Departmental Manual
Effective Date: 1/4/06
Series: Emergency Management
Part 900: Emergency Management Program
Chapter 1: Policy, Functions, and Responsibilities
Originating Office: Office of Law Enforcement and Security
900 DM 1
1.1 Purpose. This chapter sets forth the policies, functions and responsibilities for an integrated, coordinated and comprehensive Departmental Emergency Management Program. Policy regarding specific Emergency Management Program components is addressed in separate manual chapters.
1.2 Scope. These policies and guidelines apply to
all bureaus and offices. The Emergency Management
Program spans the continuum of prevention, planning, preparedness, response, and
recovery. The program encompasses all
types of hazards and emergencies that impact the Department’s lands, facilities,
infrastructure, and resources; Tribal Lands and Insular Areas; the ability of
the Department to execute essential functions;
and for which assistance is provided to other units of government under Federal
laws, Executive Orders, interagency emergency response plans such as the
National Response Plan (NRP), and other agreements.
1.3 Definitions.
A. Disaster. See Major Disaster.
B. Continuity of Operations. Refers to programs, policies, and capabilities that individual agencies undertake to ensure that essential functions and activities of an organization continue within an acceptable level of interruption during emergency operating conditions.
C. Emergency. In this chapter, the term is used generically
to describe an unusual event or incident that requires bureau/office response
to return to normal operations. (The
Stafford Act defines emergency in relation to a specific determination of the
President under that act.)
D. Emergency
Programs and Functions. Activities
involving planning, preparing, and/or responding to emergency incidents, for
example: dam safety, law enforcement, environmental response, earthquake
warning, and fire fighting.
E. Emergency Management Activities. Activities required to provide systematic management for emergencies across the continuum from prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery to mitigation.
F. Imminently
Serious Condition. An event posing
an imminent and substantial endangerment to the public health, welfare or the
environment that requires an immediate emergency response by local field
personnel to save lives, prevent human suffering, protect the environment, or
mitigate great property damage.
G. Incident. As defined by the National Response Plan, an
occurrence or event, natural or human-caused, that requires an emergency
response to protect life or property.
Incidents can, for example, include major disasters, emergencies,
terrorist attacks, terrorist threats, wildland and urban fires, floods,
hazardous material spills, nuclear accidents, aircraft accidents, earthquakes,
hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, war-related disasters, public health and
medical emergencies, and other occurrences requiring emergency response.
H. Incident of National Significance. Based on criteria established in Homeland Security Presidential Directive-5, an actual or potential high-impact event that requires a coordinated and effective response by and appropriate combination of Federal, State, local, tribal, nongovernmental, and/or private-sector entities in order to save lives and minimize damage, and provide the basis for long-term community recovery and mitigation activities.
I. Mitigation. Activities designed to reduce or eliminate risks to persons or property or to lessen the actual or potential effects or consequences of an incident.
J. Major Disaster. As defined by the Stafford Act, 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 this 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.
K. Occupant Emergency Program. Based on Federal Real Property Regulations, an Occupant Emergency Program is a short-term emergency response program that establishes procedures for safeguarding lives and property during emergencies in and around Federal facilities.
L. Planning. Deliberate review and documentation of actions and activities an agency intends to be taken when an emergency occurs.
M. Preparedness. Based on the NRP, the range of deliberate, critical tasks and activities necessary to build, sustain, and improve the operational capability to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from domestic incidents.
N. Prevention. Based on the NRP, actions taken to avoid an incident or to intervene to stop an incident from occurring. Prevention involves actions taken to protect lives and property.
