308.26 - Hazard Response Executive Committee (HREC)

Approving Official:    David Applegate

                                       Director

1.    Authorities.

A.  Departmental Manual (DM) Part 900. Chapters 1-5 establish emergency management (or EM) responsibilities, policies, and procedures within the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the USGS.

B.  SM 120.9 – Office of the Associate Director for Natural Hazards | U.S. Geological Survey (usgs.gov).  The Natural Hazards Mission Area manages the USGS Hazard Response Executive Committee.

C.  SM 1000.1 – Emergency Management Planning and Response | U.S. Geological Survey (usgs.gov) outlines the responsibility of the Emergency Management Planning and Response functions for USGS.  (See also SM 1000.2, Workforce Accounting and Status Reporting Plan.

2.    Charter.  This SM chapter serves as the Charter for the USGS Hazard Response Executive Committee (HREC) and supersedes previous versions of this chapter (Emergency Preparedness Committee, dated 1962 and 1991; HREC Charter, dated 2007 and 2013).

3.    Purpose.  The USGS HREC provides executive direction, external communication, and oversight and support to USGS managers in responding to major hazard events and facilitating activities across the Bureau relating to continuity of operations (COOP), operational response, and planning, training, and exercises to ensure that the USGS can fulfill its mission under all circumstances.  Additionally, the HREC:

A.  Provides executive direction and oversight of USGS mission activities at the national level to effectively manage hazard response resources, exercises, communications, and information without interfering with the activities of the programs or response teams.

B.  During incidents of national significance, oversees a mechanism for coordination of activities with the National Response Framework (or NRF) and associated Emergency Support Functions, and National Disaster Recovery Framework recovery support functions, when activated by the White House or its designee. 

C.  Ensures timely and effective communications with Bureau, Departmental, and other agencies that are involved in hazard and emergency response.

D.  Facilitates the allocation of resources and the documentation and justification of expenses requested through the Federal appropriations process, when necessary.

E.  Discusses, develops, and implements policies related to mission response to hazardous events.

F.  Provides timely access to Bureau leaders and a single decision authority, when needed, in the event of a disaster or other crisis.

G.  Oversees and guides the Bureau continuity and emergency management functions and their interaction with the DOI and other Federal entities.

H.  Supports the Bureau Emergency Management Coordinator (BEMC) in planning and preparing for mission continuity and emergency response coordination and in the development and implementation of natural hazards policies and procedures for incidents requiring significant inter-bureau coordination.

Note: The HREC may commission an ad hoc team, outside of the responding team, to review and document the USGS response to certain events as a part of Emergency Management’s Continuous Improvement Process (or CIP) program.  Actions and an associated responsible party (or organization) are identified and tracked by the Secretariat to improve future USGS preparedness and response.

4.    Membership.  HREC standing members include: 

A.  USGS Deputy Director for Operations as HREC Co-Chair;

B.  Associate Director for Natural Hazards as HREC Co-Chair;

C.  Designated Agency Safety and Health Official (DASHO) (typically delegated to the Associate Director, Office of Administrative Services);

D.  Associate Chief Information Officer; and

E.  Bureau Emergency Management Coordinator, as HREC Secretariat.

5.    Affiliate Attendees.  HREC affiliate attendees include other positions and subject matter experts that inform the HREC standing membership decision-making process and include: 

A.  Regional Directors;

B.  Mission Essential Function Oversight and Participants, including but not limited to:

(1)  Mission Area Associate Directors;

(2)  Center Directors;

(3)  Infrastructure support (such as physical facilities and information technology);

C.  Associate Director, Office of Communications and Publishing;

D.  Associate Director, Office of Budget, Finance, and Analysis; 

E.  Representatives from offices with purview over facilities, security, property, safety, acquisitions, finance, human resources, and travel; 

F.  Chairs of the Function Response Teams, including but not limited to:

(1)  Geospatial Information Response Team (or GIRT); 

(2)  National Uncrewed Systems Office (or NUSO);

(3)  Hazards Data Delivery System (or HDDS/EROS);

G.  Coordinators of the Hazard Response Teams, including but not limited to:

(1)  Response Coordination:(1) Biological Threats Response Coordinator, and (2) Chemical, Radiological, and Nuclear (or CRN) Threats Response Coordinator; 

(2)  Cyber Disruptions Response Coordinator;

(3)  Coastal Storm Team Leader;

(4)  Riverine Flood Response Coordinator;

(5)  Wildland Fire Response Coordinator;

(6)  Landslide Hazards Response Coordinator;

(7)  Drought Response Coordinator;

(8)  Volcano Hazards Response Coordinator;

(9)  Earthquakes Response Coordinator;

H.  Ad hoc, including but not limited to: 

(1)  Executive Leadership Team (ELT) Members (not named specifically above) and ELT Deputies; and

(2)  Team Leaders, Science Planning, and Administrative Experts, as needed.

