Basic Plan

6. Responsibilities

1. ESF Primary Agencies


A Federal agency designated as an ESF primary agency serves as a Federal executive agent under the FCO to accomplish the ESF mission.  When an ESF is activated in response to a disaster, the primary agency for the ESF has operational responsibility for:
 

1. Orchestrating the Federal agency support within the functional area for an affected State;

 
2. Providing an appropriate level of staffing for operations at FEMA Headquarters, the ROC, DFO, and DRC;

 
3. Activating and subtasking support agencies;

 
4. Managing mission assignments and coordinating tasks with support agencies, as well as appropriate State agencies;

 
5. Supporting and keeping other ESFs and organizational elements informed of ESF operational priorities and activities;

 
6. Executing contracts and procuring goods and services as needed;

 
7. Ensuring financial and property accountability for ESF activities; and

 
8. Supporting planning for short- and long-term disaster operations.

 
2. ESF Support Agencies


When an ESF is activated in response to a disaster, each support agency for the ESF has operational responsibility for:
 

1. Supporting the ESF primary agency when requested by conducting operations using its authorities, cognizant expertise, capabilities, or resources;

 
2. Supporting the primary agency mission assignments;

 
3. Providing status and resource information to the primary agency;

 
4. Following established financial and property accountability procedures; and

 
5. Supporting planning for short- and long-term disaster operations.

 
3. Recovery Agencies


In recovery operations, each Federal agency has responsibility for:
 

1. Supporting the FCO in identifying needs and addressing recovery and mitigation program implementation;

 
2. Executing agency programs in an interagency, intergovernmental partnership environment;

 
3. Obtaining funding from the agency’s own statutory sources;

 
4. Providing the appropriate level of program staffing to meet common customer service goals and to represent the agency on the ERT;

 
5. Providing status information to the FCO and SCO; and

 
6. Supporting planning for short- and long-term disaster recovery and mitigation operations.

 
4. Other Federal Agencies


Other Federal agencies not signatories to the FRP may have authorities, expertise, capabilities, or resources that may be required to support disaster operations.  Those agencies may be requested to participate in Federal planning and operations activities, designate staff to serve as representatives to the CDRG, and/or provide support to the field.
 

5. Planning


FEMA is responsible for coordinating overall planning under the FRP, including review and revision of the FRP, related annexes, and supporting operational procedures.  Primary, support, and recovery agencies are responsible for planning and coordinating the delivery of disaster assistance.  Primary agencies are responsible for taking the lead in preparing and maintaining their specific ESF annex to the FRP.  All agencies will contribute to the  development of supporting material to the FRP, including headquarters annexes and appendices, as well as regional supplements describing specific policies and procedures for disaster operations.

At the headquarters level, the ESF Leaders Group (ESFLG) is the principal body that addresses FRP planning and implementation at the working level.  It handles issue formulation and resolution, review of after-action reports, significant changes to FRP planning and implementation strategies, and other FRP-related operational issues that involve interagency resolution.  The ESFLG forwards to the CDRG issues that cannot be resolved at the working level.  Federal agencies designate representatives to serve on the CDRG, ESFLG, and other interagency bodies and working groups.  Agencies also participate in FRP exercise, training, and postevent evaluation activities.

In each of the 10 standard Federal regions, a Regional Interagency Steering Committee (RISC) exists to coordinate interagency and intergovernmental issues related to disaster planning and operations.  Federal agencies designate representatives to serve on the RISC and participate in regional preparedness activities.  Additionally, State emergency management agencies are encouraged to send representatives to RISC meetings and to participate in regional exercise and training activities.