Who forgot to say the magic word?

The NRP covers the full range of complex and
constantly changing requirements in anticipation of
or in response to threats or acts of terrorism, major
disasters, and other emergencies. The NRP also
provides the basis to initiate long-term community
recovery and mitigation activities.
The NRP establishes interagency and multijurisdictional
mechanisms for Federal Government involvement in,
and DHS coordination of, domestic incident
management operations.
This includes coordinating structures and processes for
incidents requiring:
■ Federal support to State, local, and tribal governments;
■ Federal-to-Federal support;
■ The exercise of direct Federal authorities and
responsibilities, as appropriate under the law; and
■ Public and private-sector domestic incident
management integration.
This plan distinguishes between incidents that require
DHS coordination, termed Incidents of National
Significance, and the majority of incidents occurring
each year that are handled by responsible jurisdictions
or agencies through other established authorities and
existing plans.
In addition, the NRP:
■ Recognizes and incorporates the various
jurisdictional and functional authorities of Federal
departments and agencies; State, local, and tribal
governments; and private-sector organizations in
domestic incident management.
■ Details the specific domestic incident management
roles and responsibilities of the Secretary of
Homeland Security, Attorney General, Secretary of
Defense, Secretary of State, and other departments
and agencies involved in domestic incident
management as defined in HSPD-5 and other relevant
statutes and directives.
■ Establishes the multiagency organizational structures
and processes required to implement the authorities,
roles, and responsibilities of the Secretary of
Homeland Security as the "principal Federal official"
for domestic incident management.

This plan is applicable to all Federal departments and
agencies that may be requested to provide assistance or
conduct operations in the context of actual or potential
Incidents of National Significance.

Based on the criteria established in HSPD-5, Incidents
of National Significance are those high-impact events
that require a coordinated and effective response by an
appropriate combination of Federal, State, local, tribal,
private-sector, and nongovernmental entities in order
to save lives, minimize damage, and provide the basis
for long-term community recovery and mitigation
activities.

The NRP bases the definition of Incidents of National Significance on situations related to the following four
criteria set forth in HSPD-5:
1. A Federal department or agency acting under its own authority has requested the assistance of the Secretary of
Homeland Security.

2. The resources of State and local authorities are overwhelmed and Federal assistance has been requested by the
appropriate State and local authorities. Examples include:
■ Major disasters or emergencies as defined under the Stafford Act; and
■ Catastrophic incidents (see definition on page 43).

3. More than one Federal department or agency has become substantially involved in responding to an incident.
Examples include:
■ Credible threats, indications or warnings of imminent terrorist attack, or acts of terrorism directed
domestically against the people, property, environment, or political or legal institutions of the United States
or its territories or possessions; and
■ Threats or incidents related to high-profile, large-scale events that present high-probability targets such as
National Special Security Events (NSSEs) and other special events as determined by the Secretary of
Homeland Security, in coordination with other Federal departments and agencies.

4. The Secretary of Homeland Security has been directed to assume responsibility for managing a domestic
incident by the President.

Pursuant to HSPD-5, as the principal Federal official for
domestic incident management, the Secretary of
Homeland Security declares Incidents of National
Significance (in consultation with other departments and
agencies as appropriate) and provides coordination for
Federal operations and/or resources, establishes
reporting requirements, and conducts ongoing
communications with Federal, State, local, tribal, privatesector,
and nongovernmental organizations to maintain
situational awareness, analyze threats, assess national
implications of threat and operational response activities,
and coordinate threat or incident response activities.

The Homeland Security Department said Wednesday it had declared Hurricane Katrina an "incident of national significance," triggering for the first time a coordinated federal response to states and localities overwhelmed by disaster.

Pursuant to 44 CFR § 206.35, I have determined that this incident is of
such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the
capabilities of the State and affected local governments, and that
supplementary Federal assistance is necessary to save lives, protect
property, public health, and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a
disaster.