O. Recovery. Based on the NRP, the development, coordination, and execution of service- and site-restoration plans for impacted communities and the reconstitution of government operations and services
P. Response. Activities that address the short-term, direct effects of an incident. Response includes immediate actions to save lives, protect property, and meet basic human needs. Response also includes the execution of emergency operations plans and of incident mitigation activities designed to limit the loss of life, personal injury, property damage, and other unfavorable outcomes. As indicated by the situation, response activities include: applying intelligence and other information to lessen the effects or consequences of an incident; increased security operations; continuing investigations into the nature and source of the threat; ongoing public health and agricultural surveillance and testing processes; immunizations, isolation, or quarantine; and specific law enforcement operations aimed at preempting, interdicting, or disrupting illegal activity, and apprehending actual perpetrators and bringing them to justice.
Q. Serious
Emergency Incident. Incidents that
merit attention by the Office of the Secretary.
Serious emergency incidents include all Incidents of National
Significance that involve the Departmental offices or bureaus. Also included are incidents that
significantly impact the Department’s people, lands, facilities, infrastructure,
and resources; Tribal Lands and Insular Areas; the ability of the Department to
execute essential functions and responsibilities;
and responsibilities to assist other units of government. Operational
criteria to define serious incidents are provided in 900 DM 4.
1.4 Authorities and References.
A. Statutes and Regulations.
(1) Homeland Security Act of 2002, Public Law
107-296 (6 U.S.C. 101 et seq.)
(2) Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act, (Pub. L. 106-390),
(3) The Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended by P.L. 102-558, 106 Stat. 4201, 50 U.S.C. App. 2062.
(4) Economy Act, 31 U.S.C. §§ 1535-1536 (2002).
(5) National Emergencies Act, 50 U.S.C. §§ 1601-1651 (2003).
(6) The Public Health Security and Bio-terrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002, Public Law 107-188, 42 U.S.C. 247d and 300hh, June 12, 2002.
B. Executive Orders.
(1) Executive Order 12148, Federal Emergency Management,
(2) Executive Order 12656, Assignment of Emergency Preparedness Responsibilities,
(3) Executive Order 13286, Establishing Office of Homeland Security,
(4) Executive Order 12919, National Defense Industrial Resources Preparedness,
C. Presidential Directives.
(1) Homeland Security Presidential Directive 3 Homeland Security Advisory System,
(2) Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5,
Management of Domestic Incidents,
(3) Homeland Security Presidential Directive 7,
Critical Infrastructure Identification,
Prioritization and Protection,
(4) Homeland Security Presidential Directive 8,
National Preparedness,
(5) Homeland Security Presidential Directive 9,
Defense of Agriculture and Food,
(6) Homeland Security Presidential Directive
10, Biodefense for the 21st Century,
D. Other Authorities and References.
(1) Federal
Preparedness Circular 65. Federal Executive Branch Continuity of
Operations,
(2) 36 CFR 1236, Vital Records During an Emergency.
(3) 41 CFR 102-74, GSA Federal Management Regulation, Facility Management.
(4) Circular A-130, Revised, Management of Federal Information Resources,
(5) National Response Plan (NRP), December 15,
2004.
(6) National Incident Management System (NIMS),
(7) National Infrastructure Protection Plan (Interim), December 2004.
(8) Office of Personnel Management Compensation
Memorandum CPM 2004-27,
1.5 Policy.
A. Bureaus
and offices will provide necessary resources to plan, prepare, respond, and
recover from emergencies.
B. Consistent
with its responsibilities, applicable
laws, regulations, and other legal authorities,
the Department will provide full and prompt cooperation, resources, and support
for protecting our homeland and national security.
C. Bureaus
and offices shall comply with standards developed by the National Incident Management
System (NIMS). Planning should
foster cooperation and mutual aid and assistance agreements with other Federal agencies, State, local, and tribal
governments.
D. The
Department will take reasonable measures to prevent and mitigate the
consequences of known risks.
E. Response activities are typically managed at the lowest possible organizational level. Bureaus and offices shall plan for and share resources in preparing for and responding to incidents.
F. The Department will coordinate and integrate the various emergency programs and functions and supporting activities managed by bureaus and offices. This guidance does not supercede existing responsibilities of bureaus/offices.