6.    Secretariat.  The activities of the HREC are supported and administered by a Secretariat.  The BEMC acts as Secretariat to ensure the decisions, policies, and corrective actions of the HREC are implemented and is supported by immediate staff of the Natural Hazards Mission Area, Emergency Management Office.

7.    Roles and Responsibilities.  

A.  HREC Co-Chairs.  Typically, the USGS Deputy Director for Operations, and the Associate Director for Natural Hazards chair HREC meetings; however, they may delegate authority for that role.  The Co-Chairs consider the advice and recommendations of the HREC members but have the authority and responsibility for any final decision, including emergency funding and operations.  The Co-Chairs or their delegates have final approval for all HREC meeting agendas, minutes, and commission of working groups as needed.

B.  HREC Members.  HREC members recommend topics for HREC meetings and suggest establishing working groups by providing a request to the Secretariat.  HREC members deliberate the pros and cons of various alternatives, provide suggestions for clarification or further study, and in the case of decisional topics, ultimately make formal recommendations to the HREC Co-Chairs for consideration and final decision. When working groups are approved by the HREC Co-Chairs, HREC members identify team members, lead, support, and provide oversight to their activities.

C.  ELT Members.  ELT members that are not permanent HREC members are expected to bring issues to the HREC consistent with this charter and SM 1000.1.  ELT members must elevate unmet needs and extraordinary expenses related to responses of other unforeseen/unplanned hazards issues in a timely manner to the Secretariat or other member.

D.  HREC Affiliate Attendees.  HREC affiliate attendees may recommend topics for HREC meetings and suggest establishing working groups by providing a request to the Secretariat.  HREC affiliate attendees deliberate the pros and cons of various alternatives, provide suggestions for clarification or further study, and in the case of decisional topics, ultimately make formal recommendations to the HREC Co-Chairs and Permanent Members for consideration and final decision.  When working groups are approved by the HREC Co-Chairs, HREC affiliate attendees may be asked to identify team members, lead, support, and provide oversight to their activities.

E.  Proxy.  When an HREC Member or Affiliate attendee is unable to attend a meeting, they will notify the Secretariat and designate an informed and empowered proxy to attend on their behalf who will be prepared to make a recommendation or inform discussion on decisional topics.

F.  HREC Members (or others) providing information to the HREC.  The information provider will ensure that briefings or other materials represent a comprehensive portrayal of the topic at hand to facilitate effective information sharing, deliberations, feedback, and decision-making if formally requested.  For decisional briefings, where the HREC is expected to make one or more recommendations to the Co-Chairs, it is incumbent on the presenter (or the working group supporting the presenter) to ensure that the topic has been fully vetted and researched, and that background, analysis, and relevant options are documented in a read-ahead package.  In the event that it is an emergency decisional meeting, no read-ahead materials are required.

G.  HREC Members Receiving Information.  HREC members are expected to come to HREC meetings familiar with the read-ahead material and prepared to engage in discussion and deliberation.

H.  HREC Secretariat.  The BEMC serves as the HREC Secretariat and is supported by immediate staff of the Natural Hazards Mission Area, Emergency Management Office.  The Secretariat facilitates and coordinates the activities of the HREC and ensures implementation of the resulting decisions and policies.  The HREC Secretariat ensures meetings are scheduled, working groups are established when requested and approved, agendas developed and published, meeting materials are provided in advance and are appropriate for the type of meeting (quarterly or emergency), and that decision memoranda are prepared if needed.  The Secretariat will also identify and manage action items and post maintain records following the EM Records Plan. 

I.  Working Groups.  To operate efficiently, the HREC Co-Chairs may stand up ad hoc or standing working groups that are empowered to work through policies and issues to bring analysis and decisional recommendations to the full HREC.  See Section 9, Working Groups, for more details.

8.    Meetings.  The HREC conducts business primarily through quarterly meetings held to address ongoing emergency management planning and response with all HREC membership invited.  Generally, quarterly meeting topics are targeted towards policy needs, corrective actions, and spending tracking.  Quarterly meetings are agenda-driven and informational or decisional in nature. 

Special (out of cycle) HREC meetings are intended to be infrequent but may be requested or held when deemed necessary by any HREC Co-Chair, member, ELT member, or Response Team leadership.  These meetings are typically of a time-sensitive and emergent nature that cannot wait for a quarterly meeting.  These meetings may be decisional or non-decisional depending on the topic.  Special meeting topics typically address critical/timely situations, and extraordinary resource/funding or other needs.

These meetings will be attended by permanent membership and may be attended by a subset of members, as deemed appropriate for the topics and hazard.

A.  Attendance.  HREC members are expected to attend the entirety of HREC meetings.  If unavailable for a meeting (or any portion of the established agenda), members will inform the Secretariat and identify their proxy.  Unless otherwise planned, all HREC meetings will be held virtually to support emergency and continuity situations.  Note: Non-HREC members may be asked to participate in HREC meetings, or parts of meetings, as necessary to facilitate presentations and answer questions about the material. Additional Attendees are welcome at meetings for situational awareness across the Bureau and sharing lessons learned. 

