§321d — Title 6 Domestic Security | U.S. Code

Summary

Sets up the National Operations Center as the Department's main operations hub. "Situational awareness" means information from many sources that, when shared with emergency managers and decision makers, helps them handle incidents and routine work. The Center must give a shared picture of events and threats to the federal government and to State, local, tribal, and territorial governments, the private sector, and international partners for natural disasters, terrorism, or other man-made incidents. It must make sure important terrorism and disaster information reaches government decision-makers and must make agreements with other federal operations centers and homeland security partners to share information. The Secretary must create a rotating slot for a State or local emergency responder to work at the Center so federal and local teams share information. That slot must be run under the same rules as other rotating positions at the Center.

Title 6, §321d

Domestic Security — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In this section, the term “situational awareness” means information gathered from a variety of sources that, when communicated to emergency managers, decision makers, and other appropriate officials, can form the basis for incident management decisionmaking and steady-state activity.

(b)The National Operations Center is the principal operations center for the Department and shall—

(1)provide situational awareness and a common operating picture for the entire Federal Government, and for State, local, tribal, and territorial governments, the private sector, and international partners as appropriate, for events, threats, and incidents involving a natural disaster, act of terrorism, or other man-made disaster;

(2)ensure that critical terrorism and disaster-related information reaches government decision-makers; and

(3)enter into agreements with other Federal operations centers and other homeland security partners, as appropriate, to facilitate the sharing of information.

(c)(1)The Secretary shall establish a position, on a rotating basis, for a representative of State and local emergency responders at the National Operations Center established under subsection (b) to ensure the effective sharing of information between the Federal Government and State and local emergency response services.

(2)The Secretary shall manage the position established pursuant to paragraph (1) in accordance with such rules, regulations, and practices as govern other similar rotating positions at the National Operations Center.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2016—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 114–328, § 1909(1), substituted “emergency managers, decision makers, and other appropriate officials” for “emergency managers and decision makers” and inserted “and steady-state activity” before period at end. Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 114–328, § 1909(2)(A), substituted “tribal, and territorial governments, the private sector, and international partners” for “and tribal governments” and “for events, threats, and incidents involving” for “in the event of” and struck out “and” at end. Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 114–328, § 1909(2)(B), substituted “; and” for period at end. Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 114–328, § 1909(2)(C), added par. (3). Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 114–328, § 1909(4)(A), substituted “emergency responder” for “fire service” in heading. Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 114–328, § 1909(4)(B), added par. (1) and struck out former par. (1). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “The Secretary shall, in consultation with the Administrator of the United States Fire Administration, establish a fire service position at the National Operations Center established under subsection (b) to ensure the effective sharing of information between the Federal Government and State and local fire services.” Subsec. (c)(2), (3). Pub. L. 114–328, § 1909(4)(C), (D), redesignated par. (3) as (2) and struck out former par. (2). Prior to amendment, text of par. (2) read as follows: “The Secretary shall designate, on a rotating basis, a State or local fire service official for the position described in paragraph (1).” 2008—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 110–376 added subsec. (c).

§321d National Operations Center

Summary

Title 6, §321d

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Citations & Metadata