G. Top
priorities for incident management include the following:
(1) Save lives and protect the health and safety of the public and employees.
(2) Support security of the homeland.
(3) Prevent the effects of imminent incidents, including disasters,
technological emergencies, and acts of terrorism.
(4) Protect and restore critical infrastructure and key resources
and the capability of the Department to perform essential functions.
(5) Conduct and/or support law enforcement investigations to resolve
the incident, apprehend perpetrators, and collect and preserve evidence.
(6) Protect property and mitigate damages and impacts to the
Department, individuals, surrounding communities, the environment, and natural,
cultural, and historic resources.
(7) Restore, as quickly as possible, normal operations and activities,
consistent with safety.
H. The Emergency
Management Program is conducted to recognize and fulfill the Department’s trust
responsibilities to American Indians and Alaska Natives.
I. Emergency Management activities are conducted in a cost effective manner.
1.6 Responsibilities.
A. The
Assistant Secretary - Policy, Management and Budget is responsible for
overall leadership and coordination of the Emergency Management Program.
B. The Deputy Assistant Secretary - Law Enforcement and Security provides direct oversight of the Emergency Management Program, and reports to the Assistant Secretary - Policy, Management and Budget.
C. The Director, Office of Law Enforcement and Security provides direction for the Emergency Management Program, and reports to the Deputy Assistant Secretary - Law Enforcement and Security. In addition, the Director, Office of Law Enforcement and Security:
(1) Provides guidance for emergency activities involving Law Enforcement programs and personnel, and shall designate a Law Enforcement representative to serve on the Emergency Management Council.
(2) Provides direction for emergency activities involving security programs and protection of critical infrastructure.
(3) Provides management for and ensures that the Departmental Watch Office is staffed and capable of around-the-clock operations at all times. The Watch Office serves as the point of contact for collection and dissemination of information to support the Departmental Emergency Management Program.
D. The Assistant Director for Emergency Management, Office of Law Enforcement and Security, under the direction of the Director, Office of Law Enforcement and Security, is the Departmental Emergency Coordinator and is the principal official responsible for:
(1) Coordinating Departmental emergency management
activities,
(2) Developing emergency management policy consistent with Federal emergency management laws, regulation, guidance, and direction.
(3) Coordinating activities undertaken by the Departmental bureaus and offices during serious emergency incidents.
(4) Serving as principal point of contact with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and other departments and agencies as pertaining to overall emergency management, continuity of operations, and national security emergency programs.
(5) Providing oversight of office and bureau emergency management programs and plans to assure policy compliance, readiness, and effectiveness.
(6) Issuing appropriate
policy bulletins to provide updated policy and direction on the Departmental
Emergency Management program.
E. Assistant Secretaries. Assistant Secretaries provide leadership and oversight to assure bureaus and offices under their jurisdiction effectively manage and execute emergency programs and coordinate such programs in accordance with this and other chapters of Part 900 DM. Assistant Secretaries will provide for Continuity of Operations and support National Security Emergency Preparedness in accordance with 900 DM 2 and 3.
F. Solicitor. The Solicitor is responsible for:
(1) Providing legal advice and support for the emergency management
program.
(2) Providing for Continuity of Operations and support to National Security Emergency Preparedness, in accordance with 900 DM 2 and 3.
(3) Designating an Emergency Coordinator and alternate in accordance
with paragraph 1.7 of this chapter.
G. Inspector
General. The Inspector General is
responsible for:
(1) Providing oversight of the Departmental, bureau, and office Emergency Management Programs as provided for in the Inspector General Act of 1978 and provide reporting of serious or flagrant problems, abuses, or deficiencies relating to the administration of those programs and operations to the Secretary and to the Congress of the United States as necessary.
(2) Providing for Continuity of Operations and support to National Security Emergency Preparedness, in accordance with 900 DM 2 and 3.
(3) Designating an Emergency Coordinator and alternate in accordance with paragraph 1.7 of this chapter.
