Emergency Support Functions

Introduction

The Emergency Support Function (ESF) system represents the critical elements of emergency management and is composed of various federal agencies which manage and coordinate key assistance common to all disaster types. The system establishes the framework to conduct emergency operations in support of natural and manmade disasters. It is modular and may require the employment of all fifteen ESFs to manage a large-scale natural or manmade disaster, or a massive terrorist event while a smaller, more manageable event may only require the activation of a select few. The system outlines requirements for sharing resources to coordinate, prepare for, mitigate, respond to, and recovery from a disaster situation. ESFs help involved agencies structure activities into an organized manner consistent with their capabilities, skills, resources and authorities across the state and district government. The ESF system also attempts to unify efforts for comprehensive state emergency management involvement.

History

The ESF concept was developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the late 1980s to address the potential management concerns that would be necessary to coordinate a federal response in the event of a catastrophic California earthquake. The National Response Plan (NRP), signed by the Secretary of Homeland Security in December 2004, provides detailed discussion on the fifteen ESFs established to coordinate Federal interagency support for Incidents of National Significance and provide optimal support of evolving incident management requirements.

Employment

When a disaster occurs, local jurisdiction first responders employ their capabilities to respond and if overwhelmed, request state assistance. The state responds until its resources are exhausted or soon will be and then turn to federal assistance. The President, acting upon advice from the FEMA Director and the Governor will either declare or deny a major disaster. If approved and signed, the declaration will include the area affected, starting date, and appointment of a Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO). The FCO will proceed to the scene of the disaster in conjunction with the Emergency Response Team (ERT) and set up a Disaster Field Office (DFO). The ERT is task-organized based on the needs of state but if large in scale, usually include representative from the fifteen ESFs.

Description of ESFs

ESF 1: Transportation. Provides transportation support to assist in domestic incident management, coordinates alternate transportation services, the restoration and recovery of the transportation infrastructure.

• Lead Agent: Department of Transportation

ESF 2: Communications. Coordinates Federal actions to provide the required temporary National Security and Emergency Preparedness (NS/EP) telecommunications, and the restoration of the telecommunications infrastructure.

• Lead Agent: Department of Homeland Security, National Communications System, Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection

ESF 3: Public Works and Engineering. Conducts pre- and post-incident assessments of public works and infrastructure, executes emergency contact support for live-saving and life-sustaining services. Provides for building inspection and condemnation, route clearance and bridge inspection, debris removal, water and wastewater systems.

• Lead Agent: Department of Defense, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

ESF 4: Firefighting. Manages and coordinates firefighting activities, including detection and suppression of fires on Federal lands, provides personnel, equipment and supplies in support of State, local, and tribal agencies involved in rural and urban firefighting operations.

• Lead Agent: U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service

ESF 5: Emergency Management. Supports overall activities of the Federal Government for domestic incident management. Collects, analyzes and disseminates critical information to facilitate the overall federal response and recovery operations.

• Lead Agent: Department of Homeland Security, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

ESF 6: Mass Care, Housing, and Human Services. Supports efforts to address the non-medical mass care, housing and human services needs of individuals and families impacted by disasters. Provides for shelter and mass care operations, disaster victim services.

• Lead Agent: Department of Homeland Security, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

ESF 7: Resource Support. Provides equipment, materials, supplies and personnel to federal entities during response operations.

• Lead Agent: General Services Administration

ESF 8: Public Health and Medical Services. Provides assistance for emergency medical services, public health and crisis intervention support.

• Lead Agent: Department of Health and Human Services

ESF 9: Urban Search and Rescue. Coordinates state assistance in locating missing persons as a result of a number of reasons, natural disaster, lost in wooded or other environments, escaped prisoners or detainees, downed aircraft, accident victim extricated.

• Lead Agent: Department of Homeland Security, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

ESF 10: Oil and Hazardous Materials Response. Provides for a coordinated response to actual or potential oil and hazardous materials incidents and includes the appropriate response and recovery actions to prepare for, prevent, minimize, or mitigate a threat.

• Lead Agent: Environmental Protection Agency

ESF 11: Agriculture and Natural Resources. Provides for four primary functions including, provision of nutrition assistance by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), animal and plant disease and pest response, assurance of the safety and security of the commercial food supply, protection of natural and cultural resources and historic properties.

• Lead Agent: U.S. Department of Agriculture

ESF 12: Energy. Collects, evaluates, and shares information on energy system damage and estimations on the impact of energy system outrages within affected areas.

• Lead Agent: Department of Energy

ESF 13: Public Safety and Security. Support force and critical infrastructure protection, security planning and technical assistance, technology support, and public safety in both pre-incident and post-incident situations.

• Lead Agent: Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice

ESF 14: Long-term Community Recovery and Mitigation. Policies and concepts apply to appropriate Federal departments and agencies following a major incident that affects the long-term recovery of a community. Provides for disaster relief assistance including the Individual and Family Grant Program, Small Business Administration’s loan programs, unemployment compensation, and various other disaster relief programs and, addresses the long-term economic impact of disasters.

• Lead Agent: Department of Homeland Security, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

ESF 15: External Affairs. Ensures that sufficient Federal assets are deployed to the field during a potential or actual event to provide accurate, coordinated, and timely information to those affected, government, and media.

• Lead Agent: Department of Homeland Security

-- MikeLawrence - 14 Nov 2005