The National Disaster Recovery Framework introduces six new Recovery Support Functions that are led by designated federal coordinating agencies at the national level. Recovery Support Functions involve partners in the local, State and Tribal governments and private and nonprofit sectors not typically involved in emergency support functions but critically needed in disaster recovery. These new partners may include public and private organizations that have experience with permanent housing financing, economic development, advocacy for underserved populations and long-term community planning. The processes used for facilitating recovery are more flexible, context based and collaborative in approach than the task-oriented approach used during the response phase of an incident. Recovery processes should be scalable and based on demonstrated recovery needs. Each Recovery Support Function has a designated coordinating agency along with primary agencies and supporting organizations with programs relevant to the functional area. The Recovery Support Function Coordinating Agency, with the assistance of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, provides leadership, coordination and oversight for that particular. When coordinating agencies are activated to lead a Recovery Support Function, primary agencies and supporting organizations are expected to be responsive to the function related communication and coordination needs. INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS Coordinating Agency: United States Corps of Engineers Primary Agencies: Department of Homeland Security (Federal Emergency Management Agency/ National Preparedness and Protection Directive), United States Corps of Engineers, Department of Energy and Department of Transportation. . Supporting Organizations: Department of Homeland Security, Department of Commerce, Department of Interior, Education Department, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Communications Commission, General Services Administration, Health and Human Services, Department of Treasury and Department of Agriculture. Mission Facilitate the integration of the capabilities of the Federal Government to support local, State and Tribal governments and other infrastructure owners and operators in their efforts to achieve recovery goals relating to the public engineering of the Nation’s infrastructure systems. Function The core recovery capability for infrastructure systems is the ability to efficiently restore the infrastructure systems and services to support a viable, sustainable community and improves resilience to and protection from future hazards. The Infrastructure Systems Recovery Support Function promotes a holistic approach to disaster recovery coordination, support, planning and implementation for infrastructure systems that serve the community. This includes single and multijurisdictional areas and regions. The Infrastructure Systems Recovery Support Function Coordinating Agency conducts operations in accordance with its authorities and resources to provide vital public engineering services to strengthen our Nation’s security and reduce risks from disasters. When appropriate, the Coordinating Agency, working together with FEMA, facilitates and promotes the efforts of the RSF primary and supporting agencies to ensure those agencies with the requisite authorities, expertise, and resources are positioned to provide assistance to and collaborate with public and private sector infrastructure partners to the extent authorized by law. The Infrastructure Systems Recovery Support Function Coordinating Agency does not directly undertake, however, any operational recovery or engineering activities outside the scope of its authorities and resources. The Infrastructure Systems Recovery Support Function serves as a collaborative forum for Federal Government engagement with local, State, Tribal and private sector representatives to focus on public engineering services that can reduce risks from disasters and expedite recovery. The collaborative efforts of this RSF involve government and private sector partners with expertise in public engineering services, as appropriate, across the infrastructure sectors identified through the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (N I P P) Partnership Framework. Therefore, the scope of this RSF includes, but is not limited to, the following infrastructure sectors and subsectors: energy, water, dams, communications, transportation systems, Agriculture (food production and delivery), government facilities, utilities, sanitation, engineering, flood control and other systems that directly support the physical infrastructure of communities; as well as physical facilities that support essential services, such as public safety, emergency services and public recreation. PRE-DISASTER: THE INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS RECOVERY SUPPORT FUNCTION * Develops guidance and standard procedures for rapid activation of RSF capabilities to support community recovery. * Identifies relevant statutory and/or regulatory programs, potential capabilities and/or limiting factors pertaining to recovery support for infrastrucure systems. * Provides a forum for interagency coordination, information sharing and exchange of effective practices. * Supports planning, preparedness, education, training and outreach efforts to enhance capabilities for recovery. * Works with partners to identify critical facilities and ensure considerations are made to reduce risk pre- and post-disaster. POST-DISASTER: THE INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS RECOVERY SUPPORT FUNCTION * When activated by the Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator, the primary and supporting departments and agencies deploy in support of the Infrastructure Systems RSF mission. * Supports the recovery of infrastructure systems, dependent on the nature and scope of the disaster, and the specific authorities and programs within the jurisdiction of participating departments and agencies. * Participates in the national-level coordination of damage and community needs assessments as appropriate to ensure infrastructure considerations integrate into the post-disaster public and private sector community planning process. * Deploys Recovery Support Function resources, as required by the specific disaster situation and consistent with the specific authorities and programs of the participating departments and agencies, to the field to assist the affected community in developing an Infrastructure Systems Recovery action plan that: * Avoids the redundant, counterproductive, or unauthorized use of limited capital resources necessary for infrastructure/recovery. * Helps resolve conflicts, including those across jurisdictional lines, resulting from the competition for key resources essential to infrastructure systems recovery. * Sets a firm schedule and sequenced time structure for future infrastructure recovery projects. * Works with Recovery Support Function partners to leverage available financial and technical assistance, both from governmental and nongovernmental sources, in the execution of the community’s Infrastructure Systems Recovery action plan. * Promotes rebuilding infrastructure in a manner which will reduce vulnerability to future disasters impacts. * Maintains robust and accessible communications throughout the recovery process between the Federal Government and all other partners to ensure ongoing dialogue and information sharing. OUTCOMES FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS RECOVERY SUPPORT FUNCTION The Infrastructure Systems RSF provides the coordinating structures, framework and guidance to ensure: * Resilience, sustainability and mitigation are incorporated as part of the design for infrastructure systems and as part of the community’s capital planning process. * Infrastructure systems are fully recovered in a timely and efficient manner to minimize the impact of service disruptions. The private sector critical infrastructure has the incentive and the means to support a unified community and national recovery effort. * The capacity of all infrastructure systems is adequately matched to the community’s current and projected demand on its built and virtual environment. ### September 2011 4