H. Heads of Bureaus are responsible for effective management and execution of emergency programs and functions within their bureaus, and the coordination of such activities in accordance with 900 DM. The head of each bureau shall provide necessary resources for emergency management, and shall designate an Emergency Coordinator and alternate in accordance with paragraph 1.7 of this chapter. Bureaus shall ensure timely and accurate reports are submitted to the Watch Office on all serious emergency incidents.
I. Heads of Offices are responsible for execution of emergency programs and functions within their purview, in accordance with 900 DM. Offices shall ensure timely and accurate reports are submitted to the Watch Office on all serious emergency incidents. The heads of offices listed below perform special responsibilities, and shall designate an Emergency Coordinator and alternate in accordance with paragraph 1.7 of this chapter:
(1) The
(2) The Office of Wildland Fire Coordination works with the Emergency
Management Program and Bureau Fire Directors regarding the Wildland Fire program
and related emergency activities, integration of wildland fire assets in
all-hazard emergency activities, and coordination with the National Interagency
Fire Center (NIFC).
(a) The Office of
Wildland Fire Coordination will designate a bureau representative resident at
NIFC as an Emergency Coordinator. The
Emergency Coordinator at NIFC will serve as principal point of contact for the
Emergency Management Program in regard to incident reporting, application of
operation resources for non-suppression activities, and coordination of
all-hazard incident management programs with wildland fire systems.
(3) The Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance coordinates
with the Emergency Management program regarding the environmental program, oil discharges
and hazardous substance releases, and application of environmental safeguards
in all-hazard emergency activities.
(4) The Office of Insular Affairs coordinates with the Emergency
Management program regarding emergency planning, preparedness, response, and recovery
in Insular Areas and freely associated states.
(5) The Office of Human Resources coordinates with the Emergency
Management Program: in developing personnel policy related to pay and
compensation for emergency workers; providing appropriate support services for
employees and their families affected by disasters or other emergencies; and
planning for workforce continuity during emergencies.
(6) The Office of Occupational Health and Safety coordinates with
the Emergency Management program in development of recommendations of policy
and procedures as related to emergency response activities.
(7) The Special Trustee for American Indians provides advice related
to discharge of the Secretary’s trust responsibilities during emergencies.
(8) The Chief Information Officer supports the Emergency Management
program through the implementation of robust telecommunications and network
services, providing communications and information technology during
emergencies.
J. Responsibilities
Related to the Occupant Emergency Program (OEP). The Agency Senior Real Property Officer is
responsible for oversight and compliance with Federal Property Management
Regulations, including the Occupant Emergency Program. At each Federal facility, the
Designated Official for the Occupant Emergency Program is the highest-ranking
official or another person agreed on by all tenant agencies. At
the Main and
1.7 Emergency
Coordinators.
A. Emergency
Coordinators serve as principal advisors to the head of their organizational
element in matters related to planning, coordination, resource requirements,
execution and evaluation of emergency activities. Emergency Coordinators may be appointed by
heads of organizations at any organizational level of the Department where
significant emergency programs exist and require coordination.
B. Emergency
Coordinators shall be delegated responsibility as needed to effectively
coordinate emergency activities within their office, bureau, or other
organizational element, including deployment of organizational resources under
conditions where normal coordination is not feasible.
C. Bureau
Emergency Coordinators are liaisons
to the Department on emergency management matters.
D. Bureau/Office Emergency Coordinator
positions should be designated Non-Critical-Sensitive (NCS) or Critical
Sensitive (CS).
E. Bureau/Office Emergency Coordinator
positions should be designated mission-critical emergency employees in
accordance with Office of Personnel Management Compensation Memorandum CPM
2004-27, December 8, 2004.
F. Emergency
Coordinators and alternates are designated, in writing, in accordance with
paragraph 1.6 of this chapter.
