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This reference document contains definitions of key terms as they are applied within the National Response Framework.
Accessible: Having the legally required features and/or qualities that ensure entrance, participation, and usability of places, programs, services, and activities by individuals with a wide variety of disabilities.
Advanced Readiness Contracting: A type of contracting that ensures contracts are in place before an incident for commonly needed commodities and services such as ice, water, plastic sheeting, temporary power, and debris removal.
Agency: A division of government with a specific function offering a particular kind of assistance. In the Incident Command System, agencies are defined either as jurisdictional (having statutory responsibility for incident management) or as assisting or cooperating (providing resources or other assistance). Governmental organizations are most often in charge of an incident, though in certain circumstances private-sector organizations may be included. Additionally, nongovernmental organizations may be included to provide support.
Agency Representative: A person assigned by a primary, assisting, or cooperating Federal, State, tribal, or local government agency or private organization that has been delegated authority to make decisions affecting that agency’s or organization’s participation in incident management activities following appropriate consultation with the leadership of that agency.
All-Hazards: Describing an incident, natural or manmade, that warrants action to protect life, property, environment, and public health or safety, and to minimize disruptions of government, social, or economic activities.
Annexes: See Emergency Support Function Annexes, Incident Annexes, and Support Annexes.
Area Command: An organization established to oversee the management of multiple incidents that are each being handled by a separate Incident Command System organization or to oversee the management of a very large or evolving incident that has multiple incident management teams engaged. An agency administrator/executive or other public official with jurisdictional responsibility for the incident usually makes the decision to establish an Area Command. An Area Command is activated only if necessary, depending on the complexity of the incident and incident management span-of-control considerations.
Assessment: The evaluation and interpretation of measurements and other information to provide a basis for decisionmaking.
Assignment: A task given to a resource to perform within a given operational period that is based on operational objectives defined in the Incident Action Plan.
Attorney General: The chief law enforcement officer of the United States. Generally acting through the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Attorney General has the lead responsibility for criminal investigations of terrorist acts or terrorist threats by individuals or groups inside the United States or directed at U.S. citizens or institutions abroad, as well as for coordinating activities of the other members of the law enforcement community to detect, prevent, and disrupt terrorist attacks against the United States.
Branch: The organizational level having functional or geographical responsibility for major aspects of incident operations. A Branch is organizationally situated between the Section Chief and the Division or Group in the Operations Section, and between the Section and Units in the Logistics Section. Branches are identified by the use of Roman numerals or by functional area.
Cache: A predetermined complement of tools, equipment, and/or supplies stored in a designated location, available for incident use.
Catastrophic Incident: Any natural or manmade 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.
Chain of Command: A series of command, control, executive, or management positions in hierarchical order of authority.
Chief: The Incident Command System title for individuals responsible for management of functional Sections: Operations, Planning, Logistics, Finance/Administration, and Intelligence/Investigations (if established as a separate Section).
Chief Elected Official: A mayor, city manager, or county manager.
Citizen Corps: A community-level program, administered by the Department of Homeland Security, that brings government and private-sector groups together and coordinates the emergency preparedness and response activities of community members. Through its network of community, State, and tribal councils, Citizen Corps increases community preparedness and response capabilities through public education, outreach, training, and volunteer service.
Command: The act of directing, ordering, or controlling by virtue of explicit statutory, regulatory, or delegated authority.
Command Staff: An incident command component that consists of a Public Information Officer, Safety Officer, Liaison Officer, and other positions as required, who report directly to the Incident Commander.
Common Operating Picture: A continuously updated overview of an incident compiled throughout an incident's life cycle from data shared between integrated systems for communication, information management, and intelligence and information sharing. The common operating picture allows incident managers at all levels to make effective, consistent, and timely decisions. The common operating picture also helps ensure consistency at all levels of incident management across jurisdictions, as well as between various governmental jurisdictions and private-sector and nongovernmental entities that are engaged.
Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101: Producing Emergency Plans: A Guide for All-Hazard Emergency Operations Planning for State, Territorial, Local, and Tribal Governments: Guide that describes the intersection of the Federal and State, tribal, and local plans and planning. Replaces State and Local Guide (SLG) 101.
Concept Plan (CONPLAN): A plan that describes the concept of operations for integrating and synchronizing Federal capabilities to accomplish critical tasks, and describes how Federal capabilities will be integrated into and support regional, State, and local plans to meet the objectives described in the Strategic Plan.
Coordinate: To advance systematically an analysis and exchange of information among principals who have or may have a need to know certain information to carry out specific incident management responsibilities.
Corrective Actions: Implementing procedures that are based on lessons learned from actual incidents or from training and exercises.
Counterterrorism Security Group (CSG): An interagency body convened on a regular basis to develop terrorism prevention policy and to coordinate threat response and law enforcement investigations associated with terrorism. This group evaluates various policy issues of interagency importance regarding counterterrorism and makes recommendations to senior levels of the policymaking structure for decision.
Critical Infrastructure: Systems, assets, and networks, whether physical or virtual, so vital to the United States that the incapacity or destruction of such systems and assets would have a debilitating impact on security, national economic security, national public health or safety, or any combination of those matters.
Defense Coordinating Officer (DCO): Individual who serves as the Department of Defense (DOD)’s single point of contact at the Joint Field Office (JFO) for requesting assistance from DOD. With few exceptions, requests for Defense Support of Civil Authorities originating at the JFO are coordinated with and processed through the DCO. The DCO may have a Defense Coordinating Element consisting of a staff and military liaison officers to facilitate coordination and support to activated Emergency Support Functions.
