Intra-Agency Coordination

Senior Executive Emergency Management Council

The Department of the Interior convenes a Senior Executive Emergency Management Council (SE-EMC) for department-level coordination of emergency management responsibilities and activities. The SE-EMC provides executive oversight and performance accountability and ensures that Department-wide strategies and initiatives are developed collaboratively and implemented consistently.

The SE-EMC has responsibility to:

• Define strategies and initiatives to enhance the Departmental Emergency Management Program as defined in Department Manual Part 900.
• Provide strategic leadership direction and guidance to the Emergency Management Council to improve the effectiveness and cohesion for Departmental and bureau emergency management programs.
• Provide input to and review new Working Capital Fund assessments or bureau resource proposals and requests, as relevant.
• Develop and evaluate performance measures for the Department’s emergency management program. 

Emergency Management Council

The Emergency Management Council (EMC) is an advisory body, and provides the primary means for bureaus and offices to advise the Departmental Emergency Coordinator and to coordinate Department-wide emergency management policy and activities. The EMC is comprised of the Emergency Coordinators for each DOI bureau and office as designated within the Departmental Manual Part 900. This standing group has the responsibility for bureau/office coordination, prevention, preparedness, response and recovery associated with disaster and emergency incidents, as well as supporting the National Response Framework and associated Emergency Support Functions. The EMC is chaired by the Departmental Emergency Coordinator who may appoint additional ad hoc members. The EMC meets monthly and may also be convened on an emergency basis for coordination of special activities or serious emergency incidents. 

The EMC has responsibility to:

• Implement strategies and initiatives developed by the SE-EMC to enhance the Departmental Emergency Management Program as defined in Department Manual Part 900.
• Implement leadership direction and develop guidance to improve the effectiveness and cohesion for Departmental and bureau emergency management programs.
• Support development of new Working Capital Fund assessments or bureau resource proposals and requests, as relevant.
• Develop and evaluate performance measures for the Department’s emergency management program.

Departmental Emergency Support Team

The Office of Emergency Management is responsible for operational oversight and coordination of bureau and office response activities during major emergency incidents, and assures effective coordination of these activities with the National Security Council, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and other Federal, State, and tribal agencies.  This includes provision of Department-wide situational awareness, aggregating resource commitments, ensuring efficient and effective response coordination and providing decision support to senior Departmental leadership.

The mission of the Departmental Emergency Support Team (DEST) is to provide an enhanced operational coordination and information management capability during significant incidents or continuity events in order to achieve Department-level priorities, which include, but are not limited to:

• Provide senior leadership decision support.
• Gather situational awareness and present a Department-wide common operating picture.
• Coordinate employee accountability requirements.
• Facilitate inter-  and intra-agency coordination.
• Provide financial and administrative guidance and analysis.