Glossary

People are better able to share a understanding of emergency preparedness by using common definitions. You will find a useful list of the most common terms below. These terms are from; the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), State and Local Guide (SLG 101): Guide for All-Hazard Emergency Operations Planning, (9/96) and, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), National Response Plan, (12/04).

The National Response Plan, may be found at the URL: http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/editorial/editorial_0566.xml

American Red Cross (ARC)

The American Red Cross is a humanitarian organization, led by volunteers, that provides relief to victims of disasters and helps people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. It does this through services that are consistent with its Congressional Charter and the Principles of the International Red Cross Movement.

Attack

A hostile action taken against the United States by foreign forces or terrorists, resulting in the destruction of or damage to military targets, injury or death to the civilian population, or damage or destruction to public and private property.

Checklist

Written (or computerized) enumeration of emergency actions that need to be taken by an individual or organization meant to aid memory rather than provide detailed instruction in the event of an emergency. This may also refer to a personal checklist people develop for their place of work, home, and community in which they reside.

Chief Executive Official (CEO)

The official of the community who is charged with authority to implement and administer laws, ordinances, and regulations for the community. He or she may be a mayor, city manager, etc.

Back to Top

Community

A political entity which has the authority to adopt and enforce laws and ordinances for the area under its jurisdiction. In most cases, the community is an incorporated town, city, township, village, or unincorporated area of a county. However, each State defines its own political subdivisions and forms of government.

Contamination

The undesirable deposition of a chemical, biological, or radiological material on the surface of structures, areas, objects, or people.

Crisis Management

Predominantly a law enforcement function and included measures to identify, acquire, and plan the use of resources needed to anticipate, prevent, and/or resolve a threat or act of terrorism.

Dam

A barrier built across a watercourse for the purpose of impounding, controlling, or diverting the flow of water.

Back to Top

Damage Assessment

The process used to appraise or determine the number of injuries and deaths, damage to public and private property, and the status of key facilities and services such as hospitals and other health care facilities, fire and police stations, communications networks, water and sanitation systems, utilities, and transportation networks resulting from a man-made or natural disaster.

Decontamination

The reduction or removal of a chemical, biological, or radiological material from the surface of a structure, area, object, or person.

Disaster

An occurrence of a natural catastrophe, technological accident, or human caused event that has resulted in severe property damage, deaths, and/or multiple injuries. As used in this Guide, a "large-scale disaster" is one that exceeds the response capability of the local jurisdiction and requires State, and potentially Federal, involvement. As used in the Stafford Act, a "major disaster" is "any natural catastrophe [...] or, regardless of cause, any fire, flood, or explosion, in any part of the United States, which in the determination of the President causes damage of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant major disaster assistance under [the] Act to supplement the efforts and available resources or States, local governments, and disaster relief organizations in alleviating the damage, loss, hardship, or suffering caused thereby."

Disaster Field Office (DFO)

The office established in or near the designated area of a Presidentially declared major disaster to support Federal and State response and recovery operations.

Back to Top

Disaster Recovery Center (DRC)

Places established in the area of a Presidentially declared major disaster, as soon as practicable, to provide victims the opportunity to apply in person for assistance and/or obtain information relating to that assistance. DRCs are staffed by local, State, and Federal agency representatives, as well as staff from volunteer organizations (e.g., the American Red Cross).

Dose (Radiation)

A general term indicating the quantity (total or accumulated) of ionizing radiation or energy absorbed by a person or animal.

Dose Rate

The amount of ionizing radiation which an individual would absorb per unit of time. Dosimeter An instrument for measuring and registering total accumulated exposure to ionizing radiation.

Earthquake

The sudden motion or trembling of the ground produced by abrupt displacement of rock masses, usually within the upper 10 to 20 miles of the earth's surface.

Back to Top

Electromagnetic Pulse

A sharp pulse of energy radiated instantaneously by a nuclear detonation which may affect or damage electronic components and equipment.