Defense Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA): Support provided by U.S. military forces (Regular, Reserve, and National Guard), Department of Defense (DOD) civilians, DOD contract personnel, and DOD agency and component assets, in response to requests for assistance from civilian Federal, State, local, and tribal authorities for domestic emergencies, designated law enforcement support, and other domestic activities..
Demobilization: The orderly, safe, and efficient return of a resource to its original location and status.
DHS: Department of Homeland Security
Director of National Intelligence: Official who leads the Intelligence Community, serves as the President’s principal intelligence advisor, and oversees and directs the implementation of the National Intelligence Program.
Disaster Recovery Center (DRC): A facility established in a centralized location within or near the disaster area at which disaster victims (individuals, families, or businesses) apply for disaster aid.
Division: The partition of an incident into geographical areas of operation. Divisions are established when the number of resources exceeds the manageable span of control of the Operations Chief. A Division is located within the Incident Command System organization between the Branch and resources in the Operations Section.
DOD: Department of Defense
Domestic Readiness Group (DRG): An interagency body convened on a regular basis to develop and coordinate preparedness, response, and incident management policy. This group evaluates various policy issues of interagency importance regarding domestic preparedness and incident management and makes recommendations to senior levels of the policymaking structure for decision. During an incident, the DRG may be convened by the Department of Homeland Security to evaluate relevant interagency policy issues regarding response and develop recommendations as may be required.
Emergency: Any incident, whether natural or manmade, 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.
Emergency Management: As subset of incident management, the coordination and integration of all activities necessary to build, sustain, and improve the capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, or mitigate against threatened or actual natural disasters, acts of terrorism, or other manmade disasters.
Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC): A congressionally ratified organization that provides form and structure to interstate mutual aid. Through EMAC, a disaster-affected State can request and receive assistance from other member States quickly and efficiently, resolving two key issues up front: liability and reimbursement.
Emergency Manager: The person who has the day-to-day responsibility for emergency management programs and activities. The role is one of coordinating all aspects of a jurisdiction's mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery capabilities.
Emergency Operations Center (EOC): The physical location at which the coordination of information and resources to support incident management (on-scene operations) activities normally takes place. An EOC may be a temporary facility or may be located in a more central or permanently established facility, perhaps at a higher level of organization within a jurisdiction. EOCs may be organized by major functional disciplines (e.g., fire, law enforcement, and medical services), by jurisdiction (e.g., Federal, State, regional, tribal, city, county), or some combination thereof.
Emergency Plan: The ongoing plan maintained by various jurisdictional levels for responding to a wide variety of potential hazards.
Emergency Public Information: Information that is disseminated primarily in anticipation of an emergency or during an emergency. In addition to providing situational information to the public, it also frequently provides directive actions required to be taken by the general public.
Emergency Support Function (ESF) Annexes: Present the missions, policies, structures, and responsibilities of Federal agencies for coordinating resource and programmatic support to States, tribes, and other Federal agencies or other jurisdictions and entities when activated to provide coordinated Federal support during an incident.
Emergency Support Function (ESF) Coordinator: The entity with management oversight for that particular ESF. The coordinator has ongoing responsibilities throughout the preparedness, response, and recovery phases of incident management.
Emergency Support Function (ESF) Primary Agency: A Federal agency with significant authorities, roles, resources, or capabilities for a particular function within an ESF. A Federal agency designated as an ESF primary agency serves as a Federal executive agent under the Federal Coordinating Officer (or Federal Resource Coordinator for non-Stafford Act incidents) to accomplish the ESF mission.
Emergency Support Function (ESF) Support Agency: An entity with specific capabilities or resources that support the primary agencies in executing the mission of the ESF.
Emergency Support Functions (ESFs): Used by the Federal Government and many State governments as the primary mechanism at the operational level to organize and provide assistance. ESFs align categories of resources and provide strategic objectives for their use. ESFs utilize standardized resource management concepts such as typing, inventorying, and tracking to facilitate the dispatch, deployment, and recovery of resources before, during, and after an incident.
External Affairs: Organizational element that provides accurate, coordinated, and timely information to affected audiences, including governments, media, the private sector, and the local populace.
Evacuation: Organized, phased, and supervised withdrawal, dispersal, or removal of civilians from dangerous or potentially dangerous areas, and their reception and care in safe areas.
Event: See Planned Event.
FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal: Of or pertaining to the Federal Government of the United States of America.
Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO): The official appointed by the President to execute Stafford Act authorities, including the commitment of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) resources and mission assignment of other Federal departments or agencies. In all cases, the FCO represents the FEMA Administrator in the field to discharge all FEMA responsibilities for the response and recovery efforts underway. For Stafford Act events, the FCO is the primary Federal representative with whom the State Coordinating Officer and other State, tribal, and local response officials interface to determine the most urgent needs and set objectives for an effective response in collaboration with the Unified Coordination Group.
Federal-to-Federal Support: Support that may occur when a Federal department or agency responding to an incident under its own jurisdictional authorities requests Department of Homeland Security coordination to obtain additional Federal assistance. As part of Federal-to-Federal support, Federal departments and agencies execute interagency or intra-agency reimbursable agreements, in accordance with the Economy Act or other applicable authorities.
Federal Resource Coordinator (FRC): Official who may be designated by the Department of Homeland Security in non-Stafford Act situations when a Federal department or agency acting under its own authority has requested the assistance of the Secretary of Homeland Security to obtain support from other Federal departments and agencies. In these situations, the FRC coordinates support through interagency agreements and memorandums of understanding. The FRC is responsible for coordinating timely delivery of resources to the requesting agency.
