[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 194 (Tuesday, October 9, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57341-57342]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-19849]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Federal Emergency Management Agency

[FEMA Docket ID 2007-0007]


National Response Framework

AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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[[Page 57342]]

SUMMARY: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is accepting 
comments on the draft supporting documents to the National Response 
Framework (NRF). Composed of the Emergency Support Functions Annexes, 
Support Annexes, and Incident Annexes, these supplemental documents 
provide additional guidance that may be used in implementing the NRF. 
Combined with the NRF, these documents incorporate lessons-learned from 
recent disasters, and articulate more clearly the roles of the States, 
tribal, and local jurisdictions and the private sector to guide a 
successful response to natural disasters or terrorist attacks.

DATES: Comments must be received by November 10, 2007.

ADDRESSES: The NRF and supporting documents are available online in the 
NRF Resource Center located at http://www.fema.gov/NRF, as well as in 
the docket for this notice at www.regulations.gov. You may also view 
hard copies at the Office of Chief Counsel, Federal Emergency 
Management Agency, Room 835, 500 C Street, SW., Washington, DC 20472. 
You may submit comments on the supporting documents, identified by 
Docket ID FEMA-2007-0007, by one of the following methods:
    Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
    E-mail: [email protected]. Include Docket ID FEMA-2007-0007 in 
the subject line of the message.
    Fax: 866-466-5370.
    Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier: Regulation & Policy Team, Office of 
Chief Counsel, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Room 835, 500 C 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20472.
    Instructions: All Submissions received must include the agency name 
and docket ID. Regardless of the method used for submitting comments or 
material, all submissions will be posted, without change, to the 
Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov, and will 
include any personal information you provide. Therefore, submitting 
this information makes it public. You may wish to read the Privacy Act 
notice that is available on the Privacy and Use Notice link on the 
Administration Navigation Bar of www.regulations.gov.
    FEMA has also provided a form, available in the docket at 
www.regulations.gov and in NRF Resource Center at http://www.fema.gov/NRF or http://www.fema.gov/emergency/NRF. Due to the large number of 
comments that are expected, FEMA asks that comments be submitted using 
this form.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov and search for docket number FEMA-2007-0007. 
Submitted comments may also be inspected at FEMA, Office of Chief 
Counsel, Room 835, 500 C Street, SW., Washington, DC 20472.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew Slaten, Acting National 
Response Framework Branch Chief, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 
999 E Street, NW., Washington, DC 20463, 202-646-8152.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Response Framework (NRF) builds 
on the current National Response Plan and, using the comprehensive 
framework of the National Incident Management System (NIMS), serves as 
a guide to how the nation conducts all-hazards incident management. The 
annexes, consisting of the Emergency Support Functions Annexes, Support 
Annexes and Incident Annexes, add to the NRF to provide additional 
guidance to support Federal departments and agencies, States, tribes, 
local entities, the private sector, volunteer and other organizations 
in catastrophic incidents.
    The Emergency Support Function Annexes provide the structure for 
coordinating Federal interagency support for a Federal response to an 
incident. They are mechanisms for grouping functions used to provide 
Federal support to States and Federal-to-Federal support, both for 
declared disasters and emergencies under the Stafford Act and for non-
Stafford Act incidents.
    The Support Annexes describe how Federal departments and agencies, 
States, tribes, local entities, the private sector, volunteer and other 
organizations coordinate and execute the common functional processes 
and administrative requirements necessary to ensure efficient and 
effective incident management. The actions described in the Support 
Annexes are not limited to particular types of events but are 
overarching in nature and applicable to nearly every type of incident, 
In addition, they may support several Emergency Support Functions. The 
Incident Annexes, on the other hand, outline the actions, roles and 
responsibilities associated with a response to a particular type of 
catastrophic incident.
    The NRF and its supplemental materials are written especially for 
government executives, private-sector leaders and emergency management 
practitioners. At the same time, they inform emergency management 
practitioners, explaining the operating structures and tools used 
routinely by first responders and emergency managers at all levels of 
government.
    The Department is providing the current draft of the NRF 
supplemental documents for public comment; these draft documents do not 
necessarily reflect the final policy of the Administration. The NRF 
support documents are available online in the NRF Resource Center 
located at http://www.fema.gov/NRF, and the docket for this notice at 
www.regulations.gov.

    Authority: Homeland Security Act of 2002, as amended, 6 U.S.C. 
101, et seq., Homeland Security Presidential Directive-5, Management 
of Domestic Incidents.

    Dated: September 30, 2007.
R. David Paulison,
Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency.
 [FR Doc. E7-19849 Filed 10-5-07; 8:45 am]
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