Good afternoon, Chairman Mitchell, Ranking Member Roe and members of the Subcommittee. Thank you for inviting me to appear before you today.

I am Steven Woodard, Director of Response Operations within the Response Directorate at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).  We look forward to working with Congress to ensure that our nation is prepared for all disasters.  It is often difficult to know if an event might be the initial phase of a larger, rapidly growing threat.  Response must be quickly scalable, flexible and adaptable.  To meet the challenge of that uncertainty, we have developed the National Response Framework (Framework) with our Federal partners. The Framework is a guide for how the Federal, state, local, and tribal governments, along with non-government organizations (NGOs) and private sector entities, will collectively respond to and recover from all disasters, particularly catastrophic disasters, regardless of their cause. The Framework details a dynamic and flexible response – one that can evolve to address new challenges we may face in the future.

Incidents begin and end locally, and most are wholly managed at the local level. Cognizant of this, we must manage these events at the lowest possible jurisdiction, supported by additional capabilities when needed. State and local governments are closest to those impacted by incidents, and have always had the lead in response and recovery.  During response, states play a key role coordinating resources and capabilities throughout the state and obtaining resources and capabilities from other states.  Many incidents require unified response from local agencies, NGOs, and the private sector, and some require additional involvement from neighboring jurisdictions or the state. A small number require Federal support.

National response protocols recognize this and are structured to provide additional, tiered levels of support when there is a need for more resources or capabilities to aid and sustain the response and initial recovery.  All levels should be prepared to respond, as well as have the capacity to anticipate resources that may be required.  The number, source, and type of resources must be able to expand rapidly to meet the needs of a given incident.  Layered, mutually supporting capabilities at Federal, state, tribal, and local levels allow for strategic collaboration during times of calm, as well as an effective and efficient response in times of need.

The Framework recognizes the need for collaboration among the myriad of entities and personnel involved in response efforts at all levels of government, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector.  The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which is the second largest of all Federal departments, is one of many agencies serving as cooperating/support for the Framework.  Specifically, the VA is a Support Agency for five ESFs:  ESF 3 (Public Works and Engineering), ESF 5 (Emergency Management), ESF 6 (Mass Care, Emergency Assistance, and Housing & Human Services), ESF 7 (Logistics Management and Resource Support) and ESF 8 (Public Health and Medical Services).   In my testimony, I will outline the different mechanisms available in order to create the most effective, cohesive, and efficient response capability to mitigate the damage caused by disasters.

Coordination of Federal Responsibilities

The President leads the Federal government response effort to ensure that the necessary coordinating structures, leadership, and resources are applied quickly and efficiently to large-scale catastrophic incidents. The President’s National Security Staff, which brings together Cabinet officers and other department or agency heads as necessary, provides strategic policy advice to the President during large-scale incidents that affect the nation.

Federal disaster assistance is often thought of as synonymous with Presidential declarations and the Stafford Act; however, Federal assistance can also be provided to state, tribal, and local jurisdictions, as well as to other Federal departments and agencies, through various mechanisms and authorities. Often, Federal assistance does not require coordination by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and can be provided without a Presidential major disaster or emergency declaration. Examples of these types of assistance include those described in the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan, the Mass Migration Emergency Plan, the National Search and Rescue Plan, and the National Maritime Security Plan. These and other supplemental agency or interagency plans, compacts, and agreements may be implemented concurrently with the Framework, but are subordinated to its overarching coordinating structures, processes, and protocols.

When the overall coordination of Federal response activities is required, it is implemented through DHS, consistent with Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 5.Other Federal departments and agencies carry out their response authorities and responsibilities within this overarching construct. Nothing in the Framework alters or impedes the ability of Federal, state, tribal, or local departments and agencies to carry out their specific authorities or perform their responsibilities under all applicable laws, executive orders, and directives. Additionally, it does not impact or impede the ability of any Federal department or agency to take an issue of concern directly to the President or any member of the President’s staff.

Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act

When it is clear that state capabilities will be exceeded, the Governor can request Federal assistance, including assistance under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act). The Stafford Act authorizes the President to provide financial and other forms of assistance to state and local governments, certain private nonprofit organizations, and individuals to support response, recovery, and mitigation efforts following presidential emergency or major disaster declarations.