FEMA: Federal Emergency Management Agency
FEMA Regional Offices: FEMA has 10 regional offices, each headed by a Regional Administrator. The regional field structures are FEMA’s permanent presence for communities and States across America.
Finance/Administration Section:
(1) Incident Command: Section responsible for all administrative and financial considerations surrounding an incident.
(2) Joint Field Office (JFO): Section responsible for the financial management, monitoring, and tracking of all Federal costs relating to the incident and the functioning of the JFO while adhering to all Federal laws and regulations.
Function: One of the five major activities in the Incident Command System: Command, Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Finance/Administration. The term function is also used when describing the activity involved (e.g., the planning function). A sixth function, Intelligence/Investigations, may be established, if required, to meet incident management needs.
Fusion Center: Facility that brings together into one central location law enforcement, intelligence, emergency management, public health, and other agencies, as well as private-sector and nongovernmental organizations when appropriate, and that has the capabilities to evaluate and act appropriately on all available information.
General Staff: A group of incident management personnel organized according to function and reporting to the Incident Commander. The General Staff normally consists of the Operations Section Chief, Planning Section Chief, Logistics Section Chief, and Finance/Administration Section Chief. An Intelligence/Investigations Chief may be established, if required, to meet incident management needs.
Governor’s Authorized Representative: An individual empowered by a Governor to: (1) execute all necessary documents for disaster assistance on behalf of the State, including certification of applications for public assistance; (2) represent the Governor of the impacted State in the Unified Coordination Group, when required; (3) coordinate and supervise the State disaster assistance program to include serving as its grant administrator; and (4) identify, in coordination with the State Coordinating Officer, the State’s critical information needs for incorporation into a list of Essential Elements of Information.
Group: Established to divide the incident management structure into functional areas of operation. Groups are composed of resources assembled to perform a special function not necessarily within a single geographic division. Groups, when activated, are located between Branches and resources in the Operations Section. See Division.
Hazard: Something that is potentially dangerous or harmful, often the root cause of an unwanted outcome.
Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA): A process to identify hazards and associated risk to persons, property, and structures and to improve protection from natural and human-caused hazards. HIRA serves as a foundation for planning, resource management, capability development, public education, and training and exercises.
Homeland Security Council (HSC): Entity that advises the President on national strategic and policy during large-scale incidents. Together with the National Security Council, ensures coordination for all homeland and national security-related activities among executive departments and agencies and promotes effective development and implementation of related policy.
Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP): A capabilities and performance-based exercise program that provides a standardized methodology and terminology for exercise design, development, conduct, evaluation, and improvement planning.
Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN): The primary reporting method (common national network) for the Department of Homeland Security to reach departments, agencies, and operations centers at the Federal, State, local, and private-sector levels. HSIN is a collection of systems and communities of interest designed to facilitate information sharing, collaboration, and warnings.
HSPD-5: Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5, “Management of Domestic Incidents”
HSPD-7: Homeland Security Presidential Directive 7, “Critical Infrastructure, Identification, Prioritization, and Protection”
HSPD-8: Homeland Security Presidential Directive 8, “National Preparedness”
Hurricane Liaison Team (HLT): A small team designed to enhance hurricane disaster response by facilitating information exchange between the National Hurricane Center in Miami and other National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration components, as well as Federal, State, tribal, and local government officials.
Incident: An occurrence or event, natural or manmade, that requires a response to protect life or property. Incidents can, for example, 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.
Incident Action Plan (IAP): An oral or written plan containing general objectives reflecting the overall strategy for managing an incident. It may include the identification of operational resources and assignments. It may also include attachments that provide direction and important information for management of the incident during one or more operational periods.
Incident Annexes: Describe the concept of operations to address specific contingency or hazard situations or an element of an incident requiring specialized application of the National Response Framework.
Incident Command: Entity responsible for overall management of the incident. Consists of the Incident Commander, either single or unified command, and any assigned supporting staff.
Incident Command Post (ICP): The field location where the primary functions are performed. The ICP may be co-located with the incident base or other incident facilities.
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 a management system designed to enable effective incident management by integrating a combination of facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures, and communications operating within a common organizational structure, designed to aid in the management of resources during 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.
Incident Commander: The individual responsible for all incident activities, including the development of strategies and tactics and the ordering and the release of resources. The Incident Commander has overall authority and responsibility for conducting incident operations and is responsible for the management of all incident operations at the incident site.
Incident Management: Refers to how incidents are managed across all homeland security activities, including prevention, protection, and response and recovery.
Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT): An interagency national- or regional-based team composed of subject-matter experts and incident management professionals from multiple Federal departments and agencies.
Incident Management Team (IMT): An incident command organization made up of the Command and General Staff members and appropriate functional units of an Incident Command System organization. The level of training and experience of the IMT members, coupled with the identified formal response requirements and responsibilities of the IMT, are factors in determining the “type,” or level, of IMT. IMTs are generally grouped in five types. Types I and II are national teams, Type III are State or regional, Type IV are discipline- or large jurisdiction-specific, and Type V are ad hoc incident command organizations typically used by smaller jurisdictions.
Incident Objectives: Statements of guidance and direction needed to select appropriate strategy(s) and the tactical direction of resources. Incident objectives are based on realistic expectations of what can be accomplished when all allocated resources have been effectively deployed. Incident objectives must be achievable and measurable, yet flexible enough to allow strategic and tactical alternatives.
