[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book II)]
[December 17, 2003]
[Pages 1745-1750]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Homeland Security Presidential Directive/ HSPD-8--National Preparedness
December 17, 2003

Subject: National Preparedness

Purpose

    (1) This directive establishes policies to strengthen the 
preparedness of the United States to prevent and respond to threatened 
or actual domestic terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other 
emergencies by requiring a national domestic all-hazards preparedness 
goal, establishing mechanisms for improved delivery of Federal 
preparedness assistance to State and local governments, and outlining 
actions to strengthen preparedness capabilities of Federal, State, and 
local entities.

Definitions

    (2) For the purposes of this directive:
       (a)   The term ``all-hazards preparedness'' refers to 
            preparedness for domestic terrorist attacks, major 
            disasters, and other emergencies.
       (b)   The term ``Federal departments and agencies'' means those 
            executive departments enumerated in 5 U.S.C. 101, and the 
            Department of Homeland Security; independent establishments 
            as defined by 5 U.S.C. 104(1); Government corporations as 
            defined by 5 U.S.C. 103(1); and the United States Postal 
            Service.
       (c)   The term ``Federal preparedness assistance'' means Federal 
            department and agency grants, cooperative agreements, loans, 
            loan guarantees, training, and/or technical assistance 
            provided to State and local governments and the private 
            sector to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from 
            terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies. 
            Unless noted otherwise, the term ``assistance'' will refer 
            to Federal assistance programs.
       (d)   The term ``first responder'' refers to those individuals 
            who in the early

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            stages of an incident are responsible for the protection and 
            preservation of life, property, evidence, and the 
            environment, including emergency response providers as 
            defined in section 2 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 
            U.S.C. 101), as well as emergency management, public health, 
            clinical care, public works, and other skilled support 
            personnel (such as equipment operators) that provide 
            immediate support services during prevention, response, and 
            recovery operations.
       (e)   The terms ``major disaster'' and ``emergency'' have the 
            meanings given in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford 
            Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
            5122).
       (f)   The term ``major events'' refers to domestic terrorist 
            attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies.
       (g)   The term ``national homeland security preparedness-related 
            exercises'' refers to homeland security-related exercises 
            that train and test national decision makers and utilize 
            resources of multiple Federal departments and agencies. Such 
            exercises may involve State and local first responders when 
            appropriate. Such exercises do not include those exercises 
            conducted solely within a single Federal department or 
            agency.
       (h)   The term ``preparedness'' refers to the existence of plans, 
            procedures, policies, training, and equipment necessary at 
            the Federal, State, and local level to maximize the ability 
            to prevent, respond to, and recover from major events. The 
            term ``readiness'' is used interchangeably with 
            preparedness.
       (i)   The term ``prevention'' refers to activities undertaken by 
            the first responder community during the early stages of an 
            incident to reduce the likelihood or consequences of 
            threatened or actual terrorist attacks. More general and 
            broader efforts to deter, disrupt, or thwart terrorism are 
            not addressed in this directive.
       (j)   The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Homeland 
            Security.
       (k)   The terms ``State,'' and ``local government,'' when used in 
            a geographical sense, have the same meanings given to those 
            terms in section 2 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 
            U.S.C. 101).

Relationship to HSPD-5

    (3) This directive is a companion to HSPD-5, which identifies steps 
for improved coordination in response to incidents. This directive 
describes the way Federal departments and agencies will prepare for such 
a response, including prevention activities during the early stages of a 
terrorism incident.

Development of a National Preparedness Goal

    (4) The Secretary is the principal Federal official for coordinating 
the implementation of all-hazards preparedness in the United States. In 
cooperation with other Federal departments and agencies, the Secretary 
coordinates the preparedness of Federal response assets, and the support 
for, and assessment of, the preparedness of State and local first 
responders.
    (5) To help ensure the preparedness of the Nation to prevent, 
respond to, and recover from threatened and actual domestic terrorist 
attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies, the Secretary, in 
coordination with the heads of other appropriate Federal departments and 
agencies and in consultation with State and local governments, shall 
develop a national domestic all-hazards preparedness goal. Federal 
departments and agencies will work to achieve this goal by:
       (a)   providing for effective, efficient, and timely delivery of 
            Federal preparedness assistance to State and local 
            governments; and

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       (b)   supporting efforts to ensure first responders are prepared 
            to respond to major events, especially prevention of and 
            response to threatened terrorist attacks.
    (6) The national preparedness goal will establish measurable 
readiness priorities and targets that appropriately balance the 
potential threat and magnitude of terrorist attacks, major disasters, 
and other emergencies with the resources required to prevent, respond 
to, and recover from them. It will also include readiness metrics and 
elements that support the national preparedness goal including standards 
for preparedness assessments and strategies, and a system for assessing 
the Nation's overall preparedness to respond to major events, especially 
those involving acts of terrorism.
    (7) The Secretary will submit the national preparedness goal to me 
through the Homeland Security Council (HSC) for review and approval 
prior to, or concurrently with, the Department of Homeland Security's 
Fiscal Year 2006 budget submission to the Office of Management and 
Budget.

