NFPA 1600: Are you ready?

NFPA 1600 Included in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 Senate Bill : S.2845

Passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by the President on December 17, 2004 (Public Law 108-458)

Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (Enrolled as Agreed to or Passed by Both House and Senate) SEC. 7305. PRIVATE SECTOR PREPAREDNESS.

(a) FINDINGS- Consistent with the report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, Congress makes the following findings:

(1) Private sector organizations own 85 percent of the Nation's critical infrastructure and employ the vast majority of the Nation's workers.



(2) Preparedness in the private sector and public sector for rescue, restart and recovery of operations should include, as appropriate--

(A) a plan for evacuation;

(B) adequate communications capabilities; and

(C) a plan for continuity of operations.

(3) The American National Standards Institute recommends a voluntary national preparedness standard for the private sector based on the existing American National Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs (NFPA 1600), with appropriate modifications. This standard establishes a common set of criteria and terminology for preparedness, disaster management, emergency management, and business continuity programs.

(4) The mandate of the Department of Homeland Security extends to working with the private sector, as well as government entities.

(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS ON PRIVATE SECTOR PREPAREDNESS- It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Homeland Security should promote, where appropriate, the adoption of voluntary national preparedness standards such as the private sector preparedness standard developed by the American National Standards Institute and based on the National Fire Protection Association 1600 Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs.

See NFPA 1600