Indian Tribes: The United States recognizes Indian tribes as domestic dependent nations under its protection and recognizes the right of Indian tribes to self-government. As such, tribes are responsible for coordinating tribal resources to address actual or potential incidents. When their resources are exhausted, tribal leaders seek assistance from States or even the Federal Government.
Infrastructure Liaison: Individual assigned by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Infrastructure Protection who advises the Unified Coordination Group on regionally or nationally significant infrastructure and key resources issues.
Intelligence/Investigations: Different from operational and situational intelligence gathered and reported by the Planning Section. Intelligence/investigations gathered within the Intelligence/Investigations function is information that either leads to the detection, prevention, apprehension, and prosecution of criminal activities (or the individual(s) involved), including terrorist incidents, or information that leads to determination of the cause of a given incident (regardless of the source) such as public health events or fires with unknown origins.
Interoperability: The ability of emergency management/response personnel to interact and work well together. In the context of technology, interoperability also refers to having an emergency communications system that is the same or is linked to the same system that a jurisdiction uses for nonemergency procedures, and that effectively interfaces with national standards as they are developed. The system should allow the sharing of data with other jurisdictions and levels of government during planning and deployment.
Job Aid: A checklist or other visual aid intended to ensure that specific steps for completing a task or assignment are accomplished.
Joint Field Office (JFO): The primary Federal incident management field structure. The JFO is a temporary Federal facility that provides a central location for the coordination of Federal, State, tribal, and local governments and private-sector and nongovernmental organizations with primary responsibility for response and recovery. The JFO structure is organized, staffed, and managed in a manner consistent with National Incident Management System principles and is led by the Unified Coordination Group. Although the JFO uses an Incident Command System structure, the JFO does not manage on-scene operations. Instead, the JFO focuses on providing support to on-scene efforts and conducting broader support operations that may extend beyond the incident site.
Joint Information Center (JIC): An interagency entity established to coordinate and disseminate information for the public and media concerning an incident. JICs may be established locally, regionally, or nationally depending on the size and magnitude of the incident.
Joint Information System (JIS): Mechanism that integrates incident information and public affairs into a cohesive organization designed to provide consistent, coordinated, accurate, accessible, timely, and complete information during crisis or incident operations. The mission of the JIS is to provide a structure and system for developing and delivering coordinated interagency messages; developing, recommending, and executing public information plans and strategies on behalf of the Incident Commander; advising the Incident Commander concerning public affairs issues that could affect a response effort; and controlling rumors and inaccurate information that could undermine public confidence in the emergency response effort.
Joint Operations Center (JOC): An interagency command post established by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to manage terrorist threats or incidents and investigative and intelligence activities. The JOC coordinates the necessary local, State, and Federal assets required to support the investigation, and to prepare for, respond to, and resolve the threat or incident.
Joint Task Force (JTF): Based on the complexity and type of incident, and the anticipated level of Department of Defense (DOD) resource involvement, DOD may elect to designate a JTF to command Federal (Title 10) military activities in support of the incident objectives. If a JTF is established, consistent with operational requirements, its command and control element will be co-located with the senior on-scene leadership at the Joint Field Office (JFO) to ensure coordination and unity of effort. The co-location of the JTF command and control element does not replace the requirement for a Defense Coordinating Officer (DCO)/Defense Coordinating Element as part of the JFO Unified Coordination Staff. The DCO remains the DOD single point of contact in the JFO for requesting assistance from DOD.
Joint Task Force (JTF) Commander: Individual who exercises operational control of Federal military personnel and most defense resources in a Federal response. Some Department of Defense (DOD) entities, such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, may respond under separate established authorities and do not provide support under the operational control of a JTF Commander. Unless federalized, National Guard forces remain under the control of a State Governor. Close coordination between Federal military, other DOD entities, and National Guard forces in a response is critical.
Jurisdiction: A range or sphere of authority. Public agencies have jurisdiction at an incident related to their legal responsibilities and authority. Jurisdictional authority at an incident can be political or geographical (e.g., Federal, State, tribal, and local boundary lines) or functional (e.g., law enforcement, public health).
Jurisdictional Agency: The agency having jurisdiction and responsibility for a specific geographical area, or a mandated function.
Key Resources: Any publicly or privately controlled resources essential to the minimal operations of the economy and government.
Liaison Officer: A member of the Command Staff responsible for coordinating with representatives from cooperating and assisting agencies or organizations.
Local Government: A county, municipality, city, town, township, local public authority, school district, special district, intrastate district, council of governments (regardless of whether the council of governments is incorporated as a nonprofit corporation under State law), regional or interstate government entity, or agency or instrumentality of a local government; an Indian tribe or authorized tribal entity, or in Alaska a Native Village or Alaska Regional Native Corporation; a rural community, unincorporated town or village, or other public entity. See Section 2 (10), Homeland Security Act of 2002, P.L. 107−296, 116 Stat. 2135 (2002).
Logistics Section:
(1) Incident Command: Section responsible for providing facilities, services, and material support for the incident.
(2) Joint Field Office (JFO): Section that coordinates logistics support to include control of and accountability for Federal supplies and equipment; resource ordering; delivery of equipment, supplies, and services to the JFO and other field locations; facility location, setup, space management, building services, and general facility operations; transportation coordination and fleet management services; information and technology systems services; administrative services such as mail management and reproduction; and customer assistance.