The Stafford Act is invoked when an event causes damage of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant Federal disaster assistance to supplement the efforts and available resources of states, local governments, and disaster relief organizations in alleviating damage, loss, hardship, or suffering.

Other Federal Departments and Agencies

Under the Framework, various Federal departments or agencies may play primary, coordinating and support roles based on their authorities and resources, and on the nature of the threat or incident.

In situations where a Federal department or agency is responsible for directing or managing a major aspect of a response coordinated by DHS, that organization is part of the national leadership for the incident.  In addition, several Federal departments and agencies have their own authorities to declare disasters or emergencies. For example, the Secretary of Health and Human Services can declare a public health emergency.  When those declarations are part of an incident requiring a coordinated Federal response, departments or agencies act within the overall coordination structure outlined in the Framework.

Federal Actions

FEMA and DHS engage the Federal interagency on a daily basis through numerous channels.  Formally, we do so through a Disaster Resilience Group (DRG), which is composed of cabinet level departments and agencies, including the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, and is hosted by the National Security Staff.  The DRG serves as a forum for interagency planning, discussion and policy formation with respect to disaster preparedness.

In the event of, or in anticipation of, an incident requiring a coordinated Federal response, the FEMA National Response Coordination Center (NRCC) notifies other Federal departments and agencies of the situation and specifies the level of activation required. After being notified, departments and agencies:

• Identify and mobilize staff to fulfill their department’s or agency’s responsibilities, including identifying appropriate subject matter experts and other staff to support department operations centers.
• Identify staff for deployment to the DHS National Operations Center (NOC), the NRCC, FEMA Regional Response Coordination Centers (RRCCs), or other operations centers as needed, such as the FBI’s Joint Operations Center. These organizations have standard procedures and call-down lists, and will notify department or agency points of contact if deployment is necessary.
• Identify staff that can be dispatched to the incident Joint Field Office (JFO), including Federal officials representing those departments and agencies with specific authorities.  They must also identify lead personnel for the JFO Sections (Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Administration and Finance) and the Framework Emergency Support Functions (ESF).
• Begin activating and staging Federal teams and other resources in support of the Federal response as requested by DHS or in accordance with department or agency authorities.
• Execute pre-scripted mission assignments and readiness contracts, as directed by DHS.

Some Federal departments or agencies may deploy to an incident under their own authorities. In these circumstances, Federal departments or agencies will notify the appropriate entities such as the NOC, JFO, State Emergency Operation Centers (EOC), and the local Incident Command.

Federal-to-Federal Support

Federal departments and agencies execute interagency or intra-agency reimbursable agreements, in accordance with the Economy Act or other applicable authorities. The Framework’s Financial Management Support Annex outlines this process. Additionally, a Federal department or agency responding to an incident under its own jurisdictional authorities may request DHS coordination to obtain further Federal assistance.

In such cases, DHS may activate one or more ESF to coordinate required support. Federal departments and agencies must plan for Federal-to-Federal support missions, identify additional issues that may arise when providing assistance to other Federal departments and agencies, and address those issues in the planning process. When providing Federal-to-Federal support, DHS may designate a Federal Resource Coordinator.

National Response Coordination Center (NRCC)

The NRCC is FEMA’s primary operations management center, as well as the focal point for national resource coordination. As a 24/7 operations center, the NRCC monitors potential or developing incidents and supports the efforts of regional and field components.

The NRCC also has the capacity to increase staffing immediately in anticipation of or in response to an incident by activating the full range of ESFs and personnel as needed to supply resources and policy guidance to a JFO or other local incident management structures. The NRCC provides overall emergency management coordination, conducts operational planning, deploys national-level entities, and collects and disseminates incident information as it builds and maintains a common operating picture. Representatives of nonprofit organizations may also participate in the NRCC to enhance information exchange and cooperation between these entities and the Federal government. 

Emergency Support Functions (ESFs)

FEMA coordinates response support from across the Federal government and certain NGOs by activating, as needed, one or more of the 15 ESFs. The ESFs are coordinated by FEMA through its NRCC.  During a response, ESFs are a critical mechanism to coordinate functional capabilities and resources provided by Federal departments and agencies, along with certain private-sector and NGOs. They represent an effective way to bundle and funnel resources and capabilities to local, tribal, state and other responders. While these functions are coordinated by a single agency, they may rely on several agencies to supply resources for each functional area. The mission of the ESFs is to create an efficient, interagency channel to access the vast disaster response capabilities of the Federal government.  During large disasters, FEMA hosts video teleconferences with over 200 departments and agencies to synchronize response efforts between Federal responders, states impacted by the disasters, the JFO, the NRCC and the RRCCs.  During these video teleconferences, approximately 30-40 agencies, including the VA, provide updates on the situation.

