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Emergency Support Functions (ESFs)

ESFs in action

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.

State and Federal ESF Responsibilities and Agencies

Responsibilities:

  • Evacuation + re-entry
  • Transportation

Louisiana Agency

  • Department of Transportation and Development

Federal Agency

  • U.S. Department of Transportation

Responsibilities:

  • Emergency communications restoration
  • Coordination of Federal/State/Local communication resources
  • LWIN maintenance/restoration

Louisiana Agency

  • Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
  • Louisiana State Police
  • Louisiana National Guard

Federal Agency

  • U.S. Homeland Security
  • National Protection and Programs
  • National Cybersecurity and Communications

Responsibilities:

  • Debris and wreckage removal
  • Levee support
  • Roadway maintenance

Louisiana Agency

  • Department of Transportation and Development
  • Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority

Federal Agency

  • U.S. Department of Defense
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Responsibilities:

  • Firefighting structural, forest, rural and wooded area fires
  • Fire investigations.

Louisiana Agency

  • State Fire Marshal
  • Department of Agriculture and Forestry

Federal Agency

  • U.S. Department of Agriculture and Forest Service
  • U.S. Department of Homeland Security
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency
  • U.S. Fire Administration

Responsibilities:

  • EMAC
  • Multi-Agency Coordination
  • Tribal matters
  • Generator support

Louisiana Agency

  • Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness

Federal Agency

  • Federal Emergency Management Agency

Responsibilities:

  • Sheltering operations
  • Mass feeding
  • Long/short term housing
  • DSNAP
  • VOAD

Louisiana Agency

  • Department of Child and Family Services
  • Louisiana Workforce Commission

Federal Agency

  • U.S. Department of Homeland Security
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency

Responsibilities:

  • Points of Distribution (PODS)
  • Commodity Distribution

Louisiana Agency

  • Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
  • Louisiana National Guard

Federal Agency

  • U.S. Department of Homeland Security
  • U.S. General Services Administration
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency

Responsibilities:

  • Medical and health needs
  • Special needs shelters
  • Ambulances
  • DMAT and DMORT
  • Mosquito Abatement

Louisiana Agency

  • Department of Health and Hospitals

Federal Agency

  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Responsibilities:

  • Search and Rescue (SAR)
  • Water Rescue

Louisiana Agency

  • Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
  • State Fire Marshal (Urban)

Federal Agency

  • U.S. Department of Homeland Security
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency

Responsibilities:

  • HAZMAT
  • Air quality

Louisiana Agency

  • Department of Environmental Quality
  • Louisiana State Police
  • Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator's Office

Federal Agency

  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Responsibilities:

  • Animal response and Relief
  • Pet evacuation and sheltering
  • Emergency fuel
  • Agricultural needs

Louisiana Agency

  • Department of Agriculture and Forestry

Federal Agency

  • U.S. Department of Agriculture

Responsibilities:

  • Oil and Gas pipelines.
  • Utility Services
  • Drinking water

Louisiana Agency

  • Department of Natural Resources
  • Louisiana Public Service Commission
  • Department of Health and Hospitals

Federal Agency

  • U.S. Department of Energy

Responsibilities:

  • Security
  • Traffic Control
  • Public safety and law enforcement
  • Prison evacuations

Louisiana Agency

  • Louisiana State Police
  • Department of Justice

Federal Agency

  • U.S. Department of Justice
  • Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Responsibilities:

  • Disaster Recovery
  • Preliminary Damage Assessments (PDAs) for Public Assistance and Individual Assistance

Louisiana Agency

  • Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness

Federal Agency

  • U.S. Department of Homeland Security
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency

Responsibilities:

  • Media and community relations

Louisiana Agency

  • Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness

Federal Agency

  • U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Responsibilities:

  • Support all ESF activities.

Louisiana Agency

  • Louisiana National Guard

Federal Agency

Federal ESF structure does not include ESF-16

Responsibilities:

  • Preparation
  • Identification and Classification
  • Containment
  • Eradication
  • Recovery and Remediation

Louisiana Agency

  • Division of Administration
  • Louisiana National Guard

Federal Agency

  • 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:


OR contact:

Related Links

Louisiana Elected Officials Emergency Management Manual

National Incident Management System (NIMS)

National Response Framework (NRF)

National Response Framework Emergency Support Function Annexes

State of Louisiana Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)

Governor's Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness
7667 Independence Blvd.
Baton Rouge, LA 70806
(225) 925-7500
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