PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo.–(ENEWSPF)–October 29, 2012. U.S. Northern Command is poised to provide Department of Defense support to FEMA, tribal, state and local response efforts due to Hurricane Sandy. Part of the USNORTHCOM Defense Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA) mission directs the command to plan and anticipate actions that it may need to take to support civil authorities. USNORTHCOM plays an important role in disaster response; however, all our efforts are in support of a lead federal agency working closely with state and local officials. USNORTHCOM leans forward with state governors and the National Guard to advance understanding, trust and teamwork in direct support and dual-status command arrangements.
The following is a current list of DoD assets and personnel that are part of USNORTHCOM’s support efforts:
- The Department of Defense activated Defense Coordinating Officers/Defense Coordinating Elements to support FEMA Regions I, II, and III. DCO/E from Regions VI, VII, and IX are providing additional surge support to Regions I, II, and III.
- USNORTHCOM has identified active duty deputies to deploy in support of any designated Dual Status Commanders (DSC), and is currently working with officials from Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island. These active duty deputies facilitate active duty force employment under DSC leadership should active duty assets be required.
- USNORTHCOM has placed the following DSCA forces be placed on 24-hour Prepare to Deploy Order status in response to anticipated FEMA requests to mitigate or respond to effects of Hurricane Sandy: light/medium lift helicopters; medium/heavy lift helicopters; para-rescue teams; Information Awareness & Assessment aircraft; Tactical Common Data Link; Rover video receiver systems; and fixed-wing aircraft.
- USNORTHCOM is deploying Joint Regional Medical Planners to the Regions.
- We have activated for FEMA the use of Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass., Joint Base McGuire/Dix/Lakehurst, N.J., and Dover AFB, Del., as Incident Support Bases for staging Federal support equipment and supplies. Ft. Devens, Mass., has been designated a Federal Team Staging Facility.
- Air Force Northern National Security Emergency Preparedness directorate deployed emergency preparedness liaison officers to assist civil authorities in preparing for relief efforts.
- AFNORTH officials deployed Joint Air Component Coordination Elements in response to Hurricane Sandy. The AFNORTH JACCE teams deployed to Philadelphia, Boston, and Trenton, N.J. to support Hurricane Sandy relief preparation efforts. JACCE members are Air Force subject matter experts who serve to coordinate Air Force assets to assist wherever needed during times of crisis.
- USNORTHCOM’s Joint Personnel Recovery Center, in support of AFNORTH’s Joint Force Air Component Commander, is prepositioning search and rescue forces for possible Hurricane Sandy activities. The JPRC is one of several resources the JFACC employs in its DSCA role. The JPRC has the capability to conduct large-scale search and rescue operations during contingencies such as hurricanes or other natural or man-made disasters, making the JPRC a valuable asset to the DSCA mission.
- USNORTHCOM has directed Department of Defense installations to plan for support to local community requests for assistance, to include providing staging and bed-down for utility recovery teams assigned to restore power.
For more information, please contact NORAD and USNORTHCOM Public Affairs at (719) 554-6889. For information about NORAD or USNORTHCOM, please visit our Web sites at http://www.norad.mil or http://www.northcom.mil .
Source: http://www.northcom.mil
