National Preparedness Guidelines

The National Preparedness Guidelines were developed by the Secretary of Homeland Security pursuant to Homeland Security Presidential Directive-8 (HSPD-8). The Guidelines finalize development of the national preparedness goal and its related preparedness tools.

The purposes of the Guidelines are to:


 * Organize and synchronize national (including federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial) efforts to strengthen national preparedness;
 * Guide national investments in national preparedness;
 * Incorporate lessons learned from past disasters into national preparedness priorities;
 * Facilitate a capability-based and risk-based investment planning process; and
 * Establish readiness metrics to measure progress and a system for assessing the nation's overall preparedness capability to respond to major events, especially those involving acts of terrorism.