Forest
Service
File Code:
Route To:
Subject:
To:
Washington
Office
1580/5100
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20250
Date:
April 18, 2011
All-Hazard Response
Regional Foresters, Station Directors, Area Director, IITF Director, Deputy Chiefs
and WO Directors
Seasonal weather forecasts are predicting severe flooding in the Midwest states this spring.
Numerous questions and issues regarding authorities, policies, and liabilities about the agency’s
ability to assist state and local entities in non-fire emergencies and disasters usually arise when
these types of events occur. Agency line officers and managers want to be responsive to state
and local needs, but must realize that under current law Forest Service (FS) authority to
participate in local floods, absent a Presidential declaration, is very limited.
The May 2006 1590/5100 All-Hazard Response letter signed by then FS Chief, Dale Bosworth,
outlined the all-hazard emergency response principles of the Agency’s All-Hazard Doctrine.
This letter serves as a reminder that we should once again review the principles that define the
Agency’s emergency response to all-hazard incidents.
The FS is a land management agency with a unique combination of people, skills, and resources
that add significant value to our national emergency response capability. The Agency accepts
this all-hazard role as complementary to its overall land management mission. The FS is an
exceptional land management agency, a good neighbor, and a willing partner in all-hazard
response.
The FS all-hazard response is based on the assumption that other agencies will fulfill their
primary roles and responsibilities with National Incident Management System (NIMS) qualified
and trained people as outlined in the National Response Framework. Support for all-hazard
national responses may take priority over FS accomplishments and targets. The FS leadership
will clearly communicate its roles, capabilities, and limitations throughout the Agency and to its
partners.
The FS Doctrine for all-hazard response has established the following principles that guide its
actions now and into the future.
1. The NIMS is the foundation of the Agency’s response organization.
2. The FS will continue to train other agencies to build their NIMS capabilities.
3. Under our authorities, the FS will respond and support all-hazard responses by
providing trained personnel to use their skills, capabilities, and assets without
requiring significant additional training and preparation.
• Support to cooperators requiring FS resources will be consistent with
America’s Working Forests – Caring Every Day in Every Way
Printed on Recycled Paper
Regional Foresters, Station Directors, Area Director, IITF Director and Deputy Chiefs
2
employee’s core skills, capabilities, and training.
• FS employees must be informed and trained to do all-hazard response in a
safe, efficient, and effective manner.
4. The FS will conduct a thorough mission analysis of every all-hazard request
before committing people and other resources.
5. Agency employees will be given appropriate risk mitigation (e.g. vaccinations,
personal protective equipment, etc.) to operate in the all-hazard environment to
which they are assigned.
6. All employees involved in all-hazard response will be supported and managed by
an agency leader, agency liaison, or interagency Incident Management Team.
7. FS employee’s expertise is best used in the incident emergency response phase.
Though our employees are highly adaptable, further use of their skills during the
recovery phase may impact the Agency’s land management mission. FS
resources need to be managed, and used appropriately so they can be available for
primary life saving, property protection, and incident stabilization assignments.
8. The FS must be capable of meeting its primary agency response mission first, the
Emergency Support Function-4 (ESF-4) mission, and then provide what ever
support possible to the other ESF missions.
9. The FS also will respond when human life is at risk, or when there is another clear
emergency, and the responders consider themselves capable of assisting without
undue risk to themselves or others.
We believe that these principles will assist you in making sound and timely decisions as we
continue to assist our partners in meeting the Nation’s emergency response needs. These
principles are being incorporated into the revision of FS Manual 1590. The All Hazard Doctrine
is available on-line at:
http://www.fs.fed.us/fire/doctrine/implementation/source_materials/all_hazard.pdf.
For more information, please contact Dale Dague at ddague@fs.fed.us or (202) 205-1500, or
Gordy Sachs at gsachs@fs.fed.us or (540) 265-5122.
/s/ James
E. Hubbard
JAMES E. HUBBARD
Deputy Chief, State and Private Forestry
State and Private Forestry
cc: pdl wo spf fam regional fire directors, pdl wo spf fam leadership, pdl wo lot