Defense Coordinating Officer (DCO) / Defense Coordinating Element (DCE)
The Department of Defense (DoD) has appointed ten DCOs and assigned one to each FEMA region. If requested and approved, the DCO serves as DoD's single point of contact at the Joint Field Office (JFO). With few exceptions, requests for Defense Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA) originating at the JFO are coordinated with and processed through the DCO. The DCO has a Defense Coordinating Element (DCE) consisting of a staff and military liaison officers to facilitate coordination and support to activated Emergency Support Functions (ESFs). Specific responsibilities of the DCO (subject to modification based on the situation) include processing requirements for military support, forwarding mission assignments (MAs) to the appropriate military organizations through DoD-designated channels, and assigning military liaisons, as appropriate, to activated ESFs.
DCO Responsibilities:
- Subject Matter Expert for all state & federal emergency response plans
- Build synergy & habitual relationships with:
- FEMA staff,
- State emergency responders
- State Adjutant General and Joint Force Headquarters-State staff
- Key player in all local, state, federal, and DoD Homeland Defense and Civil Support exercises
- Oversight with all military installations regarding Base Support Installation (BSI) operations
- National Special Security Event (NSSE) planning and support
- Be prepared to conduct operations in another region
DCE Responsibilities:
- Deploy consistent with current response plans
- Represent the DoD in the disaster area
- Provide liaison to state, local, and other federal agencies
- Validate MAs from the Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO)
- Determine the best military resource for the mission
- Command and control of deployed DoD forces
State Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officers (EPLO) responsibilities:
- DoD liaison with states and federal agencies for DSCA
- Visibility with the National Guard
- Observe and participate in training exercises
- Non-affected EPLOs augment the Defense Coordinating Unit (DCU)
- Maintain situational awareness within the state
Regional EPLO responsibilities:
- Augment the DCU on activation
- Subject matter experts for the Region and on the DoD services
- Highly-trained in Request for Federal Assistance (RFA) and MA development
- Staff reserve element for the steady-state DCE
Last Modified: Friday, 11-Apr-2008 15:48:16 EDT