This section of the website provides information on the Federal Interagency Operational Plans. The intended audience for this section is the whole community, which includes individuals, families, communities, the private and nonprofit sectors, faith-based organizations, and state, local, tribal, and territorial, insular area, and federal departments and agencies.
If you have any questions, please contact the National Integration Center at FEMA-NIC@fema.dhs.gov.
About the Federal Interagency Operational Plans
The Federal Interagency Operational Plans (FIOPs), one for each preparedness mission area, describe how the federal government aligns resources and delivers core capabilities. The FIOPs build upon the National Planning Frameworks, which set the strategy and doctrine for how the whole community builds, sustains, and delivers the core capabilities identified in the National Preparedness Goal. The Goal is: “A secure and resilient nation with the capabilities required across the whole community to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from the threats and hazards that pose the greatest risk.” The Goal is the cornerstone for the implementation of the National Preparedness System.
The FIOPs are part of the National Preparedness System. There is one FIOP for each of the five preparedness mission areas:
- Protection Federal Interagency Operational Plan (first edition)
- Mitigation Federal Interagency Operational Plan (second edition)
- Response Federal Interagency Operational Plan (second edition)
- Nuclear/Radiological Incident Annex (October 2016)
- Recovery Federal Interagency Operational Plan (second edition)
- Prevention Federal Interagency Operational Plan - FOUO (second edition)
The FIOPs describe the concept of operations for integrating and synchronizing existing national-level capabilities to support local, state, tribal, territorial, insular area, and federal plans, and are supported by federal department-level operational plans, where appropriate.
The FIOPs are directed toward federal agency operations, while recognizing that success relies upon a whole community approach and dependa upon federal interagency collaboration and integration.
Federal departments, agencies, coordinating structures, and interagency partnerships should use the FIOPs as a guide for operations and to build a resilient nation. Federal departments and agencies will develop and maintain department-level operational plans, as necessary, to deliver capabilities to fulfill responsibilities under the National Planning Frameworks and the FIOPs. Departments and agencies may use existing plans, protocols, standard operating procedures, or standard operating guides for the development of such plans.
This is the first edition of the Protection FIOP, while the other FIOPs have undergone an update. The Protection FIOP describes how federal agencies defend our citizens, residents, visitors, assets, systems, and networks against the greatest threats and hazards in a manner that allows our interests, aspirations, and way of life to thrive.
The Prevention FIOP contains sensitive information for the law enforcement community and is not publically available on unclassified systems in the interest of national security. Similar release precautions have been taken with other FEMA policy and doctrine such as the National Continuity Plan. Recipients are prohibited from posting the information on a website on an unclassified network or a classified network that does not limit access to the intended audience. However, stakeholders within the intelligence and law enforcement community who would like a copy of the Prevention FIOP can receive one through their local Fusion Center or by contacting FEMA at PPD8-NationalPreparedness@fema.dhs.gov.
One annex to the Protection FIOP – Protection of Key Leadership and Special Events – is also For Official Use Only. Recipients are prohibited from posting the information on a website on an unclassified network or a classified network that does not limit access to the intended audience. Stakeholders may request a copy by contacting FEMA at PPD8-NationalPreparedness@fema.dhs.gov.
For more information on national preparedness efforts visit: https://www.fema.gov/national-preparedness.
Summary of Changes
The four updated Federal Interagency Operational Plans (FIOPs) incorporate critical edits in the National Preparedness Goal and National Planning Frameworks, including lessons learned from real world events and continuing implementation of the National Preparedness System. The FIOPs update included collaboration with interagency and whole community stakeholders as draft of the documents underwent three reviews by an interagency working group, a 30-day National Engagement period, and an interagency concurrence review. FEMA received more than 1,000 total comments during the various review and comment periods. Stakeholder feedback resulted in several updates to the FIOPs including:
Prevention
The updated Prevention FIOP incorporates critical edits in the refreshed National Preparedness Goal and National Prevention Framework, including lessons learned from real world events and continuing implementation of the National Preparedness System. Other edits include:
Revised Unified Coordination Staff graphic to include the Intelligence and Investigations Section, and clarify role of the Joint Operations Center (JOC); and
Additional language on the role of the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force (NCIJTF) in sharing cyber threat information.
Protection
Unlike the other Mission Area FIOPs, this is first edition of the Protection FIOP. The Department of Homeland Security’s National Protection and Programs Directorate, FEMA, and an interdisciplinary team developed the Protection FIOP after the other FIOPs to ensure alignment with other National protection policies, such as the Presidential Policy Directive 21: Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience, National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP 2013) and Executive Order 13636: Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity.
Mitigation
The updated Mitigation FIOP incorporates critical edits in the refreshed National Preparedness Goal and National Mitigation Framework, including lessons learned from real world events and continuing implementation of the National Preparedness System.
Response
The updated Response FIOP incorporates critical edits in the refreshed National Preparedness Goal and National Response Framework, including lessons learned from real world events and continuing implementation of the National Preparedness System. Other edits include:
Discussed the transition from Emergency Support Function to Recovery Support Functions during response and recovery operations;
Increased focus on integration points across mission areas;
Included the National Science and Technology Council’s Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction to provide coordination support between the Response Mission Area and the scientific community;
Included the Integration of Advances in Science and Technology Capabilities to Enhance Planning section;
Clarified use of coordinating structures for both Stafford Act and non-Stafford Act events; and
Included new Fire Management and Suppression core capability appendix.
Recovery
The updated Recovery FIOP incorporates critical edits in the refreshed National Preparedness Goal and National Disaster Recovery Framework, including lessons learned from real world events and continuing implementation of the National Preparedness System. Other edits include:
Revised base plan and annexes to evolve from a conceptual document to a field applicable format;
Updated annexes from Recovery Support Functions to Core Capabilities to ensure consistency with the other mission area FIOPs;
Included additional Recovery roles (e.g. - Unified Federal Review Advisor, Sustainability Advisor) and existing positions (e.g. - Mitigation Advisor). Included annexes for the three overlapping core capabilities (Operational Coordination, Public Information & Warning, and Planning);
Updated primary and supporting agencies for core capabilities (e.g. – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) removed as primary agency, and Health and Human Services (HHS) and Smithsonian removed as supporting agencies for Natural and Cultural Resources; Department of Commerce (DOC) removed as primary agency for Health and Human Services); and
Updated role of the Community Planning and Capacity Building RSF per interagency request.
Resources
Inside the FIOPs
Each FIOP:
- Explains the purpose of the document, including the scope of mission area, planning assumptions, and critical considerations used to develop the FIOP;
- Provides a detailed concept of operations for federal entities to integrate and synchronize national-level federal capabilities to support the plans at all levels of government;
- Describes the mission area’s core capabilities, along with examples of critical tasks and responsibilities to include resource, personnel and sourcing requirements;
- Summarizes the organizational structures and operational roles and responsibilities;
- Describes how integration of the mission areas helps the Federal Government synchronize operations;
- Provides information that state, local, tribal and territorial governments can use to revise their operational plans; and
- Uses concepts from existing preparedness efforts, such as the National Incident Management System.