Considerations beyond all-hazards preparedness planning are required to plan effectively for chemical incidents. FEMA’s Chem KPF includes both strategic and operational issues for consideration when developing response and recovery plans for these incidents.

The document provides an overview of the wide variety of ways an accidental or deliberate chemical incident may occur. Its analyses of chemical incidents across the chemical supply, agricultural and transportation industries serve to identify common factors that all chemical incidents share. These common factors are all essential planning considerations for chemical incidents. The document then defines seven Key Planning Factors (KPFs), which provide guidance for addressing the “core capabilities” outlined in the Oil and Chemical Incident Annex to the Response and Recovery Federal Interagency Operational Plans [lnks.gd] (OCIA).

Because even emergencies that do not rise to the level requiring a Stafford Act declaration may tax local abilities to respond and recover, the document also includes chapters with guidance on how federal support for response to chemical incidents is organized and activated, and resources to support planning and decision-making for large or complex incidents.

The Chem KPF also includes a comprehensive set of ten appendices with reference materials covering chemical hazard identification resources, chemical incident legislation, notification requirements, federal funding for incident response, and more.