Long-Term Recovery: A process of recovery that may continue for a number of months or years, depending on the severity and extent of the damage sustained. For example, long-term recovery may include the complete redevelopment of damaged areas.
Major Disaster: Under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 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 that, 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.
Mission Assignment: The mechanism used to support Federal operations in a Stafford Act major disaster or emergency declaration. It orders immediate, short-term emergency response assistance when an applicable State or local government is overwhelmed by the event and lacks the capability to perform, or contract for, the necessary work. See also Pre-Scripted Mission Assignment.
Mitigation: Activities providing a critical foundation in the effort to reduce the loss of life and property from natural and/or manmade disasters by avoiding or lessening the impact of a disaster and providing value to the public by creating safer communities. Mitigation seeks to fix the cycle of disaster damage, reconstruction, and repeated damage. These activities or actions, in most cases, will have a long-term sustained effect.
Mobile Emergency Response Support (MERS): Response capability whose primary function is to provide mobile telecommunications capabilities and life, logistics, operational and power generation support required for the on-site management of disaster response activities. MERS support falls into three broad categories: (1) operational support elements; (2) communications equipment and operators; and (3) logistics support.
Mobilization: The process and procedures used by all organizations—Federal, State, tribal, and local—for activating, assembling, and transporting all resources that have been requested to respond to or support an incident.
Multiagency Coordination (MAC) Group: Typically, administrators/executives, or their appointed representatives, who are authorized to commit agency resources and funds, are brought together and form MAC Groups. MAC Groups may also be known as multiagency committees, emergency management committees, or as otherwise defined by the system. A MAC Group can provide coordinated decisionmaking and resource allocation among cooperating agencies, and may establish the priorities among incidents, harmonize agency policies, and provide strategic guidance and direction to support incident management activities.
Multiagency Coordination System(s) (MACS): Multiagency coordination systems provide the architecture to support coordination for incident prioritization, critical resource allocation, communications systems integration, and information coordination. The elements of multiagency coordination systems include facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures, and communications. Two of the most commonly used elements are emergency operations centers and MAC Groups. These systems assist agencies and organizations responding to an incident.
Multijurisdictional Incident: An incident requiring action from multiple agencies that each have jurisdiction to manage certain aspects of the incident. In the Incident Command System, these incidents will be managed under Unified Command.
Mutual Aid and Assistance Agreement: Written or oral agreement between and among agencies/organizations and/or jurisdictions that provides a mechanism to quickly obtain emergency assistance in the form of personnel, equipment, materials, and other associated services. The primary objective is to facilitate rapid, short-term deployment of emergency support prior to, during, and/or after an incident.
National: Of a nationwide character, including the Federal, State, tribal, and local aspects of governance and policy.
National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC): The primary Federal organization for integrating and analyzing all intelligence pertaining to terrorism and counterterrorism and for conducting strategic operational planning by integrating all instruments of national power.
National Disaster Medical System (NDMS): A federally coordinated system that augments the Nation's medical response capability. The overall purpose of the NDMS is to establish a single, integrated national medical response capability for assisting State and local authorities in dealing with the medical impacts of major peacetime disasters. NDMS, under Emergency Support Function #8 – Public Health and Medical Services, supports Federal agencies in the management and coordination of the Federal medical response to major emergencies and federally declared disasters.
National Exercise Program: A Department of Homeland Security-coordinated exercise program based upon the National Planning Scenarios contained which are the National Preparedness Guidelines. This program coordinates and, where appropriate, integrates a 5-year homeland security exercise schedule across Federal agencies and incorporates exercises at the State and local levels.
National Incident Management System (NIMS): System that provides a proactive approach guiding government agencies at all levels, the private sector, and nongovernmental organizations to work seamlessly to prepare for, prevent, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of incidents, regardless of cause, size, location, or complexity, in order to reduce the loss of life or property and harm to the environment
National Infrastructure Coordinating Center (NICC): As part of the National Operations Center, monitors the Nation’s critical infrastructure and key resources on an ongoing basis. During an incident, the NICC provides a coordinating forum to share information across infrastructure and key resources sectors through appropriate information-sharing entities.
National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP): Plan that provides a coordinated approach to critical infrastructure and key resources protection roles and responsibilities for Federal, State, tribal, local, and private-sector security partners. The NIPP sets national priorities, goals, and requirements for effective distribution of funding and resources that will help ensure that our government, economy, and public services continue in the event of a terrorist attack or other disaster.
National Joint Terrorism Task Force (NJTTF): Entity responsible for enhancing communications, coordination, and cooperation among Federal, State, tribal, and local agencies representing the intelligence, law enforcement, defense, diplomatic, public safety, and homeland security communities by providing a point of fusion for terrorism intelligence and by supporting Joint Terrorism Task Forces throughout the United States.
National Military Command Center (NMCC): Facility that serves as the Nation’s focal point for continuous monitoring and coordination of worldwide military operations. It directly supports combatant commanders, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Secretary of Defense, and the President in the command of U.S. Armed Forces in peacetime contingencies and war. Structured to support the President and Secretary of Defense effectively and efficiently, the NMCC participates in a wide variety of activities, ranging from missile warning and attack assessment to management of peacetime contingencies such as Defense Support of Civil Authorities activities. In conjunction with monitoring the current worldwide situation, the Center alerts the Joint Staff and other national agencies to developing crises and will initially coordinate any military response required.
National Operations Center (NOC): Serves as the primary national hub for situational awareness and operations coordination across the Federal Government for incident management. The NOC provides the Secretary of Homeland Security and other principals with information necessary to make critical national-level incident management decisions.
