DHS Secretary Napolitano Issues Action Directives on FEMA State and Local Integration and National Planning

January 27, 2009 -- U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano announced today two action directives, on Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) integration with state and local partners and national planning.

These directives instruct specific offices to gather information, review existing strategies and programs, and provide oral and written reports back to her in February. Secretary Napolitano has already issued seven action directives: cybersecurity; northern border strategy; critical infrastructure protection; risk analysis; state and local intelligence sharing; transportation security; and state, local and tribal integration. She will continue to issue additional action directives in the coming days focused on the missions critical to the department: Protection, Preparedness, Response, Recovery and Immigration.

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The full action directives are below:

* FEMA state and local integration. Ensuring the nation’s preparedness for all events and all hazards is vital to economic and homeland security and a responsibility of all levels of government. To that end, FEMA shall work with state and local emergency management to:

1. Immediately review plans and activities underway to strengthen and coordinate preparedness activities and assess any overlaps and inconsistencies in these plans and activities. These assessments should include, but not be limited to, the following:

a. Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act
b. Target Capabilities List; the Integrated Planning System
c. State Preparedness Reports
d. Federal Preparedness Reports
e. Nationwide Plan Reviews
f. Planning requirements for emergency management grants
g. National Response Framework

2. Immediately submit any possible restructuring or consolidations for these plans and activities that are necessary and identify areas where state and local emergency management agencies can provide input.

An oral report is due Feb. 9, with a final report due Feb. 23.

* National planning. The department is leading an interagency effort to develop plans at multiple levels to address eight scenario sets, which are based on the 15 National Planning Scenarios crafted by the Homeland Security Council. DHS and the federal interagency are utilizing the Integrated Planning System to develop and adjudicate interagency plans for each scenario. What is the status of each of these plans and the anticipated timeframe and actions needed to complete the process? Are there any recommendations for restructuring or consolidation? Where can state and local emergency management agencies provide input and assistance? An oral report is due Feb. 9, with a final report due Feb. 23.

Source: DHS