National Response Framework (NRF)
FEMA lays out three key principles for a response plan to be functional and effective.
Primary Function Component
Engaged Partnership with the
Whole Community
Preparedness is a key component to
achieve a secure and resilient
nation
Scalability, Flexibility, and
Adaptability in
Implementation.
To align the key roles of
responsibility to deliver the core
capabilities
Integration Among the
Framework
Five mission areas aid in organizing
national preparedness activities
Engaging partnership with the whole community would be the best function to assist in
helping responders. If responders can incorporate the community by training them then they will
be better equipped to respond or prepare for situations beyond their own knowledge/control. This
would help greatly in areas, such as saving a neighbor or having a stockpile of resources that can
be shared like a water supply. The most difficult element of the NRF would be Scalability,
Flexibility and Adaptability in Implementation because these operations are more advanced and
requires a collaboration between a variety of organizations to handle emergency situations. For
example if there was fire, the incident would require firefighters, public works, police,
emergency medical services and local nonprofit organizations such as the Red Cross. Although,
it is good to have all of the different agencies available for the comfort of the victims within a
situation, too many hands in the basket can cause issues on who’s in charge of the scene and
there can be confusion on what department has specific roles.
National Incident Management System (NIMS)
The NIMS is a product of Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5, that states “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 (Nemeth, 2017).
Element Function
Compliance Requires Command
and Response.
Common Command
and Managerial
Structure
To identify, respond
to, and mitigate risk
and harm.
The most useful element from the NIMS is compliance because plans are already
prepared with procedures as a guideline for responders to react or respond to an incident. The
Command and Managerial Structure is more challenging of the two. It is extremely challenging
to identify risks and harm let alone responding to it. For example, when profilers are looking for
a suspect, they must eliminate a number of variables or characteristics to identify a subject. This
element is not impossible but it requires the most attention to identify potential risks.
Incident Command System (ICS)
ICS is a standardized on-scene incident management concept designed specifically to
allow responders to adopt an integrated organizational structure equal to the complexity and
demands of any single incident or multiple incidents without being hindered by jurisdictional
boundaries (Nemeth, 2017).
Element Function
Preparedness Integrates training, exercises, personnel qualification and certification
standards, publication management processes and activities
Planning Provides mechanisms and systems for setting priorities, integrating
multiple entities and functions, ensuring that communications and other
systems are available and integrated
Planning would be most useful because without planning for an emergency or a situation
an agency isn’t prepared to respond effectively. Planning is the first step in mitigation and
responding to incidents. Only after the planning comes preparedness. Preparedness is more
difficult only due to ensuring all personnel are qualified and certified in standards and making
sure people are adequately trained. As aforementioned, without the proper planning in place how
can an agency truly be prepared?
Proverbs 24:27 states, “prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in
the field, and after that build your house”. This scripture describes the entire mitigation and
emergency preparedness structure relating to the four phases.
References:
National Incident Management System. (n.d.). Retrieved January 28, 2020, from
https://www.fema.gov/national-incident-management-system
National Response Framework, Fourth Edition. (n.d.). Retrieved January 28, 2020, from
https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/117791
Nemeth, C. P. (2017). Homeland security: an introduction to principles and practice. Boca Raton,
FL: CRC Press.
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