Homeland

Security

www.dhs.gov/nrp

(800) 368-6498

National Response Plan

One team, one goal...a safer, more secure America

All-Discipline, All-Hazards Plan

The National Response Plan (NRP) is an all-discipline, 

all-hazards plan that establishes a single, comprehensive 

framework for the management of domestic incidents. 

It provides the structure and mechanisms for the 

coordination of Federal support to State, local, and tribal 

incident managers and for exercising direct Federal 

authorities and responsibilities. The NRP assists in 

the important homeland security mission of preventing 

terrorist attacks within the United States; reducing the 

vulnerability to all natural and man-made hazards; and 

minimizing the damage and assisting in the recovery 

from any type of incident that occurs.

Incidents of National Signifi cance 

The NRP provides the mechanisms for a comprehensive 

coordinated response to all Incidents of National 

Signifi cance. Incidents of National Signifi cance are 

high-impact events that require an extensive and 

well-coordinated multiagency response to save lives, 

minimize damage, and provide the basis for long-term 

community and economic recovery. As the principal 

Federal offi cial for domestic incident management, the 

Secretary of Homeland Security declares Incidents of 

National Significance (in consultation with other 

departments and agencies as appropriate).

All-Inclusive Development Process

The President of the United Sates directed the Secretary 

of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to 

develop and administer the NRP. The Plan was drafted 

by a multiagency team using input from Federal, State, 

local, tribal, private sector, and nongovernmental 

stakeholder groups. 

Plan Structure

Linkages to Other Plans

The NRP incorporates relevant portions of and, upon full 

implementation, supersedes the:

■ Initial National Response Plan (INRP)

■ Federal Response Plan (FRP)

■ U.S. Government Interagency Domestic Terrorism 

Concept of Operations Plan (CONPLAN), and 

■ Federal Radiological Emergency Response Plan 

 (FRERP)

The NRP, as the core operational plan for domestic incident 

management, incorporates other national interagency plans 

as supporting plans or operational supplements. It also links 

to and integrates other Federal interagency plans such as the 

National Contingency Plan for Oil and Hazardous Materials.

National Response Plan

Signatory Partners

Department of Agriculture

Department of Commerce

Department of Defense

Department of Education

Department of Energy

Department of Health and Human Services

Department of Homeland Security

Department of Housing and Urban Development

Department of the Interior

Department of Justice

Department of Labor

Department of State

Department of Transportation

Department of the Treasury

Department of Veterans Affairs

Central Intelligence Agency

Environmental Protection Agency

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Federal Communications Commission

General Services Administration

National Aeronautic and Space Administration

National Transportation Safety Board

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Offi ce of Personnel Management

Small Business Administration

Social Security Administration

Tennessee Valley Authority

U.S. Agency for International Development

U.S. Postal Service

American Red Cross

Corporation for National and Community Service

National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster

Concept of Operations, Coordinating Structures, 

Definitions and Appendixes, which include a Glossary, 

Acronyms, Authorities and Compendium of National 

Interagency Plans. 

Group capabilities and 

resources into functions 

most likely needed during an 

incident and describe the 

responsibilities of primary 

and support agencies 

involved.

Provide the procedures and 

specific administrative 

requirements common to most 

incidents (e.g. Public Affairs, 

Financial Management, and 

Worker Safety and Health).

Describe protocols and 

agency roles and responsibilities for specific contingencies (e.g. bioterrorism, 

radiological response, 

catastrophic incidents). 

In many cases, these annexes 

are supported by more 

detailed operational supplements or standard operating 

procedures.

Base Plan

Emergency 

Support 

Function Annexes

Support Annexes

Incident Annexes
Emphasis on Local Response

All incidents are handled at the lowest possible 

organizational and jurisdictional level. Police, fi re, public 

health and medical, emergency management, and other 

personnel are responsible for incident management at the 

local level. For those events that rise to the level of an 

Incident of National Signifi cance, DHS provides operational 

and/or resource coordination for Federal support to on-scene 

incident command structures.

Proactive Federal Response to 

Catastrophic Events

The NRP provides mechanisms for expedited and proactive 

Federal support to ensure critical life-saving assistance and 

incident containment capabilities are in place to respond 

quickly and effi ciently to catastrophic incidents. These are 

high-impact, low-probability incidents, including natural 

disasters and terrorist attacks that result in extraordinary 

levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely 

affecting the population, infrastructure, environment, 

economy, national morale, and/or government functions.

