[Code of Federal Regulations]

[Title 44, Volume 1]

[Revised as of October 1, 2005]

From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access

[CITE: 44CFR208.2]



[Page 518-520]

 

              TITLE 44--EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND ASSISTANCE

 

 CHAPTER I--FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 

                                SECURITY

 

PART 208_NATIONAL URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE RESPONSE SYSTEM--Table 

of Contents

 

                            Subpart A_General

 

Sec. 208.2  Definitions of terms used in this part.



    (a) General. Any capitalized word in this part is a defined term 

unless such capitalization results from the application of standard 

capitalization or style rules for Federal regulations. The following 

definitions have general applicability throughout this part:

    Activated or Activation means the status of a System resource placed 

at the direction, control and funding of DHS in response to, or in 

anticipation of, a presidential declaration of a major disaster or 

emergency under the Stafford Act.

    Activation Order means the DHS communication placing a System 

resource under the direction, control, and funding of DHS.

    Advisory means a DHS communication to System resources indicating 

that an event has occurred or DHS anticipates will occur that may 

require Alert or Activation of System resources.

    Alert means the status of a System resource's readiness when 

triggered by an Alert Order indicating that DHS may Activate the System 

resource.

    Alert Order means the DHS communication that places a System 

resource on Alert status.

    Assistance Officer means the DHS employee who has legal authority to 

bind DHS by awarding and amending Cooperative Agreements.

    Backfill means the personnel practice of temporarily replacing a 

person in his or her usual position with another person.

    Cooperating Agency means a State or Local Government that has 

executed a Cooperative Agreement to provide Technical Specialists.

    Cooperative Agreement means a legal instrument between DHS and a 

Sponsoring Agency or Cooperating Agency that provides funds to 

accomplish a public purpose and anticipates substantial Federal 

involvement during the performance of the contemplated activity.

    Daily Cost Estimate means a Sponsoring Agency's estimate of Task 

Force personnel compensation, itemized fringe benefit rates and amounts 

including calculations, and Backfill expenditures for a 24-hour period 

of Activation.

    Deputy Director means the Deputy Director of the Response Division, 

Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate, Department of Homeland 

Security, or other person that the Director designates.

    DHS means the Department of Homeland Security.

    Director means the Director of the Response Division, Emergency 

Preparedness and Response Directorate, DHS.

    Disaster Search Canine Team means a disaster search canine and 

handler who have successfully completed the written examination and 

demonstrated the performance skills required by the Disaster Search 

Canine Readiness Evaluation Process. A disaster search canine is a dog 

that has successfully completed the DHS Disaster Search Canine Readiness 

Evaluation criteria for Type II or both Type II and Type I.

    Emergency means 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.

    Equipment Cache List means the DHS-issued list that defines:

    (1) The equipment and supplies that US & R will furnish to 

Sponsoring Agencies; and

    (2) The maximum quantities and types of equipment and supplies that 

a Sponsoring Agency may purchase and maintain with DHS funds.

    Federal Excess Property means any Federal personal property under 

the control of a Federal agency that the agency head or a designee 

determines is not required for its needs or for the discharge of its 

responsibilities.

    Federal Response Plan means the signed agreement among various 

Federal departments and agencies that provides a mechanism for 

coordinating delivery of Federal assistance and resources to augment 

efforts of State and Local Governments overwhelmed by a Major Disaster 

or Emergency, supports implementation of the Stafford Act, as



[[Page 519]]



well as individual agency statutory authorities, and supplements other 

Federal emergency operations plans developed to address specific 

hazards.

    Joint Management Team or JMT means a multi-disciplinary group of 

National Disaster Medical System (NDMS), Urban Search and Rescue (US&R), 

and other specialists combined to provide operations, planning, 

logistics, finance and administrative support for US&R and NDMS 

resources, and to provide technical advice and assistance to States and 

Local Governments.

    Local Government means any county, city, village, town, district, or 

other political subdivision of any State; any federally recognized 

Indian tribe or authorized tribal organization; and any Alaska Native 

village or organization.

    Major Disaster means any natural catastrophe (including any 

hurricane, tornado, storm, high water, wind driven water, tidal wave, 

tsunami, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, mudslide, snowstorm, 

or drought), or regardless of cause, any fire, flood, or explosion, in 

any part of the United States, that in the determination of the 

President, causes damage of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant 

major disaster assistance under the Stafford Act to supplement the 

efforts and available resources of States, Local Governments, and 

disaster relief organizations in alleviating the damage, loss, hardship, 

or suffering caused thereby.

    Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) means the document signed by DHS, a 

Sponsoring Agency and its State that describes the relationship of the 

parties with respect to the National Urban Search & Rescue Response 

System.

    Participating Agency means a State or Local Government, non-profit 

organization, or private organization that has executed an agreement 

with a Sponsoring Agency to participate in the National US&R Response 

System.

    Personnel Rehabilitation Period means the period allowed by DHS for 

a person's rehabilitation to normal conditions of living following an 

Activation.

    Preparedness Cooperative Agreement means the agreement between DHS 

and a Sponsoring Agency for reimbursement of allowable expenditures 

incurred by the Sponsoring Agency to develop and maintain System 

capabilities and operational readiness.

    Program Directive means guidance and direction for action to ensure 

consistency and standardization across the National US&R Response 

System.

    Program Manager means the individual, or his or her designee, within 

DHS who is responsible for day-to-day administration of the National 

US&R Response System.

    Program Office means the organizational entity within DHS that is 

responsible for day-to-day administration of the National US&R Response 

System.

    Response Cooperative Agreement means an agreement between DHS and a 

Sponsoring Agency for reimbursement of allowable expenditures incurred 

by the Sponsoring Agency as a result of an Alert or Activation.

    Sponsoring Agency means a State or Local Government that has 

executed an MOA with DHS to organize and administer a Task Force.

    Stafford Act means the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 

Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. 5121 through 5206.

    State means any State of the United States, the District of 

Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the 

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of 

Micronesia or the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

    Support Specialist means a person participating in the System who 

assists the Task Force with administrative or other support during 

mobilization, ground transportation and demobilization as directed.

    System or National US&R Response System means the national US&R 

response capability administered by DHS.

    System Member means any Task Force Member, JMT Member, Technical 

Specialist, Support Specialist or Disaster Search Canine Team.

    Task Force means an integrated US&R organization of multi-

disciplinary resources with common communications and a leader, 

organized and administered by a Sponsoring Agency and meeting DHS 

standards.

    Task Force Member means a person occupying a position on a Task 

Force.



[[Page 520]]



    Technical Specialist means a person participating in the System 

contributing technical knowledge and skill who may be placed on Alert or 

Activated as a single resource and not as a part of a JMT or a Task 

Force.

    US&R means urban search and rescue, the process of searching for, 

extricating, and providing for the immediate medical stabilization of 

victims who are entrapped in collapsed structures.

    (b) Additional definitions. Definitions for certain terms that apply 

only to individual subparts of this part are located in those subparts.