Indian Affairs Emergency Management Council

Membership of the Council consists of the following positions:

• Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs
• Deputy Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs (Management)
• Chief Financial Officer
• Associate Chief Information Officer, Office of Information Technology
• Director, Office of Human Capital Management
• Director, Office of Budget and Performance Management
• Director, Office of Facilities, Property and Safety Management
• Director, Office of Public Affairs
• Public Affairs Specialist, Emergency Management
• Director, Bureau of Trust Fund Administration
• Principal Deputy Bureau Director, Trust Operations
• Deputy Bureau Director, Trust Operations – Field
• Deputy Bureau Director, Trust Operations – Accounting
• Deputy Bureau Director, Trust Operations – Settlement Support
• Associate Chief Information Officer
• AS-IA Chief of Staff
• Director, Bureau of Indian Education
• Deputy Director – School Operations
• Chief of Staff
• Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs
• Deputy Bureau Director – Field Operations
• Deputy Bureau Director – Office of Justice Services
• Deputy Bureau Director – Office of Trust Services
• Deputy Bureau Director – Office of Indian Services
• Emergency Management Director – Office of the Director
• Branch Chief, Branch of Wildland Fire Management

The Council:

• Provides executive direction and oversight of IA mission activities at the national level.
• Serves as a mechanism for coordination of activities with the National Response Framework (NRF) and associated Emergency Support Functions, when activated by the White House.
• Coordinates timely and effective communications with Bureau, Departmental, and other agencies that are involved in emergency response.
• Facilitates documentation and justification of IA expenses requested through the federal appropriations process, when necessary.
• Discusses, vet, and develop policies related to mission response to emergency events.
• Provides timely access to IA leadership and a single decision authority, when needed.
• Provides oversight and guidance for IA continuity of operations and emergency management functions and their interaction with the Department of the Interior and other federal entities.
• Develops centralized resources to aid emergency and continuity of operations planning.

Chair Responsibilities

The IAEMC is chaired by the Director, Office of Emergency Management (OEM). The Chair is responsible for:

• Providing leadership, direction, and guidance.
• Calling meetings of the IAEMC.
• Fostering a positive environment where ideas can be shared openly to achieve consensus.
• Ensuring decisions are made and recommendations finalized efficiently among IAEMC members.
• Coordinating the IAEMC agenda to reflect input from IAEMC members.

Member Responsibilities

All members identified including the Chair, perform the following roles:

• Personally attend meetings of the IAEMC.
• Participate in all functions and activities of the IAEMC, including providing bureau and office positions and recommendations on Emergency Management Program matters that come before the IAEMC.
• Ensure decisions are consistent with federal law and regulations, DOI strategic plans, policies, guidelines.
• Establish goals and objectives to drive decision making related to the IAEMC.
• Consulting with the Office of the Solicitor, when necessary and appropriate.

The IAEMC is chaired by the Director, Office of Emergency Management (OEM) who is responsible for:

• Providing leadership, direction, and guidance.
• Calling meetings of the IAEMC.
• Fostering a positive environment where ideas can be shared openly to achieve consensus.
• Ensuring decisions are made and recommendations finalized efficiently among IAEMC members.
• Coordinating the IAEMC agenda to reflect input from IAEMC members.

The IAEMC Chair will use the following principles in guiding IAEMC decision making:

• Consensus, an agreement shared by all the people in a group, will be sought on issues brought to the IAEMC for decision.
• Ensuring that proper documentation of decision, including the associated rationale.
• If consensus cannot be obtained on an issue, the IAEMC Chair will send the matter to the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs, who will coordinate and elevate as necessary for resolution.

Administration

The IAEMC will convene on a quarterly basis to discuss general business and resolve issues. The IAEMC may convene for special topic meetings during incidents, to discuss other time sensitive issues, or as otherwise requested by the Director, OEM.

If further exploration of an issue is required, IAEMC will provide the tasking to OEM for development of a recommendation, product, or solution.