National Planning Scenarios: Planning tools that represent a minimum number of credible scenarios depicting the range of potential terrorist attacks and natural disasters and related impacts facing our Nation. They form a basis for coordinated Federal planning, training, and exercises.
National Preparedness Guidelines: Guidance that establishes a vision for national preparedness and provides a systematic approach for prioritizing preparedness efforts across the Nation. These Guidelines focus policy, planning, and investments at all levels of government and the private sector. The Guidelines replace the Interim National Preparedness Goal and integrate recent lessons learned.
National Preparedness Vision: Provides a concise statement of the core preparedness goal for the Nation.
National Response Coordination Center (NRCC): As a component of the National Operations Center, serves as the Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency primary operations center responsible for national incident response and recovery as well as national resource coordination. As a 24/7 operations center, the NRCC monitors potential or developing incidents and supports the efforts of regional and field components.
National Response Framework (NRF): Guides how the Nation conducts all-hazards response. The Framework documents the key response principles, roles, and structures that organize national response. It describes how communities, States, the Federal Government, and private-sector and nongovernmental partners apply these principles for a coordinated, effective national response. And it describes special circumstances where the Federal Government exercises a larger role, including incidents where Federal interests are involved and catastrophic incidents where a State would require significant support. It allows first responders, decisionmakers, and supporting entities to provide a unified national response.
National Security Council (NSC): Advises the President on national strategic and policy during large-scale incidents. Together with the Homeland Security Council, ensures coordination for all homeland and national security-related activities among executive departments and agencies and promotes effective development and implementation of related policy.
National Urban Search and Rescue (SAR) Response System: Specialized teams that locate, rescue (extricate), and provide initial medical stabilization of victims trapped in confined spaces.
National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (National VOAD): A consortium of more than 30 recognized national organizations active in disaster relief. Their organizations provide capabilities to incident management and response efforts at all levels. During major incidents, National VOAD typically sends representatives to the National Response Coordination Center to represent the voluntary organizations and assist in response coordination.
Nongovernmental Organization (NGO): An entity with an association that is based on interests of its members, individuals, or institutions. It is not created by a government, but it may work cooperatively with government. Such organizations serve a public purpose, not a private benefit. Examples of NGOs include faith-based charity organizations and the American Red Cross. NGOs, including voluntary and faith-based groups, provide relief services to sustain life, reduce physical and emotional distress, and promote the recovery of disaster victims. Often these groups provide specialized services that help individuals with disabilities. NGOs and voluntary organizations play a major role in assisting emergency managers before, during, and after an emergency.
Officer: The ICS title for the personnel responsible for the Command Staff positions of Safety, Liaison, and Public Information.
Operations Section:
(1) Incident Command: Responsible for all tactical incident operations and implementation of the Incident Action Plan. In the Incident Command System, it normally includes subordinate Branches, Divisions, and/or Groups.
(2) Joint Field Office: Coordinates operational support with on-scene incident management efforts. Branches, divisions, and groups may be added or deleted as required, depending on the nature of the incident. The Operations Section is also responsible for coordinating with other Federal facilities that may be established to support incident management activities.
Operations Plan (OPLAN): A plan developed by and for each Federal department or agency describing detailed resource, personnel, and asset allocations necessary to support the concept of operations detailed in the Concept Plan.
Other Senior Officials: Representatives of other Federal departments and agencies; State, tribal, or local governments; and the private sector or nongovernmental organizations who may participate in a Unified Coordination Group.
Planned Event: A planned, nonemergency activity (e.g., sporting event, concert, parade, etc.).
Planning Section:
(1) Incident Command: Section responsible for the collection, evaluation, and dissemination of operational information related to the incident, and for the preparation and documentation of the Incident Action Plan. This Section also maintains information on the current and forecasted situation and on the status of resources assigned to the incident.
(2) Joint Field Office: Section that collects, evaluates, disseminates, and uses information regarding the threat or incident and the status of Federal resources. The Planning Section prepares and documents Federal support actions and develops unified action, contingency, long-term, and other plans.
Preparedness: Actions that involve a combination of planning, resources, training, exercising, and organizing to build, sustain, and improve operational capabilities. Preparedness is the process of identifying the personnel, training, and equipment needed for a wide range of potential incidents, and developing jurisdiction-specific plans for delivering capabilities when needed for an incident.
Pre-Positioned Resources: Resources moved to an area near the expected incident site in response to anticipated resource needs.
Pre-Scripted Mission Assignment: A mechanism used by the Federal Government to facilitate rapid Federal resource response. Pre-scripted mission assignments identify resources or capabilities that Federal departments and agencies, through various Emergency Support Functions (ESFs), are commonly called upon to provide during incident response. Pre-scripted mission assignments allow primary and supporting ESF agencies to organize resources that will be deployed during incident response. ,
Prevention: Actions to avoid an incident or to intervene to stop an incident from occurring. Prevention involves actions to protect lives and property. It involves applying intelligence and other information to a range of activities that may include such countermeasures as deterrence operations; heightened inspections; improved surveillance and security operations; investigations to determine the full nature and source of the threat; public health and agricultural surveillance and testing processes; immunizations, isolation, or quarantine; and, as appropriate, specific law enforcement operations aimed at deterring, preempting, interdicting, or disrupting illegal activity and apprehending potential perpetrators and bringing them to justice.
Primary Agency: See Emergency Support Function (ESF) Primary Agency.
