DHS deploys field offices to flooded states | 06.29.2006 | 08:53:47 | Views: 5565 | ID: June 29 '06: Last week, Washington Technology reported that the Department of Homeland Security would increase their participation in regional response following a natural or man-made disaster by deploying regional field officials. The move would be under the guidelines of the National Response Plan, that would create "multi agency coordination centers" which could be used to integrate a federal, state and local response. This week, following the heavy rains and flooding from a stalled storm system over the Mid Atlantic, DHS announced it would set up a Regional Response Coordination Center in Philadelphia using those new plans. About 30 Federal Emergency Management Agency personnel were sent to the RRCC to help monitor the federal response. As well, FEMA is in contact with state emergency managers from New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania through liaisons at the state Emergency Operations Centers. The announcement of the deployment of the RRCCs was a shift in operations for the department as it focuses on ways to improve the NRP and its relationship with state and local emergency plans. The NRP is supported by the National Incident Management System which was designed "so responders from different responders from different jurisdictions can work together better to respond to natural disasters and emergencies." Details of the changes and the deployment of regional field offices include an Information and Intelligence Unit which would be "the central point for receiving information into the field office." That Information and Intelligence Unit would "include access to the Homeland Security Information System, as well as to at least two classified networks," WashTech found.
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