§311 — Title 6 Domestic Security | U.S. Code

Summary

Defines key words used in this subchapter. Administrator is the Agency’s Administrator. Agency is the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Catastrophic incident is a natural, terrorist, or other man-made disaster that causes extreme casualties, damage, or major disruption to people, infrastructure, the environment, the economy, national morale, or government functions, including mass evacuations. Credentialed/credentialing means having documents that verify a person meets minimum training, experience, physical and medical fitness, and job capability under standards in section 320. Federal coordinating officer is as described in 42 U.S.C. 5143. Interoperable has the meaning in section 194(g)(1). National Incident Management System is a system for effective, efficient, cooperative incident management. National Response Plan means the plan or its successor under section 314(a)(6). Regional Administrator and Regional Office are the regional official and office under section 317. Resources are people and major equipment, supplies, and facilities for disaster response. Surge capacity is the ability to quickly increase search-and-rescue, food, water, medicine, shelter, medical care, evacuation, staffing, and other lifesaving resources. Tribal government is the government described in section 101(13)(B). Typed/typing means evaluating a resource under standards in section 320.

Title 6, §311

Domestic Security — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

In this subchapter—

(1)the term “Administrator” means the Administrator of the Agency;

(2)the term “Agency” means the Federal Emergency Management Agency;

(3)the term “catastrophic incident” means any natural disaster, act of terrorism, or other man-made disaster that results in extraordinary levels of casualties or damage or disruption severely affecting the population (including mass evacuations), infrastructure, environment, economy, national morale, or government functions in an area;

(4)the terms “credentialed” and “credentialing” mean having provided, or providing, respectively, documentation that identifies personnel and authenticates and verifies the qualifications of such personnel by ensuring that such personnel possess a minimum common level of training, experience, physical and medical fitness, and capability appropriate for a particular position in accordance with standards created under section 320 of this title;

(5)the term “Federal coordinating officer” means a Federal coordinating officer as described in section 5143 of title 42;

(6)the term “interoperable” has the meaning given the term “interoperable communications” under section 194(g)(1) of this title;

(7)the term “National Incident Management System” means a system to enable effective, efficient, and collaborative incident management;

(8)the term “National Response Plan” means the National Response Plan or any successor plan prepared under section 314(a)(6) 11 See References in Text note below. of this title;

(9)the term “Regional Administrator” means a Regional Administrator appointed under section 317 of this title;

(10)the term “Regional Office” means a Regional Office established under section 317 of this title;

(11)the term “resources” means personnel and major items of equipment, supplies, and facilities available or potentially available for responding to a natural disaster, act of terrorism, or other man-made disaster;

(12)the term “surge capacity” means the ability to rapidly and substantially increase the provision of search and rescue capabilities, food, water, medicine, shelter and housing, medical care, evacuation capacity, staffing (including disaster assistance employees), and other resources necessary to save lives and protect property during a catastrophic incident;

(13)the term “tribal government” means the government of any entity described in section 101(13)(B) of this title; and

(14)the terms “typed” and “typing” mean having evaluated, or evaluating, respectively, a resource in accordance with standards created under section 320 of this title.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 314(a)(6) of this title, referred to in par. (8), was in the original “section 502(a)(6)” and was translated as meaning section 502 of Pub. L. 107–296 prior to its redesignation as section 504 by Pub. L. 109–295, § 611(8), and not section 506 which was redesignated section 502 by Pub. L. 109–295, § 611(9), and is classified to section 312 of this title, to reflect the probable intent of Congress.

Prior Provisions

A prior section 311, Pub. L. 107–296, title V, § 501, Nov. 25, 2002, 116 Stat. 2212, provided for an Under Secretary for Emergency Preparedness and Response, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 109–295, title VI, § 611(2), Oct. 4, 2006, 120 Stat. 1395.

Amendments

2016—Par. (13). Pub. L. 114–328 substituted “101(13)(B)” for “101(11)(B)”. 2007—Pars. (4) to (12). Pub. L. 110–53, § 401(a)(1)–(4), added pars. (4) and (11) and redesignated former pars. (4) to (10) as (5) to (10) and (12), respectively. Former par. (11) redesignated (13). Par. (13). Pub. L. 110–53, § 502(c)(1), substituted “101(11)(B)” for “101(10)(B)”. Pub. L. 110–53, § 401(a)(1), redesignated par. (11) as (13). Par. (14). Pub. L. 110–53, § 401(a)(5)–(7), added par. (14).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

Any reference to the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in title VI of Pub. L. 109–295 or an amendment by title VI to be considered to refer and apply to the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency until Mar. 31, 2007, see section 612(f)(2) of Pub. L. 109–295, set out as a note under section 313 of this title. Interim Actions Pub. L. 109–295, title VI, § 612(f)(1), Oct. 4, 2006, 120 Stat. 1411, provided that: “During the period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 4, 2006] and ending on

March 31, 2007, the Secretary [of Homeland Security], the Under Secretary for Preparedness, and the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall take such actions as are necessary to provide for the orderly implementation of any amendment under this subtitle [subtitle A (§§ 611–614) of title VI of Pub. L. 109–295, see Tables for classification] that takes effect on

March 31, 2007.”

§311 Definitions