Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
TITLE I—DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
SEC. 101. EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT; MISSION.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a Department of Homeland Security, as an
executive department of the United States
within the meaning of title 5, United States Code.
(b) MISSION.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The primary mission of the Department
is to—
(A) prevent terrorist attacks within the United States;
(B) reduce the vulnerability of the United States to terrorism;
(C) minimize the damage, and assist in the recovery, from terrorist attacks that do occur within the United States;
(D) carry out all functions of entities transferred to the Department, including by acting as a focal point regarding natural and manmade crises and emergency planning;
(E) ensure that the functions of the agencies and subdivisions within the Department that are not related directly to securing the homeland are not diminished or neglected except by a specific explicit Act of Congress;
(F) ensure that the overall economic security of the United States is not diminished by efforts, activities, and programs aimed at securing the homeland; and
(G) monitor connections between illegal drug trafficking and terrorism, coordinate efforts to sever such connections, and otherwise contribute to efforts to interdict illegal drug trafficking.
Disaster
A dangerous event that causes significant human and economic loss and demands a crisis response beyond the scope of local and State resources. Disasters are distinguished from emergencies by the greater level of response required.
The Stafford Act defines a major disaster that can result in Federal assistance.
“Major disaster’ means 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 State and local governments, and disaster relief organizations in alleviating the damage, loss, hardship, or suffering caused thereby.”
Emergency
dangerous event that normally can be managed at the local level. The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 USC 5121, et seq., as amended by the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, Pub L. No. 106-390, 114 Stat. 1552 (2000) (the Stafford Act) defines an emergency that can result in Federal assistance. 
Note: Your State Governor can request and receive Federal assistance for some severe emergencies.
Emergency Coordination Officer (ECO)
The State Emergency Response Team is comprised of Emergency
Coordination Officers who are selected by the agency head of the agency they
represent. Each Emergency Coordination Officer serves in a primary or support
role in a designated Emergency Support Function. Furthermore, as apart of the
State Emergency Response Team, they serve as an integral part of emergency
operations in other capacities, i.e., as members of the Rapid Impact Assessment
Teams (RIAT), Advance Teams and as part of a Disaster Field Office (DFO). Thus,
the
Emergency Coordination Officers, as a part of the State Emergency Response Team,
serve in an operational and advisory capacity by developing
recommendations and implementing actions for improving the State’s emergency
management program.
Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
The central location from which all off-scene activities are coordinated. Senior elected and appointed officials are located at the EOC, as well as personnel supporting critical functions, such as operations, planning, logistics, and finance and administration. The key function of EOC personnel is to ensure that those who are located at the scene have the resources (i.e., personnel, tools, and equipment) they need for the response. In large emergencies and disasters, the EOC also acts as a liaison between local responders and the State. (Note that States operate EOCs as well and can activate them as necessary to support local operations. State EOC personnel report to the Governor and act as a liaison between local and Federal personnel.)Emergency Management
Emergency Management is organized analysis, planning, decision-making, and assignment of available resources to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from the effects of all hazards.
The goals of emergency management are to:
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Save lives.
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Prevent injuries.
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Protect property and the environment.
Emergency Support Function
Describe the mission, policies, concept of operations, and
responsibilities of the primary and support agencies involved in the
implementation of key response functions that supplement State and local
activities. Florida's Comprehensive Emergency Plan ESFs include Transportation,
Communications, Public Works and Engineering, Firefighting, Information and
Planning, Mass Care, Resource Support, Health and Medical Services, Urban Search
and Rescue, Hazardous Materials, Food and Water, Energy, Military Support,
Public Information, Volunteers & Donations, Law Enforcement & Security, and
Animals and Agriculture.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
The Federal Emergency Management Agency - a former independent agency that became part of the new Department of Homeland Security in March 2003 - is tasked with responding to, planning for, recovering from and mitigating against disasters. In March 2003, FEMA joined 22 other federal agencies, programs and offices in becoming the Department of Homeland Security. The new department brought a coordinated approach to national security from emergencies and disasters - both natural and man-made. Today, FEMA is one of four major branches of DHS. About 2,500 full-time employees in the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate are supplemented by more than 5,000 stand-by disaster reservists.