Emergency

Any occasion or instance such as a hurricane, tornado, storm, flood, tidal wave, tsunami, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, mudslide, snowstorm, fire, explosion, nuclear accident, or any other natural or man-made catastrophe that warrants action to save lives and to protect property, public health, and safety. Emergency is also defined as; "any occasion or instance for which, in the determination of the President, Federal assistance is needed to supplement State and local efforts and capabilities to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in any part of the United States."

Emergency Alert System

A digital technology (voice/text) communications system consisting of broadcast stations and interconnecting facilities authorized by the Federal Communication Commission. The system provides the President and other national, State, and local officials the means to broadcast emergency information to the public before, during, and after disasters.

Emergency Environmental Health Services (EEHS)

Services required to correct or improve damaging environmental health effects on humans, including inspection for food contamination, inspection for water contamination, and vector control; providing for sewage and solid waste inspection and disposal; clean-up and disposal of hazardous materials; and sanitation inspection for emergency shelter facilities.

Back to Top

Emergency Health Services (EHS)

Services required to prevent and treat the damaging health effects of an emergency, including communicable disease control, immunization, laboratory services, dental and nutritional services; providing first aid for treatment of ambulatory patients and those with minor injuries; providing public health information on emergency treatment, prevention, and control; and providing administrative support including maintenance of vital records and providing for a conduit of emergency health funds from State and Federal governments.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

Services, including personnel, facilities, and equipment required to ensure proper medical care for the sick and injured from the time of injury to the time of final disposition, including medical disposition within a hospital, temporary medical facility, or special care facility, release from site, or declared dead. Further, emergency medical services specifically include those services immediately required to ensure proper medical care and specialized treatment for patients in a hospital and coordination of related hospital services.

Emergency Operating Center (EOC)

The protected site from which State and local civil government officials coordinate, monitor, and direct emergency response activities during an emergency.

Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)

A document that: describes how people and property will be protected in disaster and disaster threat situations; details who is responsible for carrying out specific actions; identifies the personnel, equipment, facilities, supplies, and other resources available for use in the disaster, it outlines how all actions will be coordinated.

Back to Top

Emergency Public Information

Is information that is disseminated primarily in anticipation of an emergency or during an emergency. In addition to providing situational information to the public, it also frequently provides directive actions required to be taken by the general public.

Emergency Response Provider

Includes Federal, State, local, and tribal emergency public safety, law enforcement, emergency response, emergency medical (including hospital emergency facilities), and related personnel, agencies, and authorities. (See section 2(6), Homeland Security Act of 2002, Public Law 107-296, 116 Stat. 2135 (2002).) Also known as "emergency responder."

Emergency Response Team (ERT)

An interagency team, consisting of the lead representative from each Federal department or agency assigned primary responsibility for an emergency support function (ESF) and key members formed to assist in carrying out coordination responsibilities. The ERT may be expanded to include designated representatives of other Federal departments and agencies as needed.

Emergency Response Team Advance Element (ERTA)

For Federal disaster response and recovery activities under the Stafford Act, the portion of the ERT that is first deployed to the field to respond to a disaster incident. The ERT-A is the nucleus of the full ERT.

Back to Top

Emergency Response Team National (ERTN)

An ERT that has been established for deployment to catastrophic disasters where the resources of the FEMA Region have been, or are expected to be overwhelmed.

Emergency Support Function (ESF)

In the Federal Response Plan (FRP), a functional area of response activity established to facilitate the delivery of Federal assistance required during the immediate response phase of a disaster to save lives, protect property and public health, and to maintain public safety. ESF represents those types of Federal assistance which the State will most likely need because of the impact of a catastrophic or significant disaster on its own resources and response capabilities, or because of the specialized or unique nature of the assistance required. ESF missions are designed to supplement State and local response efforts.

Emergency Support Team (EST)

The EST is an interagency group operating from FEMA headquarters that oversees the national-level response support effort under the Federal Response Plan and coordinates activities with the ESF primary and support agencies in supporting Federal requirements in the field.

