Mission Statement:
Plan for and manage response and recovery to natural and manmade events at the local and national level. Timely, effective, and efficient, in execution under Department of Defense (DOD), Corps of Engineers, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and other agencies’ authorities.
Who We Are:
The Baltimore District, Emergency Management Office (EMO) plans for and manages the execution of missions under the guidance of the District Engineer and Corps' Headquarters, in accordance with the authority of Public Law 84-99 Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies (PL84-99 FCCE); and The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Assistance Act (Stafford Act), Public Law 93-288, As Amended by PL 100-707.
What We Do:
EMO provides assistance, within its authorities, when natural disasters or other emergencies occur and state / local governments have exceeded their capabilities. EMO's area of responsibility follows the Baltimore District's Civil Works boundary and includes the District of Columbia, Maryland, and portions of New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, and Delaware.
Typical Events in our Area of Responsibility:
How We Manage These Disasters:
1. Public Law 84-99 (Click here to view an overview presentation)
Public Law 84-99 is the discretionary authority given to the Corps of Engineers by Congress to act and react to various emergencies including floods, contaminated water sources, drought, or dam failures. This authority also allows the Corps to repair and / or rehabilitate qualified flood-risk management projects, whether constructed by federal or state / local governments. Corps assistance is supplemental to state and local efforts.
The most common support functions performed under PL 84-99 includes flood response / technical assistance; field investigations; rehabilitation and inspection of flood-risk management; shoreline protection projects; emergency water; and hazard mitigation.
All disasters are managed under six of PL 84-99’s category codes (Click to view), which includes (view relevant slides in above overview presentation):
- 100 - Disaster Preparedness (slides 9 -10)
- 200 - Emergency Operations - “response” - 1 - 4 weeks (slides 11 - 65)
- Flood Response Operations
- Post Flood Response Operation
- Response Operations Events Other Than Floods
- 300 - Rehab and Inspections - “recovery” – 5 + weeks (slides 66 - 73)
- 400 - Emergency Water Assistance (slides 74 - 82)
- 500 - Advance Measures (slides 83 - 85)
- 600 - Hazard Mitigation(slides 89 - 87)
Recent Baltimore District EMO PL 84-99 Projects:
Hurricane Sandy 2012:
- Rehab of Atlantic Coast of Maryland Shoreline Protection Project
- Project Information Report to document damages, identify eligibility, identify alternatives for repair, and recommend action - Federal
Tropical Storm Lee 2011:
Rehab of various federal / non-federal flood-risk management projects like levees and flood walls in Pennsylvania and New York.
Project sites include:
2. The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Assistance Act (Stafford Act), Public Law 93-288, As Amended by PL 100-707 (Click here to view an overview presentation)
PL 100-707 authorizes FEMA to direct other federal agencies to use their available personnel, supplies, facilities, and other resources to provide assistance to state and local governments in the event of an emergency declaration or major disaster declaration by the President.
Types of FEMA Assistance:
- Individual Assistance
- Public Assistance
- Technical - 100 percent federal cost
- Direct - 75 / 25 federal / local cost share
- Combination
National Response Framework (NRF):
The NRF is a mechanism used by the government to implement the provisions of the Stafford Act. It establishes a comprehensive, national, all-hazards approach to domestic incident management. Through its 15 major Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) it facilitates a coordinated federal response to a disaster.
USACE support through PL 100-707 (slides 27-34):
Once a Presidential Declaration is made, the Corps may receive ESF#3 mission assignments under FEMA’s Public Assistance program. The NRF identifies the Corps’ missions, including:
- Temporary Emergency Power
- Commodities
- Debris Management
- Urban Search and Rescue
- Temporary Roofing
- Critical Public Facilities and Temporary Housing
- Sub-Tasking to Support Agencies
Recent EMO Stafford Act Projects:
Hurricane Sandy 2012:
* Baltimore District Debris Team executed FEMA Debris Management Mission on Fire Island, N.Y., in support of the Corps New York 
District.
* 5,500+ tons (23,000 cubic yards) of construction and demolition debris on Fire Island
* Provided Quality Assurance Inspectors for other New York District missions.
World Trade Center, N.Y. 9/11 (2001):
*Under FEMA mission, deployed mobile Tactical Operating Systems units and Debris Team.
EMO Support to Military Customers and Overseas Missions:
Over the last decade, support to military customers and overseas missions has increased. The EMO provides support to Corps Field Force Engineering Teams - Base Development Team, Forward Engineer Support Team - Augmentation, and Contingency Real Estate and Environmental support teams. In addition, the EMO, in coordination with the Baltimore District's Deployment Coordination / Family Readiness Program Associate, executes the Corps Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) Program and supports deployments. The main OCO countries being supported at this time includes Afghanistan and Iraq.