Purpose
(1) This directive establishes policies to strengthen the
preparedness of the United States to prevent and respond to
threatened or actual domestic terrorist attacks, major disasters,
and other emergencies by requiring a national domestic all-hazards
preparedness goal, establishing mechanisms for improved delivery
of Federal preparedness assistance to State and local governments,
and outlining actions to strengthen preparedness capabilities of
Federal, State, and local entities.
Definitions
(2) For the purposes of this directive:
(a) The term "all-hazards preparedness" refers to preparedness
for domestic terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other
emergencies.
(b) The term "Federal departments and agencies" means those
executive depart-ments enumerated in 5 U.S.C. 101, and the
Department of Homeland Security; independent establishments as
defined by 5 U.S.C. 104(1); Government corporations as defined by
5 U.S.C. 103(1); and the United States Postal Service.
(c) The term "Federal preparedness assistance" means Federal
department and agency grants, cooperative agreements, loans, loan
guarantees, training, and/or technical assistance provided to
State and local governments and the private sector to prevent,
prepare for, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks, major
disasters, and other emergencies. Unless noted otherwise, the term
"assistance" will refer to Federal assistance programs.
(d) The term "first responder" refers to those individuals who
in the early stages of an incident are responsible for the
protection and preservation of life, property, evidence, and the
environment, including emergency response providers as defined in
section 2 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 101), as
well as emergency management, public health, clinical care, public
works, and other skilled support personnel (such as equipment
operators) that provide immediate support services during
prevention, response, and recovery operations.
(e) The terms "major disaster" and "emergency" have the
meanings given in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122).
(f) The term "major events" refers to domestic terrorist
attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies.
(g) The term "national homeland security preparedness-related
exercises" refers to homeland security-related exercises that
train and test national decision makers and utilize resources of
multiple Federal departments and agencies. Such exercises may
involve State and local first responders when appropriate. Such
exercises do not include those exercises conducted solely within a
single Federal department or agency.
(h) The term "preparedness" refers to the existence of plans,
procedures, policies, training, and equipment necessary at the
Federal, State, and local level to maximize the ability to
prevent, respond to, and recover from major events. The term
"readiness" is used interchangeably with preparedness.
(i) The term "prevention" refers to activities undertaken by
the first responder community during the early stages of an
incident to reduce the likelihood or consequences of threatened or
actual terrorist attacks. More general and broader efforts to
deter, disrupt, or thwart terrorism are not addressed in this
directive.
(j) The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of Homeland
Security.
(k) The terms "State," and "local government," when used in a
geographical sense, have the same meanings given to those terms in
section 2 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 101).
Relationship to HSPD-5
(3) This directive is a companion to HSPD-5, which identifies
steps for improved coordination in response to incidents. This
directive describes the way Federal departments and agencies will
prepare for such a response, including prevention activities
during the early stages of a terrorism incident.
Development of a National Preparedness Goal
(4) The Secretary is the principal Federal official for
coordinating the implementation of all-hazards preparedness in the
United States. In cooperation with other Federal departments and
agencies, the Secretary coordinates the preparedness of Federal
response assets, and the support for, and assessment of, the
preparedness of State and local first responders.
(5) To help ensure the preparedness of the Nation to prevent,
respond to, and recover from threatened and actual domestic
terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies, the
Secretary, in coordination with the heads of other appropriate
Federal departments and agencies and in consultation with State
and local governments, shall develop a national domestic
all-hazards preparedness goal. Federal departments and agencies
will work to achieve this goal by:
(a) providing for effective, efficient, and timely delivery of
Federal preparedness assistance to State and local governments;
and
(b) supporting efforts to ensure first responders are prepared
to respond to major events, especially prevention of and response
to threatened terrorist attacks.
(6) The national preparedness goal will establish measurable
readiness priorities and targets that appropriately balance the
potential threat and magnitude of terrorist attacks, major
disasters, and other emergencies with the resources required to
prevent, respond to, and recover from them. It will also include
readiness metrics and elements that support the national
preparedness goal including standards for preparedness assessments
and strategies, and a system for assessing the Nation's overall
preparedness to respond to major events, especially those
involving acts of terrorism.
(7) The Secretary will submit the national preparedness goal to
me through the Homeland Security Council (HSC) for review and
approval prior to, or concurrently with, the Department of
Homeland Security's Fiscal Year 2006 budget submission to the
Office of Management and Budget.
