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Hurricane Katrina: A Nation Still Unprepared

Appendix 2

Emergency Support 

Functions (ESFs) 

“Th e ESFs provide the structure for coordinating Federal interagency support for Incidents of 

National Signifi cance. Th e ESF structure includes mechanisms used to provide Federal support 

to States and Federal-to-Federal support, both for declared disasters and emergencies under the 

Staff ord Act and for non-Staff ord Act incidents. ... Th e ESF structure provides mechanisms for 

interagency coordination during all phases of incident management. ... Th e National Response 

Coordination Center (NRCC), a component of the Homeland Security Operations Center 

(HSOC), develops and issues operation orders to activate individual ESFs based on the scope 

and magnitude of the threat or incident. ... ESF primary agencies notify and activate support 

agencies as required for the threat or incident, to include support to specialized teams. Each ESF 

is required to develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) and notifi cation protocols and to 

maintain current rosters and contact information.”

– National Response Plan, “Emergency Support Function Annexes: Introduction” (Washington, D.C.: Department of Homeland Security, December 2004), ESF–i.

ESF-1: Transportation

• Federal and civil transportation support

• Transportation safety

• Restoration/recover of transportation infrastructure

• Movement restrictions

• Damage and impact assessment

ESF-2: Communications

• Coordination with telecommunications and industry

• Restoration/repair of telecommunications infrastructure

• Protection, restoration, and sustainment of national cyber and information technology 

resources

ESF-3: Public Works and Engineering

• Infrastructure protection and emergency repair

• Infrastructure restoration

• Engineering services, construction management

• Critical infrastructure liaison

ESF-4: Firefi ghting

• Firefi ghting activities on Federal lands

• Resource support to rural and urban fi refi ghting operations

ESF-5: Emergency Management

• Coordination of incident management eff orts

• Issuance of mission assignments

• Resource and human capital

• Incident action planning

• Financial management
Emergency Support Functions (ESFs)

636

ESF-6: Mass Care, Housing, and Human Services

• Mass care

• Disaster housing

• Human services

ESF-7: Resource Support

• Resource support (facility space, offi ce equipment and supplies, contracting services, etc.)

ESF-8: Public Health and Medical Services

• Public health

• Medical

• Mental health services

• Mortuary services

ESF-9: Urban Search and Rescue

• Life-saving assistance

• Urban search and rescue

ESF-10: Oil and Hazardous Materials Response

• Oil and hazardous materials (chemical, biological, radiological, etc.) response

• Environmental safety and short- and long-term cleanup

ESF-11: Agriculture and Natural Resources

• Nutrition assistance

• Animal and plant disease/pest response

• Food safety and security

• Natural and cultural resources and historic-properties protection and restoration

ESF-12: Energy

• Energy-infrastructure assessment, repair, and restoration

• Energy-industry utilities coordination

• Energy forecast

ESF-13: Public Safety and Security

• Facility and resource security

• Security planning and technical-resource assistance

• Public safety/security support

• Support to access, traffi c, and crowd control

ESF-14: Long-Term Community Recovery and Mitigation

• Social and economic community-impact assessment

• Long-term community recovery assistance to states, local governments, and the private 

sector

ESF-15: External Affairs

• Emergency public information and protective-action guidance

• Media and community relations

• Congressional and international aff airs

• Tribal and insular aff airs