Hspd-8

DHS | Homeland Security Directive 8: National Preparedness

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Homeland Security Directive 8: National Preparedness
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HSPD 8 Abstract
HSPD 8 Full Text

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HSPD 8 Abstract

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Homeland Security Presidential Directive 8 establishes policies to strengthen the U.S. preparedness in order to
prevent and respond to threatened or actual domestic terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies.
The directive requires a national domestic all-hazards preparedness goal, with established mechanisms for
improved delivery of Federal preparedness assistance to State and local governments. It also outlines actions to
strengthen preparedness capabilities of federal, state, and local entities. This is a companion directive to HSPD 5.
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HSPD 8 Full Text
Homeland Security Presidential Directive-8
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,
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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 depart-ments 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 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 appro-priate 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.
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
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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 and a multiyear 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 multiyear 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 preparedness efforts. The Secretary shall periodically review and
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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.
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This page was last reviewed/modified on September 9, 2008.

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