DHS & The National Response Plan 
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is a major new federal agency that has an overarching responsibility to coordinate many Federal and state efforts. Its website is absolutely a requirement to understand what's been happening.

There is a national response plan that is the province of the Federal Department of Homeland Security. Its focus is on how resources, primarily Federal resources, are organized to respond to emergencies. The 500-page full plan is daunting reading, but for educational purposes, the Quick Reference Guide is a useful summary. The National Response Plan is, by its nature, a work in progress that changes from time to time; always check for the latest version to share with educators and students.

The Public Health and Medical Response to Disasters: Federal Authority and Funding, This Congressional Research Service report, #RL33579, prepared by Sarah A. Lister, Specialist in Public Health and Epidemiology, dated August 4, 2006, gives an overview of the state of Federal thinking, laws, and funding. It also provides a look into the intricacies of policies about use of governmental resources "when catastrophes overwhelm the response capabilities of state and local authorities.”

State Plans
Every state and territory in the US has a plan, with respect to health services and other services in the face of emergency. These plans are intended to complement the National Response Plan. These plans are easily found for each state at the state government website. For example, at the State of Connecticut's Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, you will find the roles and responsibilities of state, federal and private agencies as well as available training, and much more. It should be obvious that states are not alike, so it behooves health professionals to know about their state's circumstances and plans, and perhaps to know the circumstances of neighboring states as well.

Emergency Volunteer Services
HRSA is funding a grant program, not currently implemented in all states, that creates a registry of health professionals who volunteer to be called when an emergency occurs. It's called the ESAR-VHP and you can find out if your state is currently involved by searching 'ESAR-VHP' on Google or other search engines. Connecticut and California were among the first adopters.

Local Plans
Like the federal and state governments, most local governments have emergency plans. If a local plan is not to be found on the local government website in a community, ask local officials for a hard copy.