Homeland Security Official Key Notes National Response Plan Workshop In Houston
Brown to Detail Plan's Focus on Coordinated Response to Disasters, Incidents of Terrorism
Release Date: May 24, 2005
Release Number: R6-05-072
DENTON, Texas -- Today, Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response and Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, announced details of President George W. Bush's new National Response Plan (NRP) to federal, state and local officials. Under Secretary Brown spoke to attendees participating in the Houston National Response Plan workshop, one of seven such workshops held nationwide in April and May.
"The goal of the National Response Plan is to make America safer, stronger and more prepared," Brown said. "There has never been a more important time to be prepared than now, and the Plan emphasizes that coordinated and united efforts make us more effective."
President Bush directed the development of the National Response Plan in Homeland Security Presidential Directive Number 5, in February 2003. The Plan, unveiled in January 2005, forms the basis for how the federal government will coordinate with state, local and tribal governments and the private sector during the response to a national incident.
The new federal plan takes best practices from a range of incident management disciplines including: homeland security, emergency management, law enforcement, firefighting, public works, public health and the private sector and integrates them into one unified structure. The unified structure promotes coordination among federal support to state, local and tribal incident managers.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is introducing the National Response Plan and the National Incident Management System to emergency responders nationwide through a comprehensive education effort that includes web-based and classroom training.
Today's workshop was designed to promote understanding among federal, state and local emergency officials. The kick-off workshop was held on April 13 in Washington D.C. Workshops also took place in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Seattle, with one scheduled for Miami.
For more information on the National Response Plan and the National Incident Management System, visit: www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/editorial/editorial_0566.xml.
FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 24-May-2005 08:58:22