"The purpose of the National Response Framework is to establish a comprehensive, national, all-hazards approach to domestic incident response. "The Framework presents an overview of key response principles, roles and structures that guide the national response. It describes how communities, States, the Federal Government and private-sector and nongovernmental partners apply these principles for a coordinated, effective national response. And, it describes special circumstances where the Federal Government exercises a larger role, including incidents where Federal interests are involved and catastrophic incidents where a State would require significant support. Its real value, however, is in how these elements come together and are implemented by first responders, decision-makers and supporting entities to provide a unified national response". (DHS, Introducing....NRP, September 2007, p. 2).