Federal Preparedness Assistance
(8) The Secretary, in coordination with the Attorney General,
the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the heads of
other Federal departments and agencies that provide assistance for
first responder preparedness, will establish a single point of
access to Federal preparedness assistance program information
within 60 days of the issuance of this directive. The Secretary
will submit to me through the HSC recommendations of specific
Federal department and agency programs to be part of the
coordinated approach. All Federal departments and agencies will
cooperate with this effort. Agencies will continue to issue
financial assistance awards consistent with applicable laws and
regulations and will ensure that program announcements,
solicitations, application instructions, and other guidance
documents are consistent with other Federal preparedness programs
to the extent possible. Full implementation of a closely
coordinated interagency grant process will be completed by
September 30, 2005.
(9) To the extent permitted by law, the primary mechanism for
delivery of Federal preparedness assistance will be awards to the
States. Awards will be delivered in a form that allows the
recipients to apply the assistance to the highest priority
preparedness requirements at the appro-priate level of government.
To the extent permitted by law, Federal preparedness assistance
will be predicated on adoption of Statewide comprehensive
all-hazards preparedness strategies. The strategies should be
consistent with the national preparedness goal, should assess the
most effective ways to enhance preparedness, should address areas
facing higher risk, especially to terrorism, and should also
address local government concerns and Citizen Corps efforts. The
Secretary, in coordination with the heads of other appropriate
Federal departments and agencies, will review and approve
strategies submitted by the States. To the extent permitted by
law, adoption of approved Statewide strategies will be a
requirement for receiving Federal preparedness assistance at all
levels of government by September 30, 2005.
(10) In making allocations of Federal preparedness assistance
to the States, the Secretary, the Attorney General, the Secretary
of HHS, the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of Energy,
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency, and the heads of other Federal
departments and agencies that provide assistance for first
responder preparedness will base those allocations on assessments
of population concentrations, critical infrastructures, and other
significant risk factors, particularly terrorism threats, to the
extent permitted by law.
(11) Federal preparedness assistance will support State and
local entities' efforts including planning, training, exercises,
interoperability, and equipment acquisition for major events as
well as capacity building for prevention activities such as
information gathering, detection, deterrence, and collaboration
related to terrorist attacks. Such assistance is not primarily
intended to support existing capacity to address normal local
first responder operations, but to build capacity to address major
events, especially terrorism.
(12) The Attorney General, the Secretary of HHS, the Secretary
of Transportation, the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs, the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency, and the heads of other Federal departments and
agencies that provide assistance for first responder preparedness
shall coordinate with the Secretary to ensure that such assistance
supports and is consistent with the national preparedness goal.
(13) Federal departments and agencies will develop appropriate
mechanisms to ensure rapid obligation and disbursement of funds
from their programs to the States, from States to the local
community level, and from local entities to the end users to
derive maximum benefit from the assistance provided. Federal
departments and agencies will report annually to the Secretary on
the obligation, expenditure status, and the use of funds
associated with Federal preparedness assistance programs.
Equipment
(14) The Secretary, in coordination with State and local
officials, first responder organizations, the private sector and
other Federal civilian departments and agencies, shall establish
and implement streamlined procedures for the ongoing development
and adoption of appropriate first responder equipment standards
that support nationwide interoperability and other capabilities
consistent with the national preparedness goal, including the
safety and health of first responders.
(15) To the extent permitted by law, equipment purchased
through Federal preparedness assistance for first responders shall
conform to equipment standards in place at time of purchase. Other
Federal departments and agencies that support the purchase of
first responder equipment will coordinate their programs with the
Department of Homeland Security and conform to the same standards.
(16) The Secretary, in coordination with other appropriate
Federal departments and agencies and in consultation with State
and local governments, will develop plans to identify and address
national first responder equipment research and development needs
based upon assessments of current and future threats. Other
Federal departments and agencies that support preparedness
research and development activities shall coordinate their efforts
with the Department of Homeland Security and ensure they support
the national preparedness goal.
Training and Exercises
(17) The Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of HHS,
the Attorney General, and other appropriate Federal departments
and agencies and in consultation with State and local governments,
shall establish and maintain a comprehensive training program to
meet the national preparedness goal. The program will identify
standards and maximize the effectiveness of existing Federal
programs and financial assistance and include training for the
Nation's first responders, officials, and others with major event
preparedness, prevention, response, and recovery roles. Federal
departments and agencies shall include private organizations in
the accreditation and delivery of preparedness training as
appropriate and to the extent permitted by law.
