Defense Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA)

Abstract

Defense support of civil authorities (DSCA) is military support provided in response to requests for assistance from civilian authorities for domestic emergencies, special events, designated law enforcement support, and other domestic activities. Multiple jurisdictions across the US have recently or are now in the process of developing detailed strategies for integrating available Title 32 (i.e., National Guard) and/or Title 10 (i.e., Active Duty and Reserve) military units/resources into their respective disaster response plans, training, and exercise operations. As evidence provides from catastrophic disasters such as the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and Hurricane Andrew in 1992, and the 2020 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, US military units and activities have proven to be a critical component for successful response and recovery operations. Therefore, it is vital for emergency managers at every jurisdictional level to possess a rudimentary understanding (at a minimum) of military resources;their capabilities and limitations and how to access and integrate them in their respective jurisdiction’s disaster response and recovery operations. Without this understanding, there are significant risks of missed opportunities to save lives, mitigate human suffering, and mitigate significant property and/or environmental damage © 2022 Taylor & Francis.