Federal Preparedness Assistance

    (8) The Secretary, in coordination with the Attorney General, the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the heads of other 
Federal departments and agencies that provide assistance for first 
responder preparedness, will establish a single point of access to 
Federal preparedness assistance program information within 60 days of 
the issuance of this directive. The Secretary will submit to me through 
the HSC recommendations of specific Federal department and agency 
programs to be part of the coordinated approach. All Federal departments 
and agencies will cooperate with this effort. Agencies will continue to 
issue financial assistance awards consistent with applicable laws and 
regulations and will ensure that program announcements, solicitations, 
application instructions, and other guidance documents are consistent 
with other Federal preparedness programs to the extent possible. Full 
implementation of a closely coordinated interagency grant process will 
be completed by September 30, 2005.
    (9) To the extent permitted by law, the primary mechanism for 
delivery of Federal preparedness assistance will be awards to the 
States. Awards will be delivered in a form that allows the recipients to 
apply the assistance to the highest priority preparedness requirements 
at the appropriate level of government. To the extent permitted by law, 
Federal preparedness assistance will be predicated on adoption of 
Statewide comprehensive all-hazards preparedness strategies. The 
strategies should be consistent with the national preparedness goal, 
should assess the most effective ways to enhance preparedness, should 
address areas facing higher risk, especially to terrorism, and should 
also address local government concerns and Citizen Corps efforts. The 
Secretary, in coordination with the heads of other appropriate Federal 
departments and agencies, will review and approve strategies submitted 
by the States. To the extent permitted by law, adoption of approved 
Statewide strategies will be a requirement for receiving Federal 
preparedness assistance at all levels of government by September 30, 
2005.
    (10) In making allocations of Federal preparedness assistance to the 
States, the Secretary, the Attorney General, the Secretary of HHS, the 
Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
Agency, and the heads of other Federal departments and agencies that 
provide assistance for first responder preparedness will base those 
allocations on assessments of population concentrations, critical 
infrastructures, and other significant risk factors, particularly 
terrorism threats, to the extent permitted by law.

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    (11) Federal preparedness assistance will support State and local 
entities' efforts including planning, training, exercises, 
interoperability, and equipment acquisition for major events as well as 
capacity building for prevention activities such as information 
gathering, detection, deterrence, and collaboration related to terrorist 
attacks. Such assistance is not primarily intended to support existing 
capacity to address normal local first responder operations, but to 
build capacity to address major events, especially terrorism.
    (12) The Attorney General, the Secretary of HHS, the Secretary of 
Transportation, the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and 
the heads of other Federal departments and agencies that provide 
assistance for first responder preparedness shall coordinate with the 
Secretary to ensure that such assistance supports and is consistent with 
the national preparedness goal.
    (13) Federal departments and agencies will develop appropriate 
mechanisms to ensure rapid obligation and disbursement of funds from 
their programs to the States, from States to the local community level, 
and from local entities to the end users to derive maximum benefit from 
the assistance provided. Federal departments and agencies will report 
annually to the Secretary on the obligation, expenditure status, and the 
use of funds associated with Federal preparedness assistance programs.

Equipment

    (14) The Secretary, in coordination with State and local officials, 
first responder organizations, the private sector and other Federal 
civilian departments and agencies, shall establish and implement 
streamlined procedures for the ongoing development and adoption of 
appropriate first responder equipment standards that support nationwide 
interoperability and other capabilities consistent with the national 
preparedness goal, including the safety and health of first responders.
    (15) To the extent permitted by law, equipment purchased through 
Federal preparedness assistance for first responders shall conform to 
equipment standards in place at time of purchase. Other Federal 
departments and agencies that support the purchase of first responder 
equipment will coordinate their programs with the Department of Homeland 
Security and conform to the same standards.
    (16) The Secretary, in coordination with other appropriate Federal 
departments and agencies and in consultation with State and local 
governments, will develop plans to identify and address national first 
responder equipment research and development needs based upon 
assessments of current and future threats. Other Federal departments and 
agencies that support preparedness research and development activities 
shall coordinate their efforts with the Department of Homeland Security 
and ensure they support the national preparedness goal.