(18) The Secretary, in coordination with other appropriate
Federal departments and agencies, shall establish a national
program and a multi-year planning system to conduct homeland
security preparedness-related exercises that reinforces identified
training standards, provides for evaluation of readiness, and
supports the national preparedness goal. The establishment and
maintenance of the program will be conducted in maximum
collaboration with State and local governments and appropriate
private sector entities. All Federal departments and agencies that
conduct national homeland security preparedness-related exercises
shall participate in a collaborative, interagency process to
designate such exercises on a consensus basis and create a master
exercise calendar. The Secretary will ensure that exercises
included in the calendar support the national preparedness goal.
At the time of designation, Federal departments and agencies will
identify their level of participation in national homeland
security preparedness- related exercises. The Secretary will
develop a multi-year national homeland security
preparedness-related exercise plan and submit the plan to me
through the HSC for review and approval.
(19) The Secretary shall develop and maintain a system to
collect, analyze, and disseminate lessons learned, best practices,
and information from exercises, training events, research, and
other sources, including actual incidents, and establish
procedures to improve national preparedness to prevent, respond
to, and recover from major events. The Secretary, in coordination
with other Federal departments and agencies and State and local
governments, will identify relevant classes of homeland-security
related information and appropriate means of transmission for the
information to be included in the system. Federal departments and
agencies are directed, and State and local governments are
requested, to provide this information to the Secretary to the
extent permitted by law.
Federal Department and Agency Preparedness
(20) The head of each Federal department or agency shall
undertake actions to support the national preparedness goal,
including adoption of quantifiable performance measurements in the
areas of training, planning, equipment, and exercises for Federal
incident management and asset preparedness, to the extent
permitted by law. Specialized Federal assets such as teams,
stockpiles, and caches shall be maintained at levels consistent
with the national preparedness goal and be available for response
activities as set forth in the National Response Plan, other
appropriate operational documents, and applicable authorities or
guidance. Relevant Federal regulatory requirements should be
consistent with the national preparedness goal. Nothing in this
directive shall limit the authority of the Secretary of Defense
with regard to the command and control, training, planning,
equipment, exercises, or employment of Department of Defense
forces, or the allocation of Department of Defense resources.
(21) The Secretary, in coordination with other appropriate
Federal civilian departments and agencies, shall develop and
maintain a Federal response capability inventory that includes the
performance parameters of the capability, the timeframe within
which the capability can be brought to bear on an incident, and
the readiness of such capability to respond to domestic incidents.
The Department of Defense will provide to the Secretary
information describing the organizations and functions within the
Department of Defense that may be utilized to provide support to
civil authorities during a domestic crisis.
Citizen Participation
(22) The Secretary shall work with other appropriate Federal
departments and agencies as well as State and local governments
and the private sector to encourage active citizen participation
and involvement in preparedness efforts. The Secretary shall
periodically review and identify the best community practices for
integrating private citizen capabilities into local preparedness
efforts.
Public Communication
(23) The Secretary, in consultation with other Federal
departments and agencies, State and local governments, and
non-governmental organizations, shall develop a comprehensive plan
to provide accurate and timely preparedness information to public
citizens, first responders, units of government, the private
sector, and other interested parties and mechanisms for
coordination at all levels of government.
Assessment and Evaluation
(24) The Secretary shall provide to me through the Assistant to
the President for Homeland Security an annual status report of the
Nation's level of preparedness, including State capabilities, the
readiness of Federal civil response assets, the utilization of
mutual aid, and an assessment of how the Federal first responder
preparedness assistance programs support the national preparedness
goal. The first report will be provided within 1 year of
establishment of the national preparedness goal.
(25) Nothing in this directive alters, or impedes the ability
to carry out, the authorities of the Federal departments and
agencies to perform their responsibilities under law and
consistent with applicable legal authorities and presidential
guidance.
(26) Actions pertaining to the funding and administration of
financial assistance and all other activities, efforts, and
policies in this directive shall be executed in accordance with
law. To the extent permitted by law, these policies will be
established and carried out in consultation with State and local
governments.
(27) This directive is intended only to improve the internal
management of the executive branch of the Federal Government, and
it is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit,
substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity,
against the United States, its departments, agencies, or other
entities, its officers or employees, or any other person.
GEORGE W. BUSH
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