism, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the population, infrastructure, environment, economy, national morale, and/or government functions. A catastrophic incident could result in sustained regional or national impacts over a prolonged time period; almost immediately exceeds resources normally available to state, [territorial,] local, tribal, and private-sector authorities in the affected area; and significantly interrupts governmental operations and emergency services to such an extent that national security could be threatened. (All Hazards Consortium, draft definition) Emergency Any incident, whether natural or man- made, that requires responsive action to protect life or property. Under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, an emergency means any occasion or instance for which, in the determination of the president, federal assistance is needed to supplement state and local efforts and capabilities to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in any part of the United States. (Stafford Act and NIMS) In this 2010 Guide, an emergency can exist at a local, regional, or state level once declared by appropriate authority, even if not a Stafford Act incident.
Key Emergency Response Definitions 147 Term Definition Comment Emergency management [Paraphrased] The broad class of agencies or people involved in the practice of managing emergencies and other incidents of all kinds . (NIMS, 2008) Emergency response is a subset of emergency management. Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) A national interstate mutual-aid agreement that enables states to share resources during times of disaster. EMAC has grown to become the nation's system for providing mutual aid through operational procedures and protocols that have been validated through experience. EMAC is administered by NEMA, the National Emergency Management Association, headquartered in Lexington, KY. EMAC acts as a complement to the federal disaster response system, providing timely and cost-effective relief to states requesting assistance from assisting member states. [Adapted from FEMA-EMAC, 2007] The 2010 Guide includes guidance on the appropriate application of the EMAC network. It is also available for local mutual-aid assistance in states that have passed enabling legislation. Emergency management/ response personnel Includes federal, state, territorial, tribal, sub-state regional, and local governments, private-sector organizations, critical infrastructure owners and operators, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and all other organizations and individuals who assume an emergency management role. Also known as Emergency Responder. (See Section 2 (6), Homeland Security Act of 2002, Pub. L. 107-296, 116 Stat. 2135 (2002). (NIMS, 2008) The 2010 Guide uses emergency responder and emergency response personnel for the generic references. These represent a broader community than first responders . Emergency response The planned and actual response by multiple agencies to incidents that can include acts of terrorism, wildland and urban fires, floods, hazardous material spills, nuclear accidents, aircraft accidents, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, tropical storms, war-related disasters, public health and medical emergencies. [Adapted from (NIMS, 2008). The phases of ER are plan, prepare, respond , and recover . (NRF, 2008)] Traffic incidents are assumed to be included. Emergency Transportation Operations (ETO) A coordinated, performance-oriented, all-hazard approach to support the development of a formal program for the improved management of traffic incidents, natural disasters, security events, and other emergencies on the highway system. Focuses on an enhanced role for state departments of transportation (DOTs) as participants with the public safety community in an interagency process. [Adapted from NCHRP Report 525, Volume 6, 2005.]
Term Definition Comment First responder Refers to those individuals who, in the early stages of an incident, are responsible for protecting and preserving life, property, evidence, and the environment, including emergency response providers as defined in Section 2 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 101), as well as emergency management, public health, clinical care, public works, and other skilled support personnel (such as equipment operators) who provide immediate support services during prevention, response, and recovery operations (HSPD-8). When used generically in the 2010 Guide, first responder is not capitalized. In this generic sense, state DOT and counterpart employees may be considered first responders. Fusion Center Centers that integrate various streams of information and intelligence, including that flowing from the federal government, state, [te rritorial,] tribal, and local, governments, as well as the private sector, providing a more accurate picture of risks to people, economic infrastructure, and communities that can be developed and translated into protective (e.g., preventative or responsive) actions. The ultimate goal of fusion is to prevent man-made (terrorist) attacks and to respond to natural disasters and man- made threats quickly and efficiently should they occur. [Paraphrased from Rollins, 2008.] FCs are referred to differently in the various states, see Appendix F for the current centers. FHWA is preparing a guideline for Fusion Center/TMC/EOC linkages/integration. Incident An occurrence or event, natural or man- made, that requires a response to protect life or property. Incidents, for example, can include major disasters, emergencies, terrorist attacks, terrorist threats, civil unrest, wildland and urban fires, floods, hazardous materials spills, nuclear accidents, aircraft accidents, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, tropical storms, tsunamis, war-related disasters, public health and medical emergencies, and other occurrences requiring an emergency response. (NIMS, 2008) Traffic incidents are considered as included, even if minor. Incident , traffic See traffic incident . Incident Command System (ICS) A standardized on-scene emergency management construct specifically designed to provide for the adoption of an integrated organizational structure that reflects the complexity and demands of single or multiple incidents, without being hindered by jurisdictional boundaries. ICS is the combination of facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures, and communications operating within a common organizational structure, designed to aid in the management of resources during The core of the National Incident Management System. Also see Unified Command. 148 A Guide to Emergency Response Planning at State Transportation Agencies
Key Emergency Response Definitions 149 Term Definition Comment incidents. It is used for all kinds of emergencies and is applicable to small as well as large and complex incidents. ICS is used by various jurisdictions and functional agencies, both public and private, to organize field-level incident management operations. (NIMS, 2008) Major disaster Any natural catastrophe (including any hurricane, tornado, storm, high water, wind-driven water, tidal wave, tsunami, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, mudslide, snowstorm, or drought) or, regardless of cause, any fire, flood, or explosion in any part of the United States, which in the determination of the president causes damage of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant major disaster assistance under [the Stafford] Act to supplement the efforts and available resources of states, local governments, and disaster relief organizations in alleviating the damage, loss, hardship, or suffering caused thereby. (Stafford Act) The 2010 Guide actually treats catastrophic event as a more severe event than a major disaster. For example, Hurricane Rita might be considered as a major disaster while Katrina was, and continues to be, catastrophic. Security counter- measures Actions that can be taken to avoid or mitigate security threats, the cornerstones of which are detect, deter, deny, and defend. Some security countermeasures can actually impede emergency response, for example the security need to have secure, qualified identifications of responders entering an incident scene, might delay or even bar responders. This should be considered in the EOPs. Traffic incident Any nonrecurring event that reduces roadway capacity or an abnormal increase in demand. Such events include traffic crashes, disabled vehicles, spilled cargo, highway maintenance and reconstruction projects, and special nonemergency events (e.g., ball games, concerts, or any other event that significantly affects roadway operations). (FHWA, 2010) Although emergencies are not mentioned, they are included. Traffic incident management A tool to achieve and maintain public safety, travel efficiency, and air quality standards by reducing the impacts of traffic incidents. (I-95CC, 2009 ) TIM should be a subset of emergency management. Unified Command (UC) An application of ICS used when there is more than one agency with incident jurisdiction or when incidents cross political jurisdictions. Agencies work together through the designated members of the UC, often the senior person from agencies and/or disciplines participating in the UC, to establish a common set of objectives and strategies and a single Incident Action Plan (IAP). (NIMS, 2008) UC is thus one form of ICS that engages a cooperative command structure with shared authority.
