Northcom Supports Government’s Storm Response Efforts

From a U.S. Northern Command News Release

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo., Oct. 29, 2012 – U.S. Northern Command is poised to provide Defense Department support to Federal Emergency Management Agency, tribal, state and local response efforts due to Hurricane Sandy.

Part of Northcom’s defense support of civil authorities mission directs the command to plan and anticipate actions that it may need to take to support civil authorities.

Support efforts include:

-- Defense Department activation of defense coordinating officers and defense coordinating elements to support FEMA Regions 1, 2, and 3, with coordinating elements from Regions 4, 7, and 9 providing additional surge support to Regions 1, 2, and 3;
-- Northcom has identified active duty deputies to deploy in support of designated dual-status commanders, and is currently working with officials from Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island. These active duty deputies facilitate active duty force employment under dual-status leadership should active duty assets be required.
-- Northcom has placed the following defense support of civil authorities forces on 24-hour “Prepare to deploy” status in response to anticipated FEMA requests to mitigate or respond to effects of Hurricane Sandy: light- and medium-lift helicopters; medium- and heavy-lift helicopters; pararescue teams; information awareness and assessment aircraft; Tactical Common Data Link; Rover video receiver systems; and fixed-wing aircraft.
-- Northcom is deploying joint regional medical planners to the regions.
-- Northcom has activated Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass.; Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.; and Dover Air Force Base, Del., as incident support bases for staging federal support equipment and supplies. Fort Devens, Mass., has been designated a federal team staging facility.
-- The Air Force Northern national security emergency preparedness directorate deployed emergency preparedness liaison officers to assist civil authorities in preparing for relief efforts.
-- Air Force Northern officials deployed joint air component coordination elements to Philadelphia, Boston and Trenton, N.J.
-- Northcom’s Joint Personnel Recovery Center, in support of Air Force Northern’s joint force air component commander, is pre-positioning search and rescue forces.
-- All Defense Department installations have been directed to offer support to local community requests for assistance, including providing staging and bed-down for utility recovery teams assigned to restore power.