Federal and State Protocols for Emergency Response
Federal protocols for emergency response are located in the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act), NIMS, and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), which was amended by Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) of 1986. The Governor of Ohio has the authority to ask the President to declare an emergency within the State.
The President then decides whether the emergency requires federal assistance. Federal assistance is provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in coordination with state and local officials.
In order to obtain federal preparedness funding, local government must adopt NIMS as their system of incident command.