Emergency Support Functions | THE EPICENTER LA

The ESFs work to integrate the functions of several federal agencies in response to both Stafford Act and non-Stafford Act incidents. They are means for bringing together responses most frequently used to provide federal to state and federal to federal support.

ESF #1: Transportation: Supports local, state, territorial, insular area, tribal and federal governmental institutions, voluntary organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector in the management of transportation systems and infrastructure during threats or in response to actual or potential incidents.
ESF #2: Communications: Under its sector, assists in the restoration of infrastructure, coordinates support in response to efforts, facilitates the delivery of information to decision makers in an emergency-related incident, and helps stabilize and reestablish systems and applications during disasters.
ESF#3: Public Works and Engineering: Coordinates and organizes federal resources to facilitate the delivery of multiple core capabilities.
ESF #4: Firefighting: Provides support by detecting and suppressing wildland, rural and urban fires resulting from, or occurring coincidentally with, an all-hazard incident requiring a coordinated national response for assistance.
ESF #5: Information and Planning: Collects, analyzes, processes, and distributes information about a potential or real incident, and heads crisis action planning activities to facilitate the overall activities in providing assistance to the whole community
ESF #6: Mass Care, Emergency Assistance, Temporary Housing, and Human Services: Coordinates and provides life-sustaining resources, essential services, and statutory programs when the needs of disaster survivors exceed local, state, tribal, territorial, and insular area government capabilities.
ESF #7: Logistics: Plans for timely and efficient delivery of equipment and services. It also facilitates comprehensive planning, technical assistance, training, education, exercise, incident response, and sustainment that leverage the capabilities of public and private partners in support of both responders and disaster survivors.
ESF #8: Public Health and Medical Services: Provides assistance to supplement local, state, tribal, territorial, and insular area resources in response to a disaster or incident that may lead to a public health, medical, behavioral, or human service emergency.
ESF#9: Search and Rescue: Distributes resources to provide lifesaving assistance to local, state, tribal, territorial, and insular area authorities when there is an actual or anticipated request for Federal assistance.
ESF #10: Oil and Hazardous Materials Response: Provides assistance in response to an actual or potential discharge and/or release of oil or hazardous materials.
ESF #11: Agriculture and Natural Resources: Works to protect the nation’s agricultural and natural and cultural resources during domestic emergencies. Also provides nutrition assistance during actual or potential incidents, responds to animal and agricultural health issues and management, provides technical expertise, ensures the safety of the nation’s supply of meat, poultry, and processed egg products, and ensures the protection of natural and cultural resources and historic properties.
ESF #12: Energy: Supports the Department of Homeland Security by coordinating government capabilities, services, technical assistance, and engineering expertise during disaster and incidents that require a coordinated federal response.
ESF#13: Public Safety and Security: Provides public safety and security assistance to those overwhelmed by results of an actual or anticipated natural/manmade disaster or an act of terrorism.
ESF #15: External Affairs: Provides accurate, timely, and accessible information to affected audiences, including governments, media, the private sector, and the local population.