1.8 Emergency Management Council (EMC). The EMC is an advisory body, and provides the primary means for bureaus and offices to advise the Departmental Emergency Coordinator and to coordinate Department-wide emergency management policy and activities.
A. The EMC is chaired by the Departmental Emergency Coordinator, and includes as its members the Emergency Coordinators designated under paragraph 1.6 of this chapter. The Departmental Emergency Coordinator may appoint additional ad hoc members to the EMC.
B. The EMC will meet regularly and may also be convened on an emergency basis for coordination of special activities or serious emergency incidents.
C. EMC
subcommittees may be created as necessary.
The EMC will have standing subcommittees, including:
(1) All-Hazards Emergency Subcommittee,
(2) Continuity of Operations Subcommittee, and
(3) Emergency Management Information Technology Subcommittee.
1.9 Interior
Regional Emergency Coordination Councils (I-RECCs). Pursuant to paragraph 1.5C
of this chapter, emergency management activities must be coordinated with other
Federal agencies as well as with State, local, and tribal governments. I-RECC
members are designated from each bureau and office with capabilities or program
equities within a region. The I-RECCs
are coordinating mechanisms and do not supplant the authority of bureaus or
offices to manage resources.
A. The I-RECC provides a mechanism to maintain liaison and coordination with each Federal Emergency Management Agency region, including Regional Interagency Steering Committees and Regional Resource Coordination Centers.
B. There will be a separate I-RECC for Alaska that uses the Alaska Cooperative Planning Group structure (which includes the heads of all Alaska-based DOI bureaus and offices and the Special Assistant to the Secretary for Alaska).
C. Members of the I-RECC are designated from
each bureau that has capabilities or program equities within the region. Representatives of each bureau should have
broad knowledge of their capabilities within the region. The Directors, Office and Environmental Policy and Compliance
(OEPC), Office of Law Enforcement and
Security, and Office of Wildland Fire Coordination, may designate additional
I-RECC members if needed to assure programmatic representation.
D. The
I-RECC is a coordinating mechanism and does not supplant the authority of
bureaus or offices to manage resources within the region. The chairman of each I-RECC will coordinate
with I-RECC members to assure Departmental participation in regional emergency
planning and response activities, and dissemination of information regarding
these activities to all I-RECC members.
At a minimum, I-RECC will meet quarterly. Additional guidance on operation of the
I-RECC will be developed in coordination with the EMC and promulgated by the
Departmental Emergency Coordinator.
1.10 Immediate Emergency Response. When an imminently serious condition occurs in the immediate vicinity of Departmental resources, local field personnel of the Department’s bureaus or offices are authorized, in response to the request of local governmental authorities, to take necessary action to protect human life, property, or the environment if the response would be impaired by the delay required to seek the approval of senior officials.
A. Immediate Emergency Response means necessary action taken by local field personnel in response to the imminently serious condition.
B. For this purpose, local governmental authorities include Federal, State, local, or tribal entities in the immediate vicinity affected by the imminently serious condition.
C. Field personnel that have undertaken an Immediate Emergency Response must promptly advise their bureau or office management and the Department’s Watch Office of the actions taken.
D. Immediate Emergency Response to local governmental authorities should be provided on a cost-reimbursable basis whenever possible. However, such response should not be delayed or denied because of the inability or unwillingness of the local governmental authority to make a commitment to reimburse the Department, bureau, or office for such response.
E. Examples of Immediate Emergency Response assistance to local
governmental authorities are:
(1) Rescue, evacuation, and emergency medical
treatment of persons; maintenance or restoration of emergency medical
capabilities; and safeguarding the public health.
(2) Emergency restoration of essential public
services (including fire-fighting, water, communications, transportation,
power, and fuel).
(3) Emergency clearance of debris or rubble
from public facilities and other areas to permit rescue or restoration of
essential services.
(4) Safeguarding, collecting, and distributing,
food and essential supplies.
(5) Damage assessment.
(6) Interim emergency communications.