Emergency Support Functions Paper

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Emergency Support Functions
The National Response Framework is a guide that is used by every Federal department and agency in the event of an incident response. Within this guide are 15 Emergency Support Functions, otherwise known as ESF’s. The 15 different ESF’s are the different types of resources that state and local response efforts can use during an incident response. Each ESF will have a coordinator assigned to them from a Federal department or agency. During an emergency response, these agencies will activate a team from each ESF. The teams are tasked with working with their prospective state and local officials to get needed resources and coordinating the flow of information with the Federal Government and to learn which resources are needed. ESF # 2 is Communications. (FEMA 2010) …show more content…

ESF # 2 will help to “provide communications support to Federal, State, tribal and local governments and first responders with Access to repair communications infrastructure, Security to protect responders and equipment and Fuel to support communications in absence of commercial power” (IS-802: Emergency Support Functions (ESF) #2 - Communications).

National Communications System
The Department of National Communications System (NCS) is the Coordinator and Primary Agency for ESF #2. Their main goal is to restore all telecommunications in an area following an incident. A few of their responsibilities includes training and certifying Federal Emergency Communications Coordinators (FECC), designating a lead from the FECC when activated, coordinating restoration to communication infrastructure, and coordinating with FEMA in order to train and activate personnel to support the ESF #2 operation. The NCS agency is vital in restoring telecommunications in an area following an incident. (IS-802: Emergency Support Functions (ESF) #2 - Communications)
FEMA
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is the Primary Agency who is responsible for providing support of