Evacuation

Is an organized, phased, and supervised dispersal of people from dangerous or potentially dangerous areas. Spontaneous Evacuation - Residents or citizens in the threatened areas observe an emergency event or receive unofficial word of an actual or perceived threat and without receiving instructions to do so, elect to evacuate the area. Persons movement, means, and direction of travel is unorganized and unsupervised. Voluntary Evacuation - This is a warning to persons within a designated area that a threat to life and property exists or is likely to exist in the immediate future. Individuals issued this type of waning or order is NOT required to evacuate, however it would be to their advantage to do so. Mandatory or Directed Evacuation - This is a warning to persons within the designated area that an imminent threat to life and property exists and individuals must evacuate in accordance with the instructions of local officials.

Back to Top

Evacuees

All persons removed or moving from areas threatened or struck by a disaster.

Exposure (Radiological)

Is a quantitative measure of gamma or x-ray radiation at a certain place based on its ability to produce ionization in air.

Exposure Rate (Radiological)

Is the amount of ionizing radiation to which an individual would be exposed to over a unit of time.

Federal Coordinating Officer

The person appointed by the President to coordinate Federal assistance in a Presidentially declared emergency or major disaster.

Back to Top

Field Assessment Team

A small team of pre-identified technical experts that conduct an assessment of peoples needs immediately following a disaster. The experts are drawn from FEMA, other agencies and organizations--such as the U.S. Public Health Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the American Red Cross, and the affected State(s).

Flash Flood

Follows a situation in which rainfall is so intense and severe and runoff so rapid that it precludes recording and relating it to stream stages and other information in time to forecast a flood condition.

Flood

A general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of normally dry land areas from overflow of inland or tidal waters, unusual or rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters, or mudslides/mudflows caused by accumulation of water.

Governor's Authorized Representative

The person empowered by the Governor to execute, on behalf of the State, all necessary documents for disaster assistance.

Back to Top

Hazard Mitigation

Any action taken to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk to human life and property from hazards. The term is sometimes used to mean cost-effective measures to reduce the potential for damage to a facility or facilities from a disaster event.

Hazardous Material (HAZMAT)

Any substance or material that when involved in an accident and released in sufficient quantities, poses a risk to people's health, safety, and/or property. These substances and materials include explosives, radioactive materials, flammable liquids or solids, combustible liquids or solids, poisons, oxidizers, toxins, and corrosive materials.

High-Hazard Areas

Geographic locations that for planning purposes have been determined through historical experience and vulnerability analysis to be likely to experience the effects of a specific hazard (e.g., hurricane, earthquake, hazardous materials accident, etc.) resulting in vast property damage and loss of life.

Hurricane

A tropical cyclone, formed in the atmosphere over warm ocean areas, in which wind speeds reach 74 miles per hour or more and blow in a large spiral around a relatively calm center or "eye". Circulation is counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

Back to Top

Incident Command System (ICS)

A standardized organizational structure used to command, control, and coordinate the use of resources and personnel that have responded to the scene of an emergency. The concepts and principles for ICS include common terminology, modular organization, integrated communication, unified command structure, consolidated action plan, manageable span of control, designated incident facilities, and comprehensive resource management.

Joint Information Center (JIC)

A central point of contact for all news media near the scene of a large-scale disaster. News media representatives are kept informed of activities and events by public information officials who represent all participating Federal, State, and local agencies that are collocated at the JIC.

Joint Information System (JIS)

Under the Federal Response Plan, connection of public affairs personnel, decision-makers, and news centers by electronic mail, fax, and telephone when a single Federal- State-local JIC is not a viable option.

Local Government

A county, municipality, city, town, township, local public authority, school district, special district, intrastate district, council of governments (regardless of whether the council of governments is incorporated as a nonprofit corporation under State law), regional or interstate government entity, or agency or instrumentality of a local government; an Indian tribe or authorized tribal organization or, in Alaska, a Native Village or Alaska Regional Native Corporation; or a rural community, unincorporated town or village, or other public entity. (As defined in section 2(10) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, Public Law 107-296, 116 Stat. 2135, et seq. (2002).)

