Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officers for FEMA districts

After the war and the rebellion, we settled into 12 districts.  In those districts those left would be the workers for us, the ruling elite. They will mine our resources, grow our food, and make our machines.  We will take away their own food, and guns, letting them only live if they do what we tell them.  Welcome to your future……

For everyone who has been to the movies and watched the hunger games this is the backdrop plot of the movie. Last I checked it went over 300 million sales and is now a “blockbuster”.  Yes indeed a movie about the enslavement of the American people after the “revolution”, showing that the elite win, and the rest of us, well we starve and fight for our existence, how nice.

Let me just state clearly Districts are drawn up by FEMA and the US Army, and they are fully staffed, and ready for an “emergency”. Here is information and maps straight off the United States Army Combined Arms Center, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Emergency preparedness liaison officer (EPLO) is a generic term referring collectively to service and other Department of Defense (DOD) agency personnel who coordinate military assistance to other federal agencies and state governments.

These positions are established to:

• Coordinate resources as required, typically through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) mission assignment process.
• Maintain effective communication between the DOD components, DOD, and other state and/or federal governmental agencies and nongovernmental organizations.
• Promote mutual understanding among various organizations tasked with providing and coordinating emergency support functions in civil emergency situations.
• Serve as a subject-matter expert on service-specific capabilities, limitations, and legal authorities.

Regional Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer

Regional EPLOs (REPLOs) are reservists assigned to the FEMA regions with the same areas of responsibility as their respective defense coordinating officers (DCOs). They may backfill for DCOs who have been deployed. REPLOs direct their efforts toward planning and coordinating defense support to civil authorities (DSCA) activities. They serve as subject matter experts for the regions and their respective services and are highly trained in request for assistance and mission assignment development.

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) plans to assign one senior reserve officer (O-5) billet at each FEMA region. During nondisaster periods, USCG EPLOs fall under the command and control of the USCG district that encompasses the FEMA region. Upon activation, the USCG EPLO typically reports either to the FEMA regional response coordination center or the joint field office for the declared disaster.

State Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer

At the state level, state EPLOs (SEPLOs) can perform duties in state emergency operations centers (EOCs). SEPLOs are the subject matter experts in their states; they serve as DOD liaisons for DSCA to state and federal agencies and maintain situational awareness within the state. Their purpose is to build relationships on a daily basis.

EPLOs are also referred to as NEPLOs (Navy), AFEPLOs (Air Force), or MEPLOs (Marine Corps). Regardless of title, their functions and responsibilities to their DCOs are the same as described above.

Table P-1. Title 10 REPLOs and SEPLOs

USCG EPLOs, not being Title 10 forces in most instances, have statutorily different authorities and capabilities that differ significantly from the DOD services and the National Guard (when under Title 10 or Title 32).

EPLOs do not perform the traditional roles of selected reserve (SELRES) members at a unit. EPLOs provide close coordination with their respective district EPLO coordinators and are assigned to foster the exchange of information, promote cooperation and communication, and coordinate the planning and implementation of USCG contingency plans with federal (especially Department of Homeland Security organizations), state, and local emergency preparedness partners. EPLOs will maintain a close relationship with assigned FEMA regions. When a joint field office team is deployed the EPLO is able to serve as a USCG point of contact assigned to the FEMA region. The EPLO can introduce the team to appropriate officials and get it established.

FEMA regions and USCG districts do not coincide geographically (Figure P-1). The structure is managed as follows:

• USCG EPLOs are assigned to each district.
• A SELRES commander (05) is assigned as the EPLO for each of FEMA’s 10 regional offices.
• Districts 1 and 8 have a SELRES (06) assigned as district EPLO coordinator because more than one FEMA regional office exists within each of those district boundaries.
• The district EPLO coordinator has responsibilities for Districts 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, and 17 and may be assigned to an active duty member of the district planning division (DX) or district response division (DR); this is not intended to be a full-time equivalent position.
• The FEMA region EPLO reports directly to the district EPLO coordinator in a “direct reporting” relationship. The district EPLO coordinator works for the DX or DR division, depending upon the district commander’s preference.

Details concerning USCG EPLOs can be found in Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer (EPLO) Roles and Responsibilities Guidebook, (CG-5334), USCG Office of Disaster and Continuity Operations, December 2009.