Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO) 03
Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO) 03 : "For Stafford Act events, upon the recommendation of the FEMA Administrator and the Secretary of Homeland Security, the President appoints an FCO. The FCO is a senior FEMA official trained, certified and well experienced in emergency management, and specifically appointed to coordinate Federal support in the response to and recovery from emergencies and major disasters. The FCO executes Stafford Act authorities, including commitment of FEMA resources and the mission assignment of other Federal departments or agencies. If a major disaster or emergency declaration covers a geographic area that spans all or parts of more than one State, the President may decide to appoint a single FCO for the entire incident, with other individuals as needed serving as Deputy FCOs. In all cases, the FCO represents the FEMA Administrator in the field to discharge all FEMA responsibilities for the response and recovery efforts underway. For Stafford Act events - and if the Secretary has not appointed a PFO - the FCO is the primary Federal representative with whom State and local officials interface to determine the most urgent needs and set objectives for an effective response in collaboration with the Unified Coordination Group. In such events, the FCO is the focal point of coordination within the Unified Coordination Group, ensuring overall integration of Federal emergency management, resource allocation and seamless integration of Federal activities in support of, and in coordination with, State, tribal and local requirements. When a PFO is not assigned to a Stafford Act response, the FCO serves locally as a primary, although not exclusive, point of contact for Federal interfaces with the media and the private sector. Some FCO-certified FEMA executives are given additional, specialized training regarding unusually complex incidents. For example, one may be further trained for catastrophic earthquake response, whereas another might cultivate unique skills for response related to weapons of mass destruction or pandemic influenza". (DHS, NRF Comment Draft, September 2007, pp. 64-65)
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