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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Jan. 22, 2008 No. 08-009 New federal document to guide disaster response in Kansas and the nation The federal government released the National Response Framework today
which replaces The National Response Plan, and provides guidance to federal,
state, local responders and the private sector during a disaster. The
document incorporates thousands of public comments received by Department
of Homeland Security in recent months. "Disasters are always lead by local government, however, as we've
seen many times in Kansas during the last year, resources can quickly
become exhausted requiring coordination of various aspects of government
and private sector for a successful response," said Maj. Gen. Tod
Bunting, Kansas Division of Emergency Management Director and Kansas Adjutant
General. "The National Response Framework is an important document
which outlines the various aspects of response necessary in a disaster,
from local to state to federal, and guides responders through the response
process at all levels." "The state followed similar guidance outlined in the National Response
Plan in its response to the two winter storms of 2007, the Greensburg
tornado, and the flooding throughout the state," Bunting added. The NRF focuses on response and early recovery aspects, and explains
how the nation prepares for and responds to all-hazard disasters across
all levels of government and the impacted community. The document addresses
preparedness across all jurisdictions and articulates clear roles and
responsibilities for responders. "This document is intended to complement state and local plans already
in place and will help to ensure all responders are following similar
guidelines and working with the same playbook during an incident, whether
natural or manmade, large or small," Bunting said. The 2008 Kansas Response Plan, which guides the state's response during
disasters and provides specific information regarding essential support
functions at the state level, was revised in October 2007 and is available
online at http://www.accesskansas.org/kdem/. Previous national endeavors to ensure all responders use similar guidance
and have the same training are incorporated into the National Response
Framework. These include use of the National Incident Management System
(NIMS) and Incident Command System (ICS) which provide common language
and procedures for disaster response including defining specific roles
for those responding to an emergency. The NRF will incorporate revisions
as needed to adjust for lessons learned in disaster response. "State and local responders in Kansas have been reviewing our recent
disaster response efforts to gain valuable insight into how to improve
disaster response and coordination in the future," Bunting noted.
"Many responders in the state had received training and participated
in exercises enabling them to better respond to the state's recent disasters.
The additional training on NRF will further enhance the state's readiness
and response." The Department of Homeland Security plans to initiate an intensive nationwide
training and exercise program on the NRF. This will include awareness
training, position-specific training, exercises (tabletop and functional),
and sustainment training. The NRF document, along with the Emergency Support Function Annexes and Support Annexes is available online at the NRF Resource Center www.fema.gov/nrf. It goes into effect 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. -30- |
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