Today, the Federal Government released the National Protection Framework, one of the five National Planning Frameworks directed in Presidential Policy Directive 8: National Preparedness.

The National Protection Framework covers the capabilities necessary to secure the homeland against acts of terrorism and man-made or natural disasters. It is focused on actions to protect against the greatest risks in a manner that allows American interests, aspirations, and way of life to thrive. The Protection Framework describes the core capabilities; roles and responsibilities; and coordinating structures that facilitate the protection of individuals, communities, and the Nation.

There is one Framework for each of the five mission areas: Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response and Recovery. The National Disaster Recovery Framework was the first to be released (September 2011). The Prevention, Mitigation and updated National Response Framework were released in May 2013. The National Protection Framework was released after the other Frameworks to ensure alignment with other National protection policies, such as Presidential Policy Directive 21: Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience, the National Infrastructure Protection Plan.

Together, the National Planning Frameworks document the roles and responsibilities of the whole community in all facets of national preparedness and illustrate how we work together to support one another before, during, and after an emergency. The benefit of this unified effort is a more informed, shared understanding of risks, needs, and capabilities across the whole community; and, in the end, a more secure and resilient nation.

You can download the National Planning Frameworks at www.fema.gov/national-planning-frameworks.

In recognition of the need to adopt an all-of-Nation approach to preparedness, and in the spirit of open government, we gathered ideas from the whole community and shared drafts to get specific feedback during the development of the Frameworks. We received more than 5,000 comments from individuals and communities, including people with access and functional needs; businesses and nonprofits; and all levels of government. As a result, the Frameworks offer practical, real-life examples of things people are doing to keep our Nation safe.

The whole community is encouraged to read each Framework to see how it applies to them.  Each Framework:

o Summarizes the roles and responsibilities of each part of the whole community
o Defines each mission area’s core capabilities, along with examples of critical tasks
o Defines coordinating structures—either new or existing—that enable the whole community to work together to deliver the core capabilities
o Describes the relationships to the other mission areas
o Identifies relevant information to help with operational planning
o Provides information that all levels of government can use to revise their operational plans
o Uses concepts from existing preparedness efforts, such as the National Incident Management System

Thank you for your input and continued support. Together, we can make the Nation more resilient and secure.

If you have any questions, please contact FEMA’s Intergovernmental Affairs Division at (202) 646-3444 or at FEMA-IGA@fema.dhs.gov.