In parallel with the NCP, the NRF outlines the federal government’s guiding principles for preparing for and providing a unified national response to disasters and emergencies. Within the NRF, specific mission support areas, the Emergency Support Functions (ESFs), group federal resources and capabilities into functional areas that serve as the primary mechanisms for providing assistance at the operational level.
In the event of a Stafford Act declaration for a chemical incident, ESF #10, the Oil and Hazardous Materials Response Annex of the NRF, may be activated to provide a coordinated federal response that is generally carried out in accordance with the NCP. The NRT has developed two general, pre-agreed upon ESF #10-related press release templates that can be used by member agencies to disseminate information to the media and the public. In some cases, ESFs may also be activated for non-Stafford Act incidents at the Secretary of Homeland Security’s discretion, and/or to support NCP responses that require an extraordinary level of federal resources. ESF #15 is activated at the national level to support response communications when the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) determines an incident is complex enough to require a coordinated interagency communications effort; states and local jurisdictions also typically maintain ESF #15 capabilities that can be called upon. For example, during Deepwater Horizon, components of the ESF #15, the External Affairs Annex of the NRF, were used to support the response.
The NRT JIC and ESF #15 play connected yet distinct roles in communications. Under the ESF #15 construct (see below), External Affairs Officers (EAOs) are assigned to functional areas; these functional areas are organized differently than the NRT JIC functional areas. ESF #15 is not intended to direct response communication efforts, but instead to support them by providing additional coordination mechanisms and additional resources to support a national communications effort. ESF #15’s focus is strategic with some operational elements, while NRT JICs are tactical, with some strategic communication functions focused on command-post level operations. When ESF #15 is activated, the NRT JIC and the ICP PIO retain the information release authority delegated to them by their respective FOSC/Incident Commander. A regular line of communication should be established from the ICP PIOs via the NRT JIC to the ESF #15 Deputy EAO or EAO to exchange information and requests for support based on the needs of the response.