The ESFs serve as the primary operational-level mechanism to provide assistance in functional areas such as transportation, communications, public works and engineering, firefighting, mass care, housing, human services, public health and medical services, search and rescue, agriculture and natural resources, and energy.

Each ESF is comprised of an overall coordinator as well as primary and support agencies. The Framework identifies primary agencies on the basis of authorities, resources and capabilities. Support agencies are assigned based on resources and capabilities in a given functional area. The resources provided by the ESFs are consistent with resource-typing categories identified in the National Incident Management System (NIMS).

As stated earlier, the VA is a Support Agency for five ESFs:  3, 5, 6, 7 and 8.  The VA can provide available resources requested directly by FEMA or by the primary agencies in charge of the ESFs – most frequently from the Department of Health and Human Services, the primary agency for ESF 8.  During a presidentially declared disaster, the VA assists the Secretary of HHS with numerous ESF 8 responsibilities.  These include coordinating available hospital beds, additional personnel and supplies, and providing technical assistance.  In addition, FEMA has a Pre-Scripted Mission Assignment for the VA to provide technical assistance to FEMA in support of Housing Task Forces established in response to a disaster.  Other resources the VA has provided during recent disasters include staffing assistance to call centers. 

ESFs may be selectively activated for both Stafford Act and non-Stafford Act incidents under circumstances as defined in HSPD-5. Not all incidents requiring Federal support result in the activation of ESFs. FEMA can deploy assets and capabilities through ESFs into an area in anticipation of an approaching storm or other event that is expected to cause significant harm. The coordination between ESFs allows FEMA to position Federal support for a quick response, though actual assistance cannot normally be provided until the Governor requests and receives a Presidential major disaster or emergency declaration. Many states have also organized an ESF structure along this approach.

When ESFs are activated, they may have a headquarters, regional, and field presence. At FEMA headquarters, the ESFs support the strategy and coordination of field operations within the NRCC. The ESFs deliver a broad range of technical support and other services at the regional level in the RRCCs, and in the JFO and Incident Command Posts, as required by the incident. At all levels, FEMA issues mission assignments to obtain resources and capabilities from across the ESFs.

The ESFs also plan and support response activities. At the headquarters, regional, and field levels, ESFs provide staff to support the incident command sections for operations, planning, logistics, and finance/administration, as requested. The incident command structure enables the ESFs to work collaboratively. For example, if a state requests assistance with a mass evacuation, the JFO would request personnel from ESF 1 (Transportation), ESF 6 (Mass Care, Emergency Assistance, Housing, and Human Services), and ESF 8 (Public Health and Medical Services). These would then be integrated into a single branch or group within the Operations Section to ensure effective coordination of evacuation services. The same structures are used to organize ESF response at the field, regional, and headquarters levels.

To support an effective response, all ESFs are required to have strategic and highly detailed operational plans that include all participating organizations, and engage both the private sector and NGOs as appropriate. The ongoing support, coordination, and integration of ESFs and their work are some of FEMA’s core responsibilities in its response leadership role for DHS.

NRF Support and Incident Annexes

In addition to the ESFs, support is harnessed among Federal, private sector and NGO partners in the NRF Support and Incident Annexes. By serving as coordinating or cooperating agencies for various Support or Incident Annexes, Federal departments and agencies conduct a variety of activities to include managing specific functions and missions or providing overarching Federal support within their functional areas. For example, the Department of Veterans Affairs serves as a Cooperating Agency for the Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources Support Function.

Conclusion

Our nation must be prepared to meet all challenges.  FEMA recognizes that disaster events, regardless of magnitude, can be devastating to the people and communities affected.  The Framework establishes a comprehensive, national all-hazards approach to domestic incident response that brings together all levels of government and private-sector businesses and organizations. The Framework integrates our nation’s response plans, capabilities, and preparedness activities around common principles, and allows FEMA and its Federal colleagues to be more agile and responsive partners with the states and the public following a disaster.  Thank you for the opportunity to testify and I look forward to any questions the Committee may have.