JP 3-28, page 35

II-1 CHAPTER II SUPPORTING A COMPREHENSIVE ALL HAZARDS RESPONSE 1. State, Local, Territory, and Tribal Government Roles a. Response begins at the local level with public officials and responders at the county, city, municipality, or town affected by the incident. Local leaders and emergency responders prepare their communities to manage incidents locally. The NRF response guidance describes coordinating resources within jurisdictions, among adjacent jurisdictions, and with the private sector and NGOs such as the American Red Cross. (1) Chief Elected or Appointed Official. A mayor, city manager, or county manager, as a jurisdiction’s chief executive officer, ensures the public safety and welfare of the people of that jurisdiction. Specifically, this official provides strategic guidance and resources during preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. At times, these roles require providing direction and guidance to constituents during an incident, as the officials’ day- to-day activities do not focus on emergency management and response. (2) Emergency Manager. The local emergency manager oversees daily emergency management programs and activities. The emergency manager establishes and/or directs functions of an emergency operations center (EOC). The EOC is the physical location where multiagency coordination occurs. The emergency manager ensures the EOC is staffed to support the incident command and arranges needed resources. The emergency manager coordinates all components of the local emergency management program, to include assessing the availability and readiness of local resources most likely required during an incident and identifying and correcting any shortfalls. (3) Incident Commander. The incident commander is the person responsible for all aspects of an emergency response, including quickly developing incident objectives, managing all incident operations and application of resources, as well as responsibility for all persons involved. The incident commander sets priorities and defines the organization of the incident response teams and the overall incident action plan. The role of incident commander may be assumed by senior or higher-qualified officers upon their arrival or as the situation dictates. Even if subordinate positions are not assigned, the incident commander position will always be designated or assumed. The incident commander may, at his or her own discretion, assign individuals, who may be from the same agency or from assisting agencies, to subordinate or specific positions for the duration of the emergency. Military forces always remain under the control of the military chain of command and are subject to redirection or recall at any time. Military forces do not operate under the command of the incident commander or under the unified command structure, but they do coordinate with response partners and work toward a unity of effort while maintaining their internal chain of command. b. A primary responsibility of state government is to supplement and facilitate local efforts before, during, and after domestic emergencies. The state provides direct and routine assistance to its local jurisdictions through emergency management program development and by routinely coordinating these efforts with federal officials. The