Hazard
A dangerous event or circumstance that has the potential to lead to an emergency or disaster. Natural hazards are caused by natural events that pose a threat to lives, property, and other assets. Technological hazards are caused by the tools, machines, and substances we use in everyday life. Intentional hazards, such as terrorism or riots, are deliberately caused by people attacking or damaging what is valuable in a society.
Incident Command System, or ICS
ICS is the model tool for command, control, and coordination of a response
and provides a means to coordinate the efforts of individual agencies as they
work toward the common goal of stabilizing the incident and protecting life,
property, and the environment. ICS uses principles that have been proven to
improve efficiency and effectiveness in a business setting and applies the
principles to emergency response. The ICS organization is built around five
major components:
- Command
- Planning
- Operations
- Logistics
- Finance/Administration
Integrated Emergency Management System
Without planning and coordination, emergency operations can suffer from serious misdirection. To facilitate rapid, efficient emergency operations, a system is required that enables all participants in the incident to work together. An integrated emergency management system is a conceptual framework to increase emergency management capability by networking. That increased capability would not be readily available, especially in a disaster, without establishing prior networking, coordination, linkages, interoperability, partnerships, and creative thinking about resource shortfalls. The system should address all hazards that threaten a community, be useful in all four phases of emergency management, seek resources from any and all sources that are appropriate, and knit together all partnerships and participants for a mutual goalNational Incident Management System (NIMS)
On February 28, 2003, the President issued Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD)–5, Management of Domestic Incidents, which directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop and administer a National Incident Management System (NIMS). This system provides a consistent nationwide template to enable Federal, State, local, and tribal governments and private-sector and nongovernmental organizations to work together effectively and efficiently to prepare for, prevent, respond to, and recover from domestic incidents, regardless of cause, size, or complexity, including acts of catastrophic terrorism. This document establishes the basic elements of the NIMS and provides mechanisms for the further development and refinement of supporting national standards, guidelines, protocols, systems, and technologies.
Phases of Emergency Management
An emergency management program examines potential emergencies and disasters based on the risks posed by likely hazards; develops and implements programs aimed toward reducing the impact of these events on the community, prepares for those risks that cannot be eliminated; and prescribes the actions required to deal with the consequences of actual events and to recover from those events.
Emergency activities are divided into four phases that form a cycle. The phases of the cycle are:
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Mitigation—Taking sustained actions to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from hazards and their effects.
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Preparedness—Building the emergency management function to respond effectively to, and recover from, any hazard.
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Response—Conducting emergency operations to save lives and property by taking action to reduce the hazard to acceptable levels (or eliminate it entirely); evacuating potential victims; providing food, water, shelter, and medical care to those in need; and restoring critical public services.
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Recovery—Rebuilding communities so that individuals, businesses, and governments can function on their own, return to normal life, and protect against future hazards.
Following the emergency, we learn how to mitigate, prepare, and respond better. As we revise our efforts, the cycle repeats.
State Emergency Response Team
Pursuant to Section 252.365, Florida Statutes, the State Emergency Response Team (SERT) is established as an advisory body to coordinate with the Division of Emergency Management emergency management functions to prepare for, respond to, recovery from, and mitigate the impact of a variety of hazards that could impact the State of Florida. The State Emergency Response Team advises specifically on such issues as policies, plans, procedures, training, exercises, and public education.
Unified Command
Advantages of Using Unified Command
• A single set of objectives is developed for the entire incident
• A collective approach is used to develop strategies to achieve incident
objectives
• Information flow and coordination is improved between all jurisdictions and
agencies involved in the incident
• All agencies with responsibility for the incident have an understanding of
joint priorities and restrictions
• No agency’s legal authorities will be compromised or neglected
• The combined efforts of all agencies are optimized as they perform their
respective assignments under a single Incident Action Plan