Emergency Support Functions (ESFs)

 

State ESF Structure

The State of Louisiana Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) identifies State Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) as the structure for organizing and coordinating State resources by area of function. The ESF structure helps ensure efficient and timely delivery of needed assistance to disaster-impacted communities. Functions are categorized by the type of support or resource provided or managed within the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and its subcomponent the Incident Command System (ICS). In addition to ESFs identified within the NIMS structure, Louisiana has included Military Support as an ESF.

Federal ESF Structure

The Federal Government – through the National Response Framework ­– also identifies an ESF system to align Federal support by function. Federal ESFs provide the structure for coordinating Federal interagency support for a Federal response to an incident when Federal support is needed and authorized. Like the State ESFs, they are mechanisms for grouping functions most frequently used to provide Federal support to States, both for declared disasters and emergencies under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act) and for non-Stafford Act incidents 

THE BELOW CHART IDENTIFIES STATE AND FEDERAL ESFs, THEIR PRIMARY AGENCIES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES

ESFs + Responsibilities

Louisiana Agency

Federal Agency

ESF-1 Transportation
Responsibilities:
  • Evacuation + re-entry
  • Transportation
  • Department of Transportation and Development
  • U.S. Department of Transportation
ESF-2 Communications
Responsibilities:
  • Emergency communications restoration
  • Coordination of Federal/State/Local communication resources
  • LWIN maintenance/restoration
  • Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
  • Louisiana State Police
  • Louisiana National Guard
  • U.S. Homeland Security
  • National Protection and Programs
  • National Cybersecurity and Communications
ESF-3 Public Works + Engineering
Responsibilities:
  • Debris and wreckage removal
  • Levee support
  • Roadway maintenance
  • Department of Transportation and Development
  • Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority
  • U.S. Department of Defense
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
ESF-4 Firefighting
Responsibilities:
  • Firefighting structural, forest, rural and wooded area fires
  • Fire investigations
  • State Fire Marshal
  • Department of Agriculture and Forestry
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture and Forest Service
  • U.S. Department of Homeland Security
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency
  • U.S. Fire Administration
ESF-5 Emergency Management
Responsibilities:
  • EMAC
  • Multi-Agency Coordination
  • Tribal matters
  • Generator support
  • Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency
ESF-6 Mass Care, Emergency Assistance, Housing + Human Services
Responsibilities:
  • Sheltering operations
  • Mass feeding
  • Long/short term housing
  • DSNAP
  • VOAD
  • Department of Child and Family Services
  • Louisiana Workforce Commission
  • U.S. Department of Homeland Security
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency
ESF-7 Logistics, Management + Resource Support 
Responsibilities:
  • Points of Distribution (PODS)
  • Commodity Distribution
  • Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
  • Louisiana National Guard
  • U.S. Department of Homeland Security
  • U.S. General Services Administration
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency
ESF-8 Public Health + Medical Services
Responsibilities:
  • Medical and health needs
  • Special needs shelters
  • Ambulances
  • DMAT and DMORT
  • Mosquito Abatement
  • Department of Health and Hospitals
  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
ESF-9 Search + Rescue
Responsibilities:
  • Search and Rescue (SAR)
  • Water Rescue
  • Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
  • State Fire Marshal (Urban)
  • U.S. Department of Homeland Security
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency
ESF-10 Oil + Hazardous Materials Response
Responsibilities:
  • HAZMAT
  • Air quality
  • Department of Environmental Quality
  • Louisiana State Police
  • Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator's Office
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
ESF-11 Agriculture + Natural Resources
Responsibilities:
  • Animal response and Relief
  • Pet evacuation and sheltering
  • Emergency fuel
  • Agricultural needs
  • Department of Agriculture and Forestry
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture
ESF-12 Energy
Responsibilities:
  • Oil and Gas pipelines
  • Utility Services
  • Drinking water
  • Department of Natural Resources
  • Louisiana Public Service Commission
  • Department of Health and Hospitals
  • U.S. Department of Energy
ESF-13 Public Safety + Security
Responsibilities:
  • Security
  • Traffic Control
  • Public safety and law enforcement
  • Prison evacuations
  • Louisiana State Police
  • Department of Justice
  • U.S. Department of Justice
  • Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
ESF-14 Long-term Community Recovery + Mitigation 
Responsibilities:
  • Disaster Recovery
  • Preliminary Damage Assessments (PDAs) for Public Assistance and Individual Assistance
  • Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
  • U.S. Department of Homeland Security
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency
ESF-15 External Affairs
Responsibilities:
  • Media and community relations
  • Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
  • U.S. Department of Homeland Security
ESF-16 Military Support + Civil Authorities
Responsibilities:
  • Support all ESF activities
  • Louisiana National Guard
Federal ESF structure does not include ESF-16
ESF-17 Cybersecurity
Responsibilities:
  • Preparation
  • Identification and Classification
  • Containment
  • Eradication
  • Recovery and Remediation
  • Division of Administration
  • Louisiana National Guard
  • Department of Homeland Security
  • Federal Bureau of Investigation

The Federal Government and many State governments organize much of their disaster response resources and capabilities – as well as those of certain private sector and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) – under the ESF structure. ESFs align categories of resources and provide strategic objectives for their use.

During a response, both Federal and State ESFs are a critical mechanism to coordinate functional capabilities and resources provided by Federal agencies, certain private-sector entities, and NGOs. The ESF concept is scalable to the size and complexity of an event and local capacity to respond. For example, in addition to the NIMS ESF structure, Louisiana has also included Military Support as a Louisiana ESF, resulting in a slightly larger ESF structure to better meet State needs.

Learn More

To learn more about Federal ESFs:

To learn more about State ESFs download:

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