What is the National Response Framework?

The National Response Framework is a series of guidelines for the proper response to both future and ongoing disasters. Through the National Response Framework, there can be an organized process of response directives and recovery procedure during and following events that would otherwise jeopardize the survival of the community. In addition to natural disasters, the NRF is also a valuable system of protocols to both respond to and recover from man-made disasters such as terrorist attacks.

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Founding and application

The NRF was initially established by The Homeland Security Act of 2002 and finalized three years later in January 2005. Following Hurricane Katrina, the NRF was updated with new directives to prepare for the chance of similarly devastating natural incidents. The foundation of the NRF is fundamentally based on guidelines established by the National Incident Management System (NIMS). Through the implementation of the NRF, there can be a consistent and stable network of specific processes to run through for the purpose of effective disaster management.

By establishing national-level policies for the right measures to take during serious incidents, the overall prospects of survival for individuals across the nation affected by a widespread disasters can ideally be optimized. The NRF is not simply an absolute list of things to do in any kind of disaster regardless of context. Depending on the exact nature of the disaster at hand, either a portion, or the entirety of the NRF, can be put into practice in order to proportionally deal with the situation at hand.

Proactive measures

The implementation of the NRF is not limited to reactive operations; the NRF also has directives in place that can be run through in the event that a certain degree of disaster is anticipated to happen in the near future. By setting guidelines for certain actions to be taken in the event that a certain disaster is expected to happen, all necessary rescue personnel can interact with one another ahead of time and coordinate to develop a plan of action before they are forced to deal with the disaster and it’s too late to respond to it proactively.

Flexibility

While the NRF has been created for the purpose of organized action, its policies are kept adaptable so that those who execute it have the right amount of flexibility to properly respond to the differing contexts of differing incidents. Incorporated within the NRF is the National Contingency Plan, allowing it to be selectively or fully implemented should the execution of both plans be considered necessary. In the event that the disaster demands complex coordination between different personnel on both the federal and state level, different portions of the NRF can be selectively implemented to meet the exact needs of the situation with well-measured efficiency.

Thanks to the flexibility of the NRF, the execution steps can be seamlessly integrated with the disaster management protocols of other emergency response plans that may be called upon to meet the context of certain disasters. Depending on what the specific nature of disaster management steps outlined by multiple emergency plans may be, the NRF may either be executed concomitantly with a separate disaster plan or supersede it entirely.