The National Response Plan is the Department of Homeland Security's plan to handle terrorist attacks, natural disasters or other large-scale emergency. According to the department's website, "In the event of a terrorist attack, natural disaster or other large-scale emergencies, the Department of Homeland Security will assume primary responsibility for ensuring that emergency response professionals are prepared for any situation."^* The emphasis is that Homeland Security will assume "primary responsibility" which was created to prevent the uncoordinated response of various local, state, and federal in disaster scenarios.

Actual National Response Plan Document

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The National Response Plan can be obtained in PDF format at the Department of Homeland Security's website.link

Dates When the National Response Plan Was Invoked

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August 30, 2005 Secretary Michael Chertoff invoked the National Response Plan the day after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast on the morning of August 29, 2005. By so doing, the Secretary assumed the leadership role triggered by the law to bear primary responsibility to manage said crisis.
September 22, 2005 In advance of the landfall of Hurricane Rita, Chertoff declared the storm an incident of national significance and put preparations in place in the gulf region of Texas.