Principal Federal Official (PFO): May be appointed to serve as the Secretary of Homeland Security’s primary representative to ensure consistency of Federal support as well as the overall effectiveness of the Federal incident management for catastrophic or unusually complex incidents that require extraordinary coordination.
Private Sector: Organizations and entities that are not part of any governmental structure. The private sector includes for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, formal and informal structures, commerce, and industry.
Protocol: A set of established guidelines for actions (which may be designated by individuals, teams, functions, or capabilities) under various specified conditions.
Public Information: Processes, procedures, and systems for communicating timely, accurate, accessible information on an incident’s cause, size, and current situation; resources committed; and other matters of general interest to the public, responders, and additional stakeholders (both directly affected and indirectly affected).
Public Information Officer (PIO): A member of the Command Staff responsible for interfacing with the public and media and/or with other agencies with incident-related information requirements.
Recovery: The development, coordination, and execution of service- and site-restoration plans; the reconstitution of government operations and services; individual, private-sector, nongovernmental, and public-assistance programs to provide housing and to promote restoration; long-term care and treatment of affected persons; additional measures for social, political, environmental, and economic restoration; evaluation of the incident to identify lessons learned; postincident reporting; and development of initiatives to mitigate the effects of future incidents.
Regional Response Coordination Centers (RRCCs): Located in each Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) region, these multiagency agency coordination centers are staffed by Emergency Support Functions in anticipation of a serious incident in the region or immediately following an incident. Operating under the direction of the FEMA Regional Administrator, the RRCCs coordinate Federal regional response efforts and maintain connectivity with State emergency operations centers, State fusion centers, Federal Executive Boards, and other Federal and State operations and coordination centers that have potential to contribute to development of situational awareness.
Resource Management: A system for identifying available resources at all jurisdictional levels to enable timely and unimpeded access to resources needed to prepare for, respond to, or recover from an incident. Resource management includes mutual aid and assistance agreements; the use of special Federal, State, tribal, and local teams; and resource mobilization protocols.
Resources: Personnel and major items of equipment, supplies, and facilities available or potentially available for assignment to incident operations and for which status is maintained. Under the National Incident Management System, resources are described by kind and type and may be used in operational support or supervisory capacities at an incident or at an emergency operations center.
Response: Immediate actions to save lives, protect property and the environment, and meet basic human needs. Response also includes the execution of emergency plans and actions to support short-term recovery.
Secretary of Defense: Responsible for homeland defense and may also authorize Defense Support of Civil Authorities for domestic incidents as directed by the President or when consistent with military readiness operations and appropriate under the circumstances and the law. When Department of Defense military forces are authorized to support the needs of civil authorities, command of those forces remains with the Secretary of Defense.
Secretary of Homeland Security: Serves as the principal Federal official for domestic incident management, which includes coordinating both Federal operations within the United States and Federal resources used in response to or recovery from terrorist attacks, major disasters, or other emergencies. The Secretary of Homeland Security is by Presidential directive and statutory authority also responsible for coordination of Federal resources utilized in the prevention of, preparation for, response to, or recovery from terrorist attacks, major disasters, or other emergencies, excluding law enforcement responsibilities otherwise reserved to the Attorney General.
Secretary of State: Responsible for managing international preparedness, response, and recovery activities relating to domestic incidents and the protection of U.S. citizens and U.S. interests overseas.
Section: The organizational level having responsibility for a major functional area of incident management (e.g., Operations, Planning, Logistics, Finance/Administration, and Intelligence/Investigations (if established)).
Senior Federal Law Enforcement Official (SFLEO): An official appointed by the Attorney General during an incident requiring a coordinated Federal response to coordinate all law enforcement, public safety, and security operations with intelligence or investigative law enforcement operations directly related to the incident. The SFLEO is a member of the Unified Coordination Group and, as such, is responsible to ensure that allocation of law enforcement requirements and resource allocations are coordinated as appropriate with all other members of the Group. In the event of a terrorist incident, the SFLEO will normally be a senior Federal Bureau of Investigation official who has coordinating authority over all law enforcement activities related to the incident, both those falling within the Attorney General’s explicit authority as recognized in Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5 and those otherwise directly related to the incident itself.
Short-Term Recovery: A process of recovery that is immediate and overlaps with response. It includes such actions as providing essential public health and safety services, restoring interrupted utility and other essential services, reestablishing transportation routes, and providing food and shelter for those displaced by a disaster. Although called "short term," some of these activities may last for weeks.
Situation Report: Document that contains confirmed or verified information and explicit details (who, what, where, and how) relating to an incident.
Situational Awareness: The ability to identify, process, and comprehend the critical elements of information about an incident.
Span of Control: The number of resources for which a supervisor is responsible, usually expressed as the ratio of supervisors to individuals. (Under the National Incident Management System, an appropriate span of control is between 1:3 and 1:7, with optimal being 1:5.)
Special Needs Population: Populations whose members may have additional needs before, during, and after an incident in functional areas, including but not limited to: maintaining independence, communication, transportation, supervision, and medical care. Individuals in need of additional response assistance may include those who have disabilities; who live in institutionalized settings; who are elderly; who are children; who are from diverse cultures; who have limited English proficiency or are non-English speaking; or who are transportation disadvantaged.
Stafford Act: The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, P.L. 93-288, as amended. This Act describes the programs and processes by which the Federal Government provides disaster and emergency assistance to State and local governments, tribal nations, eligible private nonprofit organizations, and individuals affected by a declared major disaster or emergency. The Stafford Act covers all hazards, including natural disasters and terrorist events.