Training and Exercises

    (17) The Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of HHS, the 
Attorney General, and other appropriate Federal departments and agencies 
and in consultation with State and local governments, shall establish 
and maintain a comprehensive training program to meet the national 
preparedness goal. The program will identify standards and maximize the 
effectiveness of existing Federal programs and financial assistance and 
include training for the Nation's first responders, officials, and 
others with major event preparedness, prevention, response, and recovery 
roles. Federal departments and agencies shall include private 
organizations in the accreditation and delivery of preparedness training 
as appropriate and to the extent permitted by law.
    (18) The Secretary, in coordination with other appropriate Federal 
departments and agencies, shall establish a national program

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and a multi-year planning system to conduct homeland security 
preparedness-related exercises that reinforces identified training 
standards, provides for evaluation of readiness, and supports the 
national preparedness goal. The establishment and maintenance of the 
program will be conducted in maximum collaboration with State and local 
governments and appropriate private sector entities. All Federal 
departments and agencies that conduct national homeland security 
preparedness-related exercises shall participate in a collaborative, 
interagency process to designate such exercises on a consensus basis and 
create a master exercise calendar. The Secretary will ensure that 
exercises included in the calendar support the national preparedness 
goal. At the time of designation, Federal departments and agencies will 
identify their level of participation in national homeland security 
preparedness-related exercises. The Secretary will develop a multi-year 
national homeland security preparedness-related exercise plan and submit 
the plan to me through the HSC for review and approval.
    (19) The Secretary shall develop and maintain a system to collect, 
analyze, and disseminate lessons learned, best practices, and 
information from exercises, training events, research, and other 
sources, including actual incidents, and establish procedures to improve 
national preparedness to prevent, respond to, and recover from major 
events. The Secretary, in coordination with other Federal departments 
and agencies and State and local governments, will identify relevant 
classes of homeland-security related information and appropriate means 
of transmission for the information to be included in the system. 
Federal departments and agencies are directed, and State and local 
governments are requested, to provide this information to the Secretary 
to the extent permitted by law.

Federal Department and Agency Preparedness

    (20) The head of each Federal department or agency shall undertake 
actions to support the national preparedness goal, including adoption of 
quantifiable performance measurements in the areas of training, 
planning, equipment, and exercises for Federal incident management and 
asset preparedness, to the extent permitted by law. Specialized Federal 
assets such as teams, stockpiles, and caches shall be maintained at 
levels consistent with the national preparedness goal and be available 
for response activities as set forth in the National Response Plan, 
other appropriate operational documents, and applicable authorities or 
guidance. Relevant Federal regulatory requirements should be consistent 
with the national preparedness goal. Nothing in this directive shall 
limit the authority of the Secretary of Defense with regard to the 
command and control, training, planning, equipment, exercises, or 
employment of Department of Defense forces, or the allocation of 
Department of Defense resources.
    (21) The Secretary, in coordination with other appropriate Federal 
civilian departments and agencies, shall develop and maintain a Federal 
response capability inventory that includes the performance parameters 
of the capability, the timeframe within which the capability can be 
brought to bear on an incident, and the readiness of such capability to 
respond to domestic incidents. The Department of Defense will provide to 
the Secretary information describing the organizations and functions 
within the Department of Defense that may be utilized to provide support 
to civil authorities during a domestic crisis.

Citizen Participation

    (22) The Secretary shall work with other appropriate Federal 
departments and agencies as well as State and local governments and the 
private sector to encourage active citizen participation and involvement 
in

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preparedness efforts. The Secretary shall periodically review and 
identify the best community practices for integrating private citizen 
capabilities into local preparedness efforts.

Public Communication

    (23) The Secretary, in consultation with other Federal departments 
and agencies, State and local governments, and non-governmental 
organizations, shall develop a comprehensive plan to provide accurate 
and timely preparedness information to public citizens, first 
responders, units of government, the private sector, and other 
interested parties and mechanisms for coordination at all levels of 
government.

Assessment and Evaluation

    (24) The Secretary shall provide to me through the Assistant to the 
President for Homeland Security an annual status report of the Nation's 
level of preparedness, including State capabilities, the readiness of 
Federal civil response assets, the utilization of mutual aid, and an 
assessment of how the Federal first responder preparedness assistance 
programs support the national preparedness goal. The first report will 
be provided within 1 year of establishment of the national preparedness 
goal.
    (25) Nothing in this directive alters, or impedes the ability to 
carry out, the authorities of the Federal departments and agencies to 
perform their responsibilities under law and consistent with applicable 
legal authorities and presidential guidance.
    (26) Actions pertaining to the funding and administration of 
financial assistance and all other activities, efforts, and policies in 
this directive shall be executed in accordance with law. To the extent 
permitted by law, these policies will be established and carried out in 
consultation with State and local governments.
    (27) This directive is intended only to improve the internal 
management of the executive branch of the Federal Government, and it is 
not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive 
or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity, against the United 
States, its departments, agencies, or other entities, its officers or 
employees, or any other person.

                                                          George W. Bush