Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) is the grouping of governmental and certain private sector capabilities into an organizational structure to provide support, resources, program implementation, and services that are most likely needed to save lives, protect property and the environment, restore essential services and critical infrastructure, and help victims and communities return to normal following natural or man-made disasters or emergencies.
 
The following is a summary of the Emergency Support Functions:

ESF-1 - TRANSPORTATION
Management of transportation systems and transportation infrastructure during threats or in response to actual incidents. Transportation encompasses all transit surface modes, including land-based wheeled vehicles, trucks, and buses traveling on streets, roads, highways, and bridges; air travel, rail routes; transportation infrastructures (roads, routes, and bridges) and assets that move people and supplies in and out of Franklin County.
 
ESF-2 – COMMUNICATIONS
Outlines primary and backup communications procedures and capabilities to be employed in the event of an emergency/disaster in Franklin County and assures provisions for communications to support county and municipal response efforts before, during, and following the actual or potential disaster.
 
ESF-3 - PUBLIC WORKS AND ENGINEERING
Provides technical advice and evaluation, engineering services, contracting for construction management and inspection, contracting for the emergency repair of water and wastewater treatment facilities, potable water and ice, emergency power, and real estate support to assist the County in meeting goals related to lifesaving and life-sustaining actions, damage mitigation, and recovery activities following a disaster or emergency.
 
ESF-4 – FIREFIGHTING
Coordination of Franklin County’s firefighting, Emergency Medical Service (EMS) operations, and rescue capabilities to ensure appropriate utilization of local fire and EMS resources.  This involves managing and coordinating firefighting resources in the detection and suppression of fires, rescue operations, EMS, and mobilizing and coordinating personnel, equipment, and supplies in support of local entities.
 
ESF-5 - EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
Outlines procedures for collection, analysis, and information sharing regarding potential or actual emergencies or disasters to enhance the response and recovery activities of the local governments. Emergency Management supports overall activities for incident management, warning, damage assessment, and operation of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC).
 
ESF-6 - MASS CARE, HOUSING, AND HUMAN SERVICES
Establishes plans, procedures, policies and guidelines for the provision of protective shelters, temporary lodging, emergency feeding, and clothing of persons forced to leave their homes or shelter-in-place due to an emergency, disaster or precautionary evacuation.  Based on the county's hazard analysis, there are several emergencies for which shelters may be required including severe storms, tornadoes, floods, hazardous material spills, fires, and severe winter storms. Services may also need to be provided to disaster workers.
 
ESF-7 - RESOURCE SUPPORT
Provides logistical and resource management assistance to local entities involved in delivering emergency response and recovery efforts.  Essential services, supplies, material and equipment likely to be needed in emergency operations will vary with the type and magnitude of the disaster geographic location, time of year, and other variables.
 
ESF-8 PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICAL SERVICES
Provides the mechanism for a coordinated response to a public health and medical incident including potential or actual incidents/ emergencies. Public Health and Medical also includes responding to medical needs associated with mental health, behavioral health, and substance abuse relating to incident victims and response workers.
 
ESF-9 - URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE
Provides specialized lifesaving assistance in the event of a public emergency involving structural collapse or other technical rescue. Includes physical search and rescue in collapsed buildings; providing emergency medical care to trapped victims; assessment and control of gas, electricity, and hazardous materials; and evaluating and stabilizing damaged structures. Additional capabilities include trench-collapse rescue, confined-space rescue, high-angle rescue and swift-water rescue.
 
ESF-10 - OIL AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS RESPONSE
Provides a coordinated response to actual or potential discharges and/or releases of oil, chemical, biological, radiological, or other hazardous substances in Franklin County, Ohio
 
ESF-11 - AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES
Provides for the coordination of services to animals and the agricultural community; protect domesticated and wild animal resources, the public health, the public food supply, the environment and to ensure the humane care and treatment of animals; and to protect and/or preserve the agricultural resources, the public health, the public food supply, and the environment in an emergency.
 
ESF-12 - ENERGY
Restoration of energy systems following a public emergency to the citizens, visitors, business and governments in Franklin County.

ESF-13 - PUBLIC SAFETY AND SECURITY
Establishes procedures for the coordination of county and municipal law enforcement operations during all phases of a threatened or actual event. Also provides for the coordination of out of the county and state law enforcement personnel/equipment to support local emergency/disaster response operations.
 
ESF-14 - LONG-TERM COMMUNITY RECOVERY AND MITIGATION
Coordination of measures a community must undertake to return all systems to normal or improved levels following a disaster.  Effective recovery consists of a complex array of inter-dependent and coordinated actions.  These actions are undertaken at several levels; individually, organizationally, community based, statewide, and nationally.  Recovery allows for the prompt restoration of essential services, the reconstruction of damaged property, and the resumption of traditional lifestyles.
 
ESF-15 - EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Ensures county-level support is provided during disasters, emergencies, or countywide incidents to provide accurate, coordinated and timely information to affected audiences, including governments, media, the private sector, and the public