Multiagency Coordination Structure

The NRP establishes multiagency coordinating structures at 

the fi eld, regional and headquarters levels. These structures:

■ Enable the execution of the responsibilities of the 

 President through the appropriate Federal department 

and agencies;

■ Integrate Federal, State, local, tribal, nongovernmental Organization, and private-sector efforts; and 

■ Provide a national capability that addresses both 

 site-specifi c incident management activities and 

 broader regional or national issues, such as impacts 

 to the rest of the country, immediate regional or 

 national actions required to avert or prepare for 

 potential subsequent events, and the management 

 of multiple incidents.

New Coordinating Mechanisms Include:

Homeland Security Operations Center (HSOC). 

The HSOC serves as the primary national-level multiagency 

situational awareness and operational coordination center. 

The HSOC includes elements of DHS and other Federal 

departments and agencies. 

■ National Response Coordination Center (NRCC). 

 The NRCC, a functional component of the HSOC, 

is a multiagency center that provides overall Federal 

response coordination.

■ Regional Response Coordination Center (RRCC).

 At the regional level, the RRCC coordinates regional 

response efforts and implements local Federal program 

support until a Joint Field Offi ce is established.

Interagency Incident Management Group (IIMG). 

A tailored group of senior level Federal interagency 

representatives who provide strategic advice to the Secretary 

of Homeland Security during an actual or potential Incident 

of National Signifi cance.

Joint Field Offi ce (JFO). A temporary Federal facility 

established locally to provide a central point for Federal, 

State, local, and tribal representatives with responsibility 

for incident support and coordination.

Principal Federal Official (PFO). A PFO may be 

designated by the Secretary of Homeland Security during a 

potential or actual Incident of National Signifi cance. While 

individual Federal offi cials retain their authorities pertaining 

to specifi c aspects of incident management, the PFO works 

in conjunction with these offi cials to coordinate overall 

Federal incident management efforts.

Plan Maintenance

The Department of Homeland Security/Emergency 

Preparedness and Response/Federal Emergency 

Management Agency, in close coordination with the DHS 

Offi ce of the Secretary, is the executive agent for NRP 

management and maintenance. The NRP will be updated 

periodically as required to incorporate new Presidential 

directives, legislative changes, and procedural changes 

based on lessons learned from exercises and actual events.

Prevention

The NRP may be implemented for threats or potential 

Incidents of National Signifi cance to prevent or intervene to 

lessen the impact of an incident. Prevention activities may 

include: heightened inspections; improved surveillance 

and security operations; public health and agricultural 

surveillance and testing; immunizations, isolation, or 

quarantine; and, as appropriate, specifi c law enforcement 

operations aimed at deterring, preempting, interdicting, 

or disrupting illegal activity and apprehending potential 

perpetrators and bringing them to justice.

Preparedness

Preparedness is a continuous process involving efforts to 

identify threats, determine vulnerabilities, and identify 

required resources. The NRP provides the basis for Federal 

department and agency compliance with Homeland Security 

Presidential Directive-8, National Preparedness. 

Response 

The NRP provides the policies and processes for 

coordinating Federal support activities that address the 

short-term, direct effects of an incident. These activities 

include immediate actions to preserve life, property, and 

the environment; meet basic human needs; and maintain 

the social, economic, and political structure of the 

affected community.

Recovery

Recovery involves actions needed to help individuals and 

communities return to normal, when feasible. Recovery 

actions include the development, coordination, and 

execution of service- and site-restoration plans and the 

reconstitution of government operations and services 

through individual, private-sector, nongovernmental, and 

public assistance programs.

“To prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies, the United States Government shall establish 

a single, comprehensive approach to domestic incident management.” 

— Homeland Security Presidential Directive - 5

NRP/NIMS

The NRP is a specifi c application of the National Incident 

Management System (NIMS). The NIMS provides

the doctrine, concepts, principles, terminology, and 

organizational processes needed for effective, effi cient, and 

collaborative incident management at all levels. While the 

NIMS provides the template, it is not an operational incident 

management or resource allocation plan. The NRP, using the 

comprehensive framework of the NIMS, provides the 

coordinating structure and mechanisms for national-level 

policy and operational direction for Federal support to State, 

local, and tribal incident managers, Federal-to-Federal 

support and for exercising direct Federal authorities and 

responsibilities as appropriate under the law.

Incident Management

The NRP establishes the following incident management 

priorities:

■ Save lives and protect the health and safety of the 

 public, responders, and recovery workers;

■ Ensure security of the homeland;

■ Prevent an imminent incident, including acts of 

 terrorism, from occurring;

■ Protect and restore critical infrastructure and key 

 resources;

■ Conduct law enforcement investigations to resolve the 

incident, apprehend the perpetrators, and collect and 

preserve evidence for prosecution and/or attribution;

■ Protect property and mitigate damages and impacts to 

individuals, communities, and the environment; and

■ Facilitate recovery of individuals, families, businesses, 

governments, and the environment.