The purpose of this book is to summarize the observations, conclusions, and recommendations from post-disaster assessments conducted by the FEMA MAT’s in response to the 2017 Hurricane Season.It is published as a convenience to those who may wish to have a quality professionally printed copy of the manual.
This FEMA National Incident Support Manual (NISM) describes how the FEMA national staff supports FEMA incident operations. This manual also discusses steady-state activities pertinent to incident operations. The actions of the NRCS are driven by the incident-level requirements and the needs of the nation. This manual defines the activities of Federal assistance—across the nation and within FEMA’s statutory authority—supporting citizens and first responders in responding to, recovering from, and mitigating all hazards. It includes definitions and descriptions of roles and responsibilities, functions, and organizational structures for those conducting FEMA incident support duties. This manual therefore forms the basis from which FEMA personnel plan and execute their assigned missions.
The Second Edition of the Disaster Operations Legal Reference (DOLR 2.0) describes the legal authorities for FEMA's readiness, response, and recovery activities. It supersedes DOLR 1.0 issued in November 2011. Because this reference is not exhaustive, the legal authorities are subject to modification and change, and the specific facts surrounding an issue may change the legal analysis, use of the information contained here should be verified with the FEMA Office of Chief Counsel before becoming the basis for a final decision by the Agency.