Appendix D
Federal Response Plan Responsibilities
The Federal Response Plan1 (FRP) outlines how the federal government implements the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, as amended, to assist state and local governments when a major disaster or emergency overwhelms their ability to respond. What follows is an extract from the Terrorism Incident Annex of the FRP, describing the responsibilities of various federal agencies.
V. RESPONSIBILITIES
A. Department of Justice
Presidential Decision Directive (PDD) 39 validates and reaffirms existing lead agency responsibilities for all facets of the U.S. counterterrorism effort. The Department of Justice is designated as the overall lead federal agency (LFA) for threats of acts of terrorism that take place within the United States until the Attorney General transfers the overall LFA role to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The Department of Justice delegates this overall
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Federal Response Plan (Federal Emergency Management Agency. 1999. Federal Response Plan, 9230.1-PL, April. Available online at <http://www.fema.gov/rrr/frp/>. Accessed on December 3, 2002) and its Terrorism Incident Annex (Federal Emergency Management Agency. 1999. Terrorism Incident Annex, April. Available online at <http://www.fema.gov/rrr/frp/frpterr.shtm>. Accessed on December 3, 2002.) |
LFA role to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for the operational response. On behalf of the Department of Justice, the FBI will:
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Consult with and advise the White House, through the Attorney General, on policy matters concerning the overall response;
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Designate and establish a joint operations center (JOC) in the field;
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Appoint an FBI on-site coordinator (OSC) to manage and coordinate the Federal operational response (crisis management and consequence management). As necessary, the FBI OSC will convene and chair meetings of operational decision makers representing lead State and local crisis management agencies, federal emergency workers, and lead State and local consequence management agencies in order to provide an initial assessment of the situation, develop an action plan, monitor and update operational priorities, and ensure that the overall response (crisis management and consequence management) is consistent with U.S. law and achieves the policy objectives outlined in PDD-39. The FBI and FEMA may involve supporting Federal agencies as necessary; and
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Issue and track the status of actions assigned by the overall LFA.
B. Federal Bureau of Investigation
Under PDD-39, the FBI supports the overall LFA by operating as the lead agency for crisis management. The FBI will:
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Determine when a threat of an act of terrorism warrants consultation with the White House, through the Attorney General;
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Advise the White House, through the Attorney General, when the FBI requires assistance for a Federal crisis management response, in accordance with the PDD-39 Domestic Deployment Guidelines;
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Work with FEMA to establish and operate a Joint Information Center (JIC) in the field as the focal point for information to the public and the media concerning the Federal response to the emergency;
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Establish the primary Federal operations centers for the crisis management response in the field and Washington, DC;
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Appoint an FBI OSC (or subordinate official) to manage and coordinate the crisis management response. Within this role, the FBI OSC will convene meetings with operational decision makers representing Federal, State, and local law enforcement and technical support agencies, as appropriate, to formulate incident action plans, define priorities, review status, resolve conflicts, identify issues that require decisions from higher authorities, and evaluate the need for additional resources;
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Issue and track the status of crisis management actions assigned by the FBI; and
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Designate appropriate liaison and advisory personnel to support FEMA.
C. Federal Emergency Management Agency
Under PDD-39, FEMA supports the overall LFA by operating as the lead agency for consequence management until the overall LFA role is transferred to FEMA. FEMA will:
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Determine when consequences are “imminent” for the purposes of the Stafford Act;
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Consult with the Governor’s office and the White House to determine if a Federal consequence management response is required and if FEMA is directed to use Stafford Act authorities. This process will involve appropriate notification and coordination with the FBI, as the overall LFA;
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Work with the FBI to establish and operate a JIC in the field as the focal point for information to the public and the media concerning the Federal response to the emergency;
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Establish the primary Federal operations centers for consequence management in the field and Washington, DC;
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Appoint a regional operations center (ROC) Director or federal coordinating officer (FCO) to manage and coordinate the Federal consequence management response in support of State and local governments. In coordination with the FBI, the ROC Director or FCO will convene meetings with decision makers of Federal, State, and local emergency management and technical support agencies, as appropriate, to formulate incident action plans, define priorities, review status, resolve conflicts, identify issues that require decisions from higher authorities, and evaluate the need for additional resources;
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Issue and track the status of consequence management actions assigned by FEMA; and
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Designate appropriate liaison and advisory personnel to support the FBI.
D. Federal Agencies Supporting Technical Operations
1. Department of Defense
As directed in PDD-39, the Department of Defense (DOD) will activate technical operations capabilities to support the Federal response to threats or acts of weapon of mass destruction (WMD) terrorism. DOD will coordinate military
operations within the United States with the appropriate civilian lead agency (ies) for technical operations.
2. Department of Energy
As directed in PDD-39, the Department of Energy (DOE) will activate technical operations capabilities to support the Federal response to threats or acts of WMD terrorism. In addition, the FBI has concluded formal agreements with potential LFAs of the Federal Radiological Emergency Response Plan (FRERP) that provide for interface, coordination, and technical assistance in support of the FBI’s mission. If the FRERP is implemented concurrently with the FRP:
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The Federal On-Scene Commander under the FRERP will coordinate the FRERP response with the FEMA official (either the ROC Director or the FCO), who is responsible under PDD-39 for coordination of all Federal support to State and local governments.
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The FRERP response may include on-site management, radiological monitoring and assessment, development of Federal protective action recommendations, and provision of information on the radiological response to the public, the White House, Members of Congress, and foreign governments. The LFA of the FRERP will serve as the primary Federal source of information regarding on-site radiological conditions and off-site radiological effects.
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The LFA of the FRERP will issue taskings that draw upon funding from the responding FRERP agencies.
3. Department of Health and Human Services
As directed in PDD-39, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will activate technical operations capabilities to support the Federal response to threats or acts of WMD terrorism. HHS may coordinate with individual agencies identified in the HHS Health and Medical Services Support Plan for the Federal Response to Acts of Chemical/Biological (C/B) Terrorism, to use the structure, relationships, and capabilities described in the HHS plan to support response operations. If the HHS plan is implemented:
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The HHS on-scene representative will coordinate, through the Emergency Support Function (ESF) #8 — Health and Medical Services Leader, the HHS plan response with the FEMA official (either the ROC Director or the FCO), who is responsible under PDD-39 for on-scene coordination of all Federal support to State and local governments.
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The HHS plan response may include threat assessment, consultation, agent identification, epidemiological investigation, hazard detection and reduction, decontamination, public health support, medical support, and pharmaceutical support operations.
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HHS will issue taskings that draw upon funding from the responding HHS plan agencies.
4. Environmental Protection Agency
As directed in PDD-39, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will activate technical operations capabilities to support the Federal response to acts of WMD terrorism. EPA may coordinate with individual agencies identified in the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP) to use the structure, relationships, and capabilities of the National Response System as described in the NCP to support response operations. If the NCP is implemented:
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The Hazardous Materials On-Scene Coordinator under the NCP will coordinate, through the ESF # 10—Hazardous Materials Chair, the NCP response with the FEMA official (either the ROC Director or the FCO), who is responsible under PDD-39 for on-scene coordination of all Federal support to State and local governments.
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The NCP response may include threat assessment, consultation, agent identification, hazard detection and reduction, environmental monitoring, decontamination, and long-term site restoration (environmental cleanup) operations.