6 U.S.C. § 314 : US Code - Section 314: Authority and responsibilities

Search 6 U.S.C. § 314 : US Code - Section 314: Authority and responsibilities

(a) In general
The Administrator shall provide Federal leadership necessary to
prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, or mitigate
against a natural disaster, act of terrorism, or other man-made
disaster, including - 
(1) helping to ensure the effectiveness of emergency response
providers to terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other
emergencies;
(2) with respect to the Nuclear Incident Response Team
(regardless of whether it is operating as an organizational unit
of the Department pursuant to this subchapter) - 
(A) establishing standards and certifying when those
standards have been met;
(B) conducting joint and other exercises and training and
evaluating performance; and
(C) providing funds to the Department of Energy and the
Environmental Protection Agency, as appropriate, for homeland
security planning, exercises and training, and equipment;
(3) providing the Federal Government's response to terrorist
attacks and major disasters, including - 
(A) managing such response;
(B) directing the Domestic Emergency Support Team and (when
operating as an organizational unit of the Department pursuant
to this subchapter) the Nuclear Incident Response Team;
(C) overseeing the Metropolitan Medical Response System; and
(D) coordinating other Federal response resources, including
requiring deployment of the Strategic National Stockpile, in
the event of a terrorist attack or major disaster;
(4) aiding the recovery from terrorist attacks and major
disasters;
(5) building a comprehensive national incident management
system with Federal, State, and local government personnel,
agencies, and authorities, to respond to such attacks and
disasters;
(6) consolidating existing Federal Government emergency
response plans into a single, coordinated national response plan;
(7) helping ensure the acquisition of operable and
interoperable communications capabilities by Federal, State,
local, and tribal governments and emergency response providers;
(8) assisting the President in carrying out the functions under
the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance
Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) and carrying out all functions and
authorities given to the Administrator under that Act;
(9) carrying out the mission of the Agency to reduce the loss
of life and property and protect the Nation from all hazards by
leading and supporting the Nation in a risk-based, comprehensive
emergency management system of - 
(A) mitigation, by taking sustained actions to reduce or
eliminate long-term risks to people and property from hazards
and their effects;
(B) preparedness, by planning, training, and building the
emergency management profession to prepare effectively for,
mitigate against, respond to, and recover from any hazard;
(C) response, by conducting emergency operations to save
lives and property through positioning emergency equipment,
personnel, and supplies, through evacuating potential victims,
through providing food, water, shelter, and medical care to
those in need, and through restoring critical public services;
and
(D) recovery, by rebuilding communities so individuals,
businesses, and governments can function on their own, return
to normal life, and protect against future hazards;
(10) increasing efficiencies, by coordinating efforts relating
to preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation;
(11) helping to ensure the effectiveness of emergency response
providers in responding to a natural disaster, act of terrorism,
or other man-made disaster;
(12) supervising grant programs administered by the Agency;
(13) administering and ensuring the implementation of the
National Response Plan, including coordinating and ensuring the
readiness of each emergency support function under the National
Response Plan;
(14) coordinating with the National Advisory Council
established under section 318 of this title;
(15) preparing and implementing the plans and programs of the
Federal Government for - 
(A) continuity of operations;
(B) continuity of government; and
(C) continuity of plans;
(16) minimizing, to the extent practicable, overlapping
planning and reporting requirements applicable to State, local,
and tribal governments and the private sector;
(17) maintaining and operating within the Agency the National
Response Coordination Center or its successor;
(18) developing a national emergency management system that is
capable of preparing for, protecting against, responding to,
recovering from, and mitigating against catastrophic incidents;
(19) assisting the President in carrying out the functions
under the national preparedness goal and the national
preparedness system and carrying out all functions and
authorities of the Administrator under the national preparedness
System;
(20) carrying out all authorities of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency and the Directorate of Preparedness of the
Department as transferred under section 315 of this title; and
(21) otherwise carrying out the mission of the Agency as
described in section 313(b) of this title.
(b) All-hazards approach
In carrying out the responsibilities under this section, the
Administrator shall coordinate the implementation of a risk-based,
all-hazards strategy that builds those common capabilities
necessary to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover
from, or mitigate against natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and
other man-made disasters, while also building the unique
capabilities necessary to prepare for, protect against, respond to,
recover from, or mitigate against the risks of specific types of
incidents that pose the greatest risk to the Nation.