Back to Top

Mass Care

The actions that are taken to protect evacuees and other disaster victims from the effects of the disaster. Activities include providing temporary shelter, food, medical care, clothing, and other essential life support needs to those people that have been displaced from their homes because of a disaster or threatened disaster.

Mutual Aid Agreement

Written agreement between agencies, organizations, and/or jurisdictions that they will assist one another on request by furnishing personnel, equipment, and/or expertise in a specified manner.

National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC)

The NCTC serves as the primary Federal organization for analyzing and integrating all intelligence possessed or acquired by the U.S. Government pertaining to terrorism and counterterrorism, excepting purely domestic counterterrorism information. The NCTC may, consistent with applicable law, receive, retain, and disseminate information from any Federal, State, or local government or other source necessary to fulfill its responsibilities.

National Response Team (NRT)

The NRT, comprised of the 16 Federal agencies with major environmental and public health responsibilities, is the primary vehicle for coordinating Federal agency activities the NCP. The NRT carries out national planning response coordination and is the head of a highly organized Federal oil and hazardous substance emergency response network. EPA serves as the Chair, and DHS/USCG serves as Vice Chair.

Back to Top

Nuclear Incident Response Team (NIRT)

Created by the Homeland Security Act to provide DHS with a nuclear/radiological response capability. When activated, the NIRT consists of specialized Federal response teams drawn from DOE and/or EPA.

Nuclear Detonation

An explosion resulting from fission and/or fusion reactions in nuclear material, such as that from a nuclear weapon.

Occupant Emergency Plan (OEP)

Is a building emergency plan developed to promote the protection of building occupants in the event of an emergency. The General Services Administration and Office of Personnel Management provides specific guidelines for Federal facilities and employees.

Private Sector

Organizations and entities that are not part of any governmental structure. Includes for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, formal and informal structures, commerce and industry, private emergency response organizations, and private voluntary organizations.

Back to Top

Public Assistance Program

The program administered by FEMA that provides supplemental Federal disaster grant assistance for debris removal and disposal, emergency protective measures, and the repair, replacement, or restoration of disaster-damaged, publicly owned facilities and the facilities of certain private nonprofit organizations.

Public Health

Protection, safety, improvement, and interconnections of health and disease prevention among people, domestic animals and wildlife.

Public Information Officer

A Federal, State, or local government official responsible for preparing and coordinating the dissemination of emergency public information.

Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA)

A mechanism used to determine the impact and magnitude of damage and the resulting unmet needs of individuals, businesses, the public sector, and the community as a whole. Information collected is used by the State as a basis for the Governor's request for a Presidential declaration, and by FEMA to document the recommendation made to the President in response to the Governor's request. PDAs are made by at least one State and one Federal representative. A local government representative familiar with the extent and location of damage in the community often participates; other State and Federal agencies and voluntary relief organizations also may be asked to participate, as needed.

Back to Top

Recovery

The development, coordination, and execution of service- and site-restoration plans for impacted communities and the reconstitution of government operations and services through individual, private-sector, nongovernmental, and public assistance programs that: identify needs and define resources; provide housing and promote restoration; address long-term care and treatment of affected persons; implement additional measures for community restoration; incorporate mitigation measures and techniques, as feasible; evaluate the incident to identify lessons learned; and develop initiatives to mitigate the effects of future incidents.

Response

Are activities that address the short-term, direct effects of an incident. Response includes immediate actions to save lives, protect property, and meet basic human needs. Response also includes the execution of emergency operations plans and of incident mitigation activities designed to limit the loss of life, personal injury, property damage, and other unfavorable outcomes. As indicated by the situation, response activities include: applying intelligence and other information to lessen the effects or consequences of an incident; increased security operations; continuing investigations into the nature and source of the threat; ongoing public health and agricultural surveillance and testing processes; immunizations, isolation, or quarantine; and specific law enforcement operations aimed at preempting, interdicting, or disrupting illegal activity, and apprehending actual perpetrators and bringing them to justice.

