(a) General. Any capitalized word in this part is a defined term unless such capitalization results from the application of standard capitalization or style rules for Federal regulations. The following definitions have general applicability throughout this part:

Activated or Activation means the status of a System resource placed at the direction, control and funding of DHS in response to, or in anticipation of, a presidential declaration of a major disaster or emergency under the Stafford Act.

Activation Order means the DHS communication placing a System resource under the direction, control, and funding of DHS.

Advisory means a DHS communication to System resources indicating that an event has occurred or DHS anticipates will occur that may require Alert or Activation of System resources.

Alert means the status of a System resource's readiness when triggered by an Alert Order indicating that DHS may Activate the System resource.

Alert Order means the DHS communication that places a System resource on Alert status.

Assistant Administrator means the Assistant Administrator for the Disaster Operations Directorate.

Assistance Officer means the DHS employee who has legal authority to bind DHS by awarding and amending Cooperative Agreements.

Backfill means the personnel practice of temporarily replacing a person in his or her usual position with another person.

Cooperating Agency means a State or Local Government that has executed a Cooperative Agreement to provide Technical Specialists.

Cooperative Agreement means a legal instrument between DHS and a Sponsoring Agency or Cooperating Agency that provides funds to accomplish a public purpose and anticipates substantial Federal involvement during the performance of the contemplated activity.

Daily Cost Estimate means a Sponsoring Agency's estimate of Task Force personnel compensation, itemized fringe benefit rates and amounts including calculations, and Backfill expenditures for a 24-hour period of Activation.

Deputy Assistant Administrator means the Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Disaster Operations Directorate, or other person the Assistant Administrator designates.

DHS means the Department of Homeland Security.

Disaster Search Canine Team means a disaster search canine and handler who have successfully completed the written examination and demonstrated the performance skills required by the Disaster Search Canine Readiness Evaluation Process. A disaster search canine is a dog that has successfully completed the DHS Disaster Search Canine Readiness Evaluation criteria for Type II or both Type II and Type I.

Emergency means any occasion or instance for which, in the determination of the President, Federal assistance is needed to supplement State and local efforts and capabilities to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in any part of the United States.

Equipment Cache List means the DHS-issued list that defines:

(1) The equipment and supplies that US & R will furnish to Sponsoring Agencies; and

(2) The maximum quantities and types of equipment and supplies that a Sponsoring Agency may purchase and maintain with DHS funds.

Federal Excess Property means any Federal personal property under the control of a Federal agency that the agency head or a designee determines is not required for its needs or for the discharge of its responsibilities.

Federal Response Plan means the signed agreement among various Federal departments and agencies that provides a mechanism for coordinating delivery of Federal assistance and resources to augment efforts of State and Local Governments overwhelmed by a Major Disaster or Emergency, supports implementation of the Stafford Act, as well as individual agency statutory authorities, and supplements other Federal emergency operations plans developed to address specific hazards.

Joint Management Team or JMT means a multi-disciplinary group of National Disaster Medical System (NDMS), Urban Search and Rescue (US&R), and other specialists combined to provide operations, planning, logistics, finance and administrative support for US&R and NDMS resources, and to provide technical advice and assistance to States and Local Governments.

Local Government means any county, city, village, town, district, or other political subdivision of any State; any federally recognized Indian tribe or authorized tribal organization; and any Alaska Native village or organization.

Major Disaster means any natural catastrophe (including any hurricane, tornado, storm, high water, wind driven water, tidal wave, tsunami, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, mudslide, snowstorm, or drought), or regardless of cause, any fire, flood, or explosion, in any part of the United States, that in the determination of the President, causes damage of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant major disaster assistance under the Stafford Act to supplement the efforts and available resources of States, Local Governments, and disaster relief organizations in alleviating the damage, loss, hardship, or suffering caused thereby.

Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) means the document signed by DHS, a Sponsoring Agency and its State that describes the relationship of the parties with respect to the National Urban Search & Rescue Response System.

Participating Agency means a State or Local Government, non-profit organization, or private organization that has executed an agreement with a Sponsoring Agency to participate in the National US&R Response System.

Personnel Rehabilitation Period means the period allowed by DHS for a person's rehabilitation to normal conditions of living following an Activation.

Preparedness Cooperative Agreement means the agreement between DHS and a Sponsoring Agency for reimbursement of allowable expenditures incurred by the Sponsoring Agency to develop and maintain System capabilities and operational readiness.

Program Directive means guidance and direction for action to ensure consistency and standardization across the National US&R Response System.

Program Manager means the individual, or his or her designee, within DHS who is responsible for day-to-day administration of the National US&R Response System.

Program Office means the organizational entity within DHS that is responsible for day-to-day administration of the National US&R Response System.

Response Cooperative Agreement means an agreement between DHS and a Sponsoring Agency for reimbursement of allowable expenditures incurred by the Sponsoring Agency as a result of an Alert or Activation.

Sponsoring Agency means a State or Local Government that has executed an MOA with DHS to organize and administer a Task Force.

Stafford Act means the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. 5121 through 5206.

State means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia or the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

Support Specialist means a person participating in the System who assists the Task Force with administrative or other support during mobilization, ground transportation and demobilization as directed.

System or National US&R Response System means the national US&R response capability administered by DHS.

System Member means any Task Force Member, JMT Member, Technical Specialist, Support Specialist or Disaster Search Canine Team.

Task Force means an integrated US&R organization of multi-disciplinary resources with common communications and a leader, organized and administered by a Sponsoring Agency and meeting DHS standards.

Task Force Member means a person occupying a position on a Task Force.

Technical Specialist means a person participating in the System contributing technical knowledge and skill who may be placed on Alert or Activated as a single resource and not as a part of a JMT or a Task Force.

US&R means urban search and rescue, the process of searching for, extricating, and providing for the immediate medical stabilization of victims who are entrapped in collapsed structures.

(b) Additional definitions. Definitions for certain terms that apply only to individual subparts of this part are located in those subparts.

[70 FR 9194, Feb. 24, 2005, as amended at 74 FR 15353, Apr. 3, 2009]