Commanders can best prepare for disaster assistance operations by understanding the appropriate laws, policies, and directives that govern the military in these emergencies.
The military's role is well defined and, by law, is limited in scope and duration. Military resources temporarily support and augment, but do not replace, the local, state, and
federal civilian agencies that have primary authority and responsibility for domestic disaster assistance.
The military does not stockpile resources solely for domestic disaster assistance.
Disaster planning and coordination must occur between the appropriate agencies at each level; for example, between DOMS and FEMA, between ClNCs and CONUSA, between the federal, state, and regional agencies.
Military structure and training in command and control, deployability, and sustainment operations offer ready and robust capabilities for disaster assistance support. The skills military members use day-to-day often are the types of skills required during disasters.
Phases of Operations
Military plans generally set out five phases of operations for providing Military Support to Civil Authorities.
• Phase I: Predeployment
• Phase II: Deployment
• Phase III: Support to Civil Authorities
• Phase IV: Transition to other Federal Agencies
• Phase V: Redeployment
Predeployment
Predeployment and Crisis Action Operations begin when the SECDEF notifies a CINC through the Secretary of the Army to provide support to Civil Authorities. Actions during Predeployment include:
• Designating a DCO
• Designating a Base Support Installation.
• Establishing a Disaster Relief Task Force, Joint Task Force, or activating the Response Task Force, if required.
• Alerting forces.
• Staffs begin crisis action planning.
• Reconnaissance operations to assist FEMA assessment.
- Reconnaissance is part of ESF #5, Information and Planning, which is automatically activated whenever the FRP is implemented.
Reconnaissance for damage assessment is usually one of the first tasks FEMA directs after a disaster.
- Reconnaissance requirements that cannot be met by the state or FCO are forwarded to FEMA, which consolidates and prioritizes requests, then tasks DOD or non-DOD reconnaissance agencies.
- FEMA requests DOD reconnaissance assets from the Supported CINC through DOMS. DOD reconnaissance is also automatically executed after "trigger" events (e.g., 6.5 earthquake). If warning is available (e.g., hurricane), FEMA may request a "last look" to provide a comparative baseline for later damage assessment. The initial reconnaissance effort immediately following a disaster is called "first look." First look can involve both visual and photo reconnaissance. The Corps of Engineers will normally be responsible for its own reconnaissance, but may request support from the Supported CINC.
• Assessment Operations begin during Predeployment, but will overlap into Phase II (Deployment) as military forces begin arriving in the Area of Operations, and will continue throughout the operation until redeployment.
- The assessment effort by the Armed Forces requires close scrutiny because laws limit the types and ways military agencies can gather information in domestic situations. Commanders must ensure that all requests for information, both before and during a domestic emergency, comply with the applicable laws and are handled in the appropriate military channels.
- Responsibility for assessments is shared by federal, state, local, and military agencies. When a disaster occurs, the damage and the anticipated military support requirements must be assessed before resources are committed. This assessment ensures that the committed resources and forces will be appropriate for the mission and will be used efficiently.
- Information needed earliest for the assessment process includes the impact on the population, available critical infrastructure facilities, and any serious environmental hazards. Because saving lives is an immediate priority within the first 72 hours, especially in Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) operations, collapsed or badly damaged buildings that may contain trapped people must be identified. Mobile home communities, if not evacuated prior to the disaster, are especially vulnerable and likely to contain injured people. The status of the road and rail systems, airports, and seaports must be determined. Identifying major fires, hazardous chemical spills, ruptured petroleum and natural gas pipelines, and downed electrical power lines--especially in populated areas--are priorities. Also essential is determining the status of local emergency services: police, fire fighters, and health service providers.
- As the federal relief effort escalates, including the deployment and
employment of federal military resources in the disaster area, critical relief facilities must be made operational and accessible. These facilities include municipal offices, hospitals, water treatment plants, ice
manufacturing and storage plants, electrical power stations or lines, and telecommunications nodes. Sites for the emergency shelter, feeding, and medical treatment of displaced civilians must be identified and prepared.
These life support centers will be required within the first few days after a disaster. Sites for the reception, storage, and distribution of supplies in the affected area also must be identified.
Maps and imagery are important tools for the assessment process, and for conducting support. Disasters within the United States pose unique challenges for the military to obtain Mapping Charting and Geodesy (MC&G) products. FEMA may request MC&G support from the supported CINC, the Lead Operational Authority, or other DOD Agency (e.g., DMA, U.S. Army Topographic Engineer Center) through the DCO.
Deployment
Initial Deployment phase operations begin on the first day of deployment (C-day) actions during the Deployment phase include:
• Forces deploying to and entering the Area of Operations (AO).
• Establishing Lodgment areas.
• DCO, or Commander of DRTF, JTF, or RTF determining forces are ready to provide support.
• Establishing liaison with Lead Federal Agency.
• Base Support Installations begin support operations.
• Continue to assess support requirements