B.  Agendas.  To plan and prepare for meetings, the BEMC will propose and solicit agenda topics from the HREC membership and Co-Chairs.  Except in rapidly emerging, critical situations where time is lacking, meeting topics will be finalized two weeks in advance, meeting agendas finalized at least one week in advance.

C.  Agenda Topics. Agenda topics fall within two categories: non-decisional or decisional. Attributes of the categories are as follows:

(1)  Non-Decisional.

(a)  The purpose of these topics is to share information with the permanent and invited attendees but can also include deliberations and feedback (guidance for further information/analysis or options to be developed) that will be considered by the presenter.

(b)  If informational only, member attendance may be optional, and members may designate an appropriate subject matter expert.

(c)  If deliberations and feedback are necessary, members (or their proxy) will attend.  Read ahead material and meeting presentations will be provided in advance, if possible.  In emergencies, the best-available data should be presented for decision making.

(2)  Decisional.

(a)  The purpose of these topics is to deliver HREC recommendations to the Co-Chairs for final documented decision-making 

(b)  Members or their designated proxy are required to attend.

(c)  Fully vetted read-ahead packages and presentations are required in advance.

9.    Working Groups.  Where possible, working groups will leverage existing relevant Bureau teams and committees to perform their research and develop recommendations.  Where not extant, the HREC will stand up working groups to address identified issues.  This approach will ensure the Bureau is effectively utilizing various teams’ and groups’ perspectives in assessing organizational issues and will aid in communicating the issues and the path forward.  In addition, participation in these team efforts may provide staff developmental opportunities.

HREC working groups are commissioned and decommissioned via a charter by the HREC Co-Chairs.  Working groups will be defined as either ad hoc or standing at the time of commissioning.  If ad hoc, a sunset date for the working group must also be defined at commissioning.  The size of working groups may vary according to the complexity of the purpose of the group.  Working groups will be led by at least one HREC member, depending on the group topic and charge.  The composition of HREC members on the working group is determined by the Co-Chairs, who has the prerogative to solicit volunteers or recommendations for members, or to appoint membership.  HREC members are expected to provide informed and empowered representatives to these working groups in a timely manner as needed or requested.

10.    Decision Memoranda.  A decision memorandum (memo) is a document in which recommendations and decisions about a policy or governance matter are formalized.  Decision memos are initiated by the member(s) or working group requesting a recommendation from the HREC and decision by the Co-Chairs.  Once HREC recommendations are provided and the Co-Chairs decision is made this decision memo will be digitally signed and maintained according to the HREC/EM Records Management Plan. 

11.    Governance.  As described above, meeting agendas and materials are to be provided ahead of the meeting.  In cases where a decision is requested, HREC members will be prepared to deliberate and offer informed recommendations for the Co-Chairs to consider for final decision.  If the Co-Chairs deem that the HREC is not ready to move to a recommendation during a decisional meeting, the Co-Chairs have the prerogative to postpone the decision and assign HREC members to provide additional information.  The HREC Co-Chairs have the authority and responsibility for final decisions.  All decisions must be consistent with applicable statutes, regulations, and DOI/USGS policies.  When the HREC membership makes recommendations to the Co-Chairs, the Co-Chairs will set a date for making a final decision.  If a date is not specified, it is assumed to be 5 working days from the date the recommendation is sent.  If the Co-Chairs do not formalize a decision by the established date, or subsequently establish a new date, the Secretariat will confirm with the Co-Chairs that the HREC recommendation is adopted, becomes the decision, and is documented by a decision memo.

12.    Financial Management.  The HREC will maintain a mechanism to support extraordinary expenses incurred by an office responding or impacted by a hazard or disaster.  Any office that becomes overwhelmed by a response activity may apply to the HREC for supporting funds through their organizational chains.  Center/Office, Regional, and applicable Mission Areas should all document how they are funding the extraordinary expenses.  Summary documentation of the expenses and funding already allocated should be brought to the HREC using the emergency response event accounting guidance in Chapter 10, section 5 of the USGS Financial Operating Procedures. Extraordinary costs should be brought to the HREC Secretariat as soon as the need is known. Decisions about funding will be made by the Co-Chairs.

The HREC should also be used as a coordination body to communicate about additional or novel sources of funding, such as Disaster Supplemental Appropriations or other collaboration opportunities. 

13.    Freedom of Information Act.  Written or audio records of deliberations and decisions from HREC activities are potentially subject to public release through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).  Written records include, but are not limited to emails, text, chats, notes, briefings, and informational materials.  Public release of information will be determined based on applicable exemptions or exclusions under FOIA.  The definition of a record can be found here: Disposal of Records (44 U.S.C. Chapter 33) | National Archives.

14.    Communication.  HREC meeting agendas and resulting action items will be made available to the HREC.  Other communication methods, such as Leaders Blog posts, e-mails, and all-hands meetings, will be used as deemed useful or necessary.

15.    Records.  The Emergency Management Office in the Natural Hazards Mission Area will maintain records according to an established Records Management Plan.