Radiation Sickness

The symptoms characterizing the sickness known as radiation injury, resulting from excessive exposure of the whole body to ionizing radiation.

Radiological Monitoring

The process of locating and measuring radiation by means of survey instruments that can detect and measure (as exposure rates) ionizing radiation.

Back to Top

Recovery

The long-term activities beyond the initial crisis period and emergency response phase of disaster operations that focus on returning all systems in the community to a normal status or to reconstitute these systems to a new condition that is less vulnerable.

Regional Operating Center (ROC)

The temporary operations facility for the coordination of Federal response and recovery activities, located at the FEMA Regional Office (or Federal Regional Center) and led by the FEMA Regional Director or Deputy Director until the DFO becomes operational. Once the ERT is deployed, the ROC performs a support role for Federal staff at the disaster scene.

Resource Management

Those actions taken by a government to: identify sources and obtain resources needed to support disaster response activities; coordinate the supply, allocation, distribution, and delivery of resources so that they arrive where and when most needed; and maintain accountability for the resources used.

Secondary Hazard

A threat whose potential would be realized as the result of a triggering event that of itself would constitute an emergency. For example, dam failure might be a secondary hazard associated with earthquakes.

Back to Top

Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)

A set of instructions constituting a directive, covering those features of operations which lend themselves to a definite, step-by-step process of accomplishment. SOPs supplement emergency operating procedure (EOP) by detailing and specifying how tasks assigned in the EOP are to be carried out.

State Coordinating Officer

The person appointed by the Governor to coordinate State, Commonwealth, or Territorial response and recovery activities with FRP-related activities of the Federal Government, in cooperation with the FCO.

State Liaison

A FEMA official assigned to a particular State, who handles initial coordination with the State in the early stages of an emergency.

Storm Surge

A dome of sea water created by the strong winds and low barometric pressure in a hurricane that causes severe coastal flooding as the hurricane strikes land.

Back to Top

Terrorism

Any activity that (1) involves an act that (a) is dangerous to human life or potentially destructive of critical infrastructure or key resources; and (b) is a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State or other subdivision of the United States; and (2) appears to be intended (a) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (b) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (c) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping.

Tornado

A local atmospheric storm, generally of short duration, formed by winds rotating at very high speeds, usually in a counter-clockwise direction. The vortex, up to several hundred yards wide, is visible to the observer as a whirlpool-like column of winds rotating about a hollow cavity or funnel. Winds may reach 300 miles per hour or higher.

Tsunami

Sea waves produced by an undersea earthquake. Such sea waves can reach a height of 80 feet and can devastate coastal cities and low-lying coastal areas.

Volunteer

Any individual accepted to perform services by an agency that has authority to accept volunteer services when the individual performs services without promise, expectation, or receipt of compensation for services performed. (See, for example, 16 U.S.C. § 742f(c) and 29 CFR § 553.101.)

Back to Top

Warning

The alerting of emergency response personnel and the public to the threat of extraordinary danger and the related effects that specific hazards may cause. A warning issued by the NWS (e.g., severe storm warning, tornado warning, tropical storm warning) for a defined area indicates that the particular type of severe weather is imminent in that area.

Watch

Indication by the National Weather System (NWS) that in a defined area conditions are favorable for the specified type of severe weather (e.g., flash flood watch, severe thunderstorm watch, tornado watch, tropical storm watch).

Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD)

As defined in Title 18, U.S.C. § 2332a: (1) any explosive, incendiary, or poison gas, bomb, grenade, rocket having a propellant charge of more than 4 ounces, or missile having an explosive or incendiary charge of more than one-quarter ounce, or mine or similar device; (2) any weapon that is designed or intended to cause death or serious bodily injury through the release, dissemination, or impact of toxic or poisonous chemicals or their precursors; (3) any weapon involving a disease organism; or (4) any weapon that is designed to release radiation or radioactivity at a level dangerous to human life.