Behind the Scenes: How PAHPA Enables ASPR to Support National Special Security Events
When Americans gather for events of national significance, like the State of the Union or the upcoming celebration of America's 250th Anniversary, they bear witness to historic moments that include some of our most cherished traditions. What they don't see is the extensive, quiet coordination happening behind-the-scenes to keep people safe in case of an emergency.
The HHS Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) leads the public health and medical response, ensuring that people's health is protected during these events. And that role exists because of the authorities Congress established in the 2006 Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA) and strengthened through its subsequent reauthorizations.
Many Responders, One Mission
Behind every National Special Security Event (NSSE), there is a logistics and operational backbone that ensures the right personnel, equipment, credentialing, transportation, and communications systems are in place. In preparation for NSSEs, ASPR teams conduct operational assessments; identify resource requirements; coordinate with federal, state, and local partners; and ensure alignment across federal medical assets. During the event, ASPR responders provide federal public health and medical support onsite. All of these efforts are possible due to the authorities granted by Congress to enable ASPR to deploy trained and credential medical personnel.
Preparing for the Event: Operational Planning and Coordination
ASPR’s Office of Regional Response works with our public health and emergency management partners at the federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) levels to conduct operational planning before the event. ASPR’s Regional Emergency Coordinators (RECs) serve as liaisons to bolster SLTT resilience and ensure federal support complements SLTT capabilities. These efforts ensure we are adhering to the concepts in Executive Order 14146, “Achieving Efficiency Through State and Local Preparedness,” and ensuring that SLTT partners are supported with their resources and requirements in mind.
Monitoring the Event in Real Time
ASPR monitors and provides senior leaders and other personnel with up to date and emerging situational awareness from the HHS Secretary’s Operations Center. ASPR embeds personnel within local emergency operations centers to maintain situational awareness and real-time coordination. All of these efforts leverage coordination authorities that were included in baseline authorities.
The Backbone of NSSEs: ASPR Logistics Response Team
The ASPR Logistics Response Team (ALRT) deploys specialized resources to the field, ensuring ASPR’s responders have the medical supplies, equipment, and operational assets needed to perform their mission effectively. This team manages supplies, telecommunications, IT, security, and temporary medical facilities.
NDMS Teams Provide Medical Support
NDMS National Veterinary Response Teams
NDMS NVRTs care for working animals, including law enforcement horses and canines, to ensure these animals are healthy and ready to serve. NVRTs provide medical checks and treat injuries that law enforcement animals have sustained in the line of duty.
NDMS SPEAR Teams Provide Pre-Hospital Support
Before an event, the NDMS Special Purpose Emergency Augmentation Resource (SPEAR) leads final team preparedness efforts, providing a refresher on the specialized medical techniques and equipment that could be needed in the case of an emergency. SPEAR works with NDMS DMAT and National Veterinary Response Team (NVRT) to ensure a common understanding of certain key concepts in disaster medicine, enabling teams that come together from units across the country to work together more effectively.
TACMED: Tactical Medical Teams
ASPR TacMed teams deploy to ensure that specialized medical support is available onsite for federal law enforcement in the event of an active shooter or other violent incident during the NSSE.
Incident Management Team: Surge Support On Demand
ASPR’s Incident Management Team (IMT) provides on-the-ground command and coordination for HHS public health and medical operations during an NSSE. They set priorities, manage federal medical assets, and align HHS efforts with the broader interagency response.
Why It Matters
Every year, ASPR supports multiple NSSEs, and each event presents unique challenges. Each requires disciplined coordination. Each serves as a real-world test of the preparedness systems Congress put in place to support communities in the worst of times.
Behind every NSSE or deployment are the systems built on authorities, plans, coordination, and, most importantly sustained investment. ASPR's National Disaster Medical System, a system in place since 1984, was placed under ASPR in 2006 post Hurricane Katrina by Congress to ensure communities received direct support in greatest times of need.
In the last iteration of PAHPA, Congress granted direct hire authority to NDMS to ensure the system was able to recruit medical professionals and maintain a strong cadre of trained and credentialed staff for deployment.
When Congress enacted PAHPA, it centralized and strengthened the federal government's public health and medical preparedness authorities. It ensured that ASPR would have clear leadership authority and operational control over NDMS. It created a framework for coordination that extends from Washington, D.C. to state and local partners on the ground at the country's most significant events. NDMS capabilities are the operational bridge between crisis and care and is too important to fail.
When viewers from around the country tune in to watch the celebration of America's 250th Anniversary, they won't see ASPR personnel staged nearby or the months of planning that went into preparing for emergency response. They'll be focused on celebrating Independence Day — and we'll be standing by, prepared, ready to act when it matters most. If there is an emergency, ASPR will respond with precision to effectively execute response operations that save lives and protect Americans from harm.
