6 U.S.C. § 317 : US Code - Section 317: Regional offices

Search 6 U.S.C. § 317 : US Code - Section 317: Regional offices

(a) In general
There are in the Agency 10 regional offices, as identified by the
Administrator.
(b) Management of regional offices
(1) Regional Administrator
Each Regional Office shall be headed by a Regional
Administrator who shall be appointed by the Administrator, after
consulting with State, local, and tribal government officials in
the region. Each Regional Administrator shall report directly to
the Administrator and be in the Senior Executive Service.
(2) Qualifications
(A) In general
Each Regional Administrator shall be appointed from among
individuals who have a demonstrated ability in and knowledge of
emergency management and homeland security.
(B) Considerations
In selecting a Regional Administrator for a Regional Office,
the Administrator shall consider the familiarity of an
individual with the geographical area and demographic
characteristics of the population served by such Regional
Office.
(c) Responsibilities
(1) In general
The Regional Administrator shall work in partnership with
State, local, and tribal governments, emergency managers,
emergency response providers, medical providers, the private
sector, nongovernmental organizations, multijurisdictional
councils of governments, and regional planning commissions and
organizations in the geographical area served by the Regional
Office to carry out the responsibilities of a Regional
Administrator under this section.
(2) Responsibilities
The responsibilities of a Regional Administrator include - 
(A) ensuring effective, coordinated, and integrated regional
preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation
activities and programs for natural disasters, acts of
terrorism, and other man-made disasters (including planning,
training, exercises, and professional development);
(B) assisting in the development of regional capabilities
needed for a national catastrophic response system;
(C) coordinating the establishment of effective regional
operable and interoperable emergency communications
capabilities;
(D) staffing and overseeing 1 or more strike teams within the
region under subsection (f), to serve as the focal point of the
Federal Government's initial response efforts for natural
disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters
within that region, and otherwise building Federal response
capabilities to respond to natural disasters, acts of
terrorism, and other man-made disasters within that region;
(E) designating an individual responsible for the development
of strategic and operational regional plans in support of the
National Response Plan;
(F) fostering the development of mutual aid and other
cooperative agreements;
(G) identifying critical gaps in regional capabilities to
respond to populations with special needs;
(H) maintaining and operating a Regional Response
Coordination Center or its successor; and
(I) performing such other duties relating to such
responsibilities as the Administrator may require.
(3) Training and exercise requirements
(A) Training
The Administrator shall require each Regional Administrator
to undergo specific training periodically to complement the
qualifications of the Regional Administrator. Such training, as
appropriate, shall include training with respect to the
National Incident Management System, the National Response
Plan, and such other subjects as determined by the
Administrator.
(B) Exercises
The Administrator shall require each Regional Administrator
to participate as appropriate in regional and national
exercises.
(d) Area offices
(1) In general
There is an Area Office for the Pacific and an Area Office for
the Caribbean, as components in the appropriate Regional Offices.
(2) Alaska
The Administrator shall establish an Area Office in Alaska, as
a component in the appropriate Regional Office.
(e) Regional Advisory Council
(1) Establishment
Each Regional Administrator shall establish a Regional Advisory
Council.
(2) Nominations
A State, local, or tribal government located within the
geographic area served by the Regional Office may nominate
officials, including Adjutants General and emergency managers, to
serve as members of the Regional Advisory Council for that
region.
(3) Responsibilities
Each Regional Advisory Council shall - 
(A) advise the Regional Administrator on emergency management
issues specific to that region;
(B) identify any geographic, demographic, or other
characteristics peculiar to any State, local, or tribal
government within the region that might make preparedness,
protection, response, recovery, or mitigation more complicated
or difficult; and
(C) advise the Regional Administrator of any weaknesses or
deficiencies in preparedness, protection, response, recovery,
and mitigation for any State, local, and tribal government
within the region of which the Regional Advisory Council is
aware.
(f) Regional Office strike teams
(1) In general
In coordination with other relevant Federal agencies, each
Regional Administrator shall oversee multi-agency strike teams
authorized under section 5144 of title 42 that shall consist of -

(A) a designated Federal coordinating officer;
(B) personnel trained in incident management;
(C) public affairs, response and recovery, and communications
support personnel;
(D) a defense coordinating officer;
(E) liaisons to other Federal agencies;
(F) such other personnel as the Administrator or Regional
Administrator determines appropriate; and
(G) individuals from the agencies with primary responsibility
for each of the emergency support functions in the National
Response Plan.
(2) Other duties
The duties of an individual assigned to a Regional Office
strike team from another relevant agency when such individual is
not functioning as a member of the strike team shall be
consistent with the emergency preparedness activities of the
agency that employs such individual.
(3) Location of members
The members of each Regional Office strike team, including
representatives from agencies other than the Department, shall be
based primarily within the region that corresponds to that strike
team.
(4) Coordination
Each Regional Office strike team shall coordinate the training
and exercises of that strike team with the State, local, and
tribal governments and private sector and nongovernmental
entities which the strike team shall support when a natural
disaster, act of terrorism, or other man-made disaster occurs.
(5) Preparedness
Each Regional Office strike team shall be trained as a unit on
a regular basis and equipped and staffed to be well prepared to
respond to natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-
made disasters, including catastrophic incidents.
(6) Authorities
If the Administrator determines that statutory authority is
inadequate for the preparedness and deployment of individuals in
strike teams under this subsection, the Administrator shall
report to Congress regarding the additional statutory authorities
that the Administrator determines are necessary.