Staging Area: Any location in which personnel, supplies, and equipment can be temporarily housed or parked while awaiting operational assignment.
Standard Operating Procedure (SOP): Complete reference document or an operations manual that provides the purpose, authorities, duration, and details for the preferred method of performing a single function or a number of interrelated functions in a uniform manner.
State: When capitalized, refers to any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any possession of the United States. See Section 2 (14), Homeland Security Act of 2002, P.L. 107−296, 116 Stat. 2135 (2002).
State Coordinating Officer (SCO): The individual appointed by the Governor to coordinate State disaster assistance efforts with those of the Federal Government. The SCO plays a critical role in managing the State response and recovery operations following Stafford Act declarations. The Governor of the affected State appoints the SCO, and lines of authority flow from the Governor to the SCO, following the State's policies and laws.
State Emergency Management Agency Director: The official responsible for ensuring that the State is prepared to deal with large-scale emergencies and for coordinating the State response in any incident. This includes supporting local governments as needed or requested and coordinating assistance with other States and/or the Federal Government.
State Homeland Security Advisor: Person who serves as counsel to the Governor on homeland security issues and may serve as a liaison between the Governor’s office, the State homeland security structure, the Department of Homeland Security, and other organizations both inside and outside of the State.
Status Report: Relays information specifically related to the status of resources (e.g., the availability or assignment of resources).
Strategic Guidance Statement and Strategic Plan: Documents that together define the broad national strategic objectives; delineate authorities, roles, and responsibilities; determine required capabilities; and develop performance and effectiveness measures essential to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from domestic incidents.
Strategic Information and Operations Center (SIOC): The focal point and operational control center for all Federal intelligence, law enforcement, and investigative law enforcement activities related to domestic terrorist incidents or credible threats, including leading attribution investigations. The SIOC serves as an information clearinghouse to help collect, process, vet, and disseminate information relevant to law enforcement and criminal investigation efforts in a timely manner.
Strategy: The general plan or direction selected to accomplish incident objectives.
Support Agency: See Emergency Support Function (ESF) Support Agency.
Support Annexes: Describe how Federal departments and agencies, the private sector, volunteer organizations, and nongovernmental organizations coordinate and execute the common support processes and administrative tasks required during an incident. The actions described in the Support Annexes are not limited to particular types of events, but are overarching in nature and applicable to nearly every type of incident.
Tactics: Deploying and directing resources on an incident to accomplish the objectives designated by the strategy.
Target Capabilities List: Defines specific capabilities that all levels of government should possess in order to respond effectively to incidents.
Task Force: Any combination of resources assembled to support a specific mission or operational need. All resource elements within a Task Force must have common communications and a designated leader.
Territories: Under the Stafford Act, U.S. territories are may receive federally coordinated response within the U.S. possessions, including the insular areas, and within the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). Stafford Act assistance is available to Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, which are included in the definition of "State" in the Stafford Act. At present, Stafford Act assistance also is available to the FSM and the RMI under the compact of free association.
Terrorism: As defined under the Homeland Security Act of 2002, any activity that involves an act dangerous to human life or potentially destructive of critical infrastructure or key resources; is a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State or other subdivision of the United States in which it occurs; and is intended to intimidate or coerce the civilian population or influence or affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping. See Section 2 (15), Homeland Security Act of 2002, P.L. 107−296, 116 Stat. 2135 (2002).
Threat: An indication of possible violence, harm, or danger.
Tribal: Referring to any Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including any Alaskan Native Village as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaskan Native Claims Settlement Act (85 Stat. 688) [43 U.S.C.A. and 1601 et seq.], that is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians.
Tribal Leader: Individual responsible for the public safety and welfare of the people of that tribe.
Unified Area Command: Command system established when incidents under an Area Command are multijurisdictional. See Area Command.
Unified Command (UC): An Incident Command System application used when more than one agency has 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.
Unified Coordination Group: Provides leadership within the Joint Field Office. The Unified Coordination Group is comprised of specified senior leaders representing State and Federal interests, and in certain circumstances tribal governments, local jurisdictions, the private sector, or nongovernmental organizations. The Unified Coordination Group typically consists of the Principal Federal Official (if designated), Federal Coordinating Officer, State Coordinating Officer, and senior officials from other entities with primary statutory or jurisdictional responsibility and significant operational responsibility for an aspect of an incident (e.g., the Senior Health Official, Department of Defense representative, or Senior Federal Law Enforcement Official if assigned). Within the Unified Coordination Group, the Federal Coordinating Officer is the primary Federal official responsible for coordinating, integrating, and synchronizing Federal response activities.
Unity of Command: Principle of management stating that each individual involved in incident operations will be assigned to only one supervisor.
Universal Task List: A menu of unique tasks that link strategies to prevention, protection, response, and recovery tasks for the major events represented by the National Planning Scenarios. It provides a common vocabulary of critical tasks that support development of essential capabilities among organizations at all levels. The List was used to assist in creating the Target Capabilities List.
Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Task Forces: A framework for structuring local emergency services personnel into integrated disaster response task forces. The 28 National US&R Task Forces, complete with the necessary tools, equipment, skills, and techniques, can be deployed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to assist State and local governments in rescuing victims of structural collapse incidents or to assist in other search and rescue missions.
Volunteer: Any individual accepted to perform services by the lead agency (which has authority to accept volunteer services) when the individual performs services without promise, expectation, or receipt of compensation for services performed. See 16 U.S.C. 742f(c) and 29 CFR 553.101.
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