For the purposes of the
NIMS, the following terms and definitions apply:
Agency: A division of government with a specific function
offering a particular kind of assistance. In ICS, agencies
are defined either as jurisdictional (having statutory
responsibility for incident management) or as assisting
or cooperating (providing resources or other assistance).
Agency
Representative: A person assigned by a primary, assisting, or cooperating
Federal, State, local, or tribal
government agency or private entity that has been delegated
authority to make decisions affecting that agency’s
or organization’s participation in incident management
activities following appropriate consultation with the
leadership of that agency.
Area
Command (Unified Area Command): An organization
established (1) to oversee the management of multiple
incidents that are each being handled by an ICS organization
or (2) to oversee the management of large or multiple
incidents to which several Incident Management Teams
have been assigned. Area Command has the responsibility
to set overall strategy and priorities, allocate critical
resources according to priorities, ensure that incidents
are properly managed, and ensure that objectives are
met and strategies followed. Area Command becomes Unified
Area Command when incidents are multijurisdictional.
Area Command may be established at an emergency operations
center facility or at some location other than an incident
command post.
Assessment:
The evaluation and interpretation of measurements
and other information to provide a basis for decision-making.
Assignments:
Tasks given to resources to perform within
a given operational period that are based on operational
objectives defined in the IAP.
Assistant:
Title for subordinates of principal Command
Staff positions. The title indicates a level of technical
capability, qualifications, and responsibility subordinate
to the primary positions. Assistants may also be assigned
to unit leaders.
Assisting
Agency: An agency or organization providing
personnel, services, or other resources to the agency
with direct responsibility for incident management. See
also Supporting Agency.
Available
Resources: Resources assigned to an incident,
checked in, and available for a mission assignment, normally
located in a Staging Area.
Branch: The organizational level having functional or
geographical responsibility for major aspects of incident
operations. A branch is organizationally situated between
the section and the division or group in the Operations
Section, and between the section and units in the Logistics
Section. Branches are identified by the use of Roman
numerals or by functional area.
Chain
of Command: A series of command, control, executive,
or management positions in hierarchical order of authority.
Check-In: The process through which resources first
report to an incident. Check-in locations include the
incident command post, Resources Unit, incident base,
camps, staging areas, or directly on the site.
Chief: The ICS title for individuals responsible for
management of functional sections: Operations, Planning,
Logistics, Finance/Administration, and Intelligence (if
established as a separate section).
Command: The act of directing, ordering, or controlling
by virtue of explicit statutory, regulatory, or delegated
authority.
Command
Staff: In an incident management organization,
the Command Staff consists of the Incident Command and
the special staff positions of Public Information Officer,
Safety Officer, Liaison Officer, and other positions
as required, who report directly to the Incident Commander.
They may have an assistant or assistants, as needed.
Common
Operating Picture: A broad view of the overall
situation as reflected by situation reports, aerial photography,
and other information or intelligence. Communications
Unit: An organizational unit in the Logistics Section
responsible for providing communication services at an
incident or an EOC. A Communications Unit may also be
a facility (e.g., a trailer or mobile van) used to support
an Incident Communications Center.
Cooperating
Agency: An agency supplying assistance other
than direct operational or support functions or resources
to the incident management effort.
Coordinate: To advance systematically an analysis and
exchange of information among principals who have or
may have a need to know certain information to carry
out specific incident management responsibilities.
Deputy: A fully qualified individual who, in the absence
of a superior, can be delegated the authority to manage
a functional operation or perform a specific task. In
some cases, a deputy can act as relief for a superior
and, therefore, must be fully qualified in the position.
Deputies can be assigned to the Incident Commander, General
Staff, and Branch Directors.
Dispatch: The ordered movement of a resource or resources
to an assigned operational mission or an administrative
move from one location to another.
Division: The partition of an incident into geographical
areas of operation. Divisions are established when the
number of resources exceeds the manageable span of control
of the Operations Chief. A division is located within
the ICS organization between the branch and resources
in the Operations Section.
Emergency: Absent a Presidentially declared emergency,
any incident(s), human-caused or natural, that requires
responsive action to protect life or property. Under
the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act, an emergency means any occasion or instance
for which, in the determination of the President, Federal
assistance is needed to supplement State and local efforts
and capabilities to save lives and to protect property
and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the
threat of a catastrophe in any part of the United States.
Emergency
Operations Centers (EOCs): The physical location
at which the coordination of information and resources
to support domestic incident management activities normally
takes place. An EOC may be a temporary facility or may
be located in a more central or permanently established
facility, perhaps at a higher level of organization within
a jurisdiction. EOCs may be organized by major functional
disciplines (e.g., fire, law enforcement, and medical
services), by jurisdiction (e.g., Federal, State, regional,
county, city, tribal), or some combination thereof.
Emergency
Operations Plan: The “steady-state” plan
maintained by various jurisdictional levels for responding
to a wide variety of potential hazards.
Emergency
Public Information: Information that is disseminated
primarily in anticipation of an emergency or during an
emergency. In addition to providing situational information
to the public, it also frequently provides directive
actions required to be taken by the general public.
Emergency
Response Provider: Includes Federal, State,
local, and tribal emergency public safety, law enforcement,
emergency response, emergency medical (including hospital
emergency facilities), and related personnel, agencies,
and authorities. See Section 2 (6), Homeland Security
Act of 2002, Pub. L. 107-296, 116 Stat. 2135 (2002).
Also known as Emergency Responder.
Evacuation: Organized, phased, and supervised withdrawal,
dispersal, or removal of civilians from dangerous or
potentially dangerous areas, and their reception and
care in safe areas.
Event: A planned, nonemergency activity. ICS can be
used as the management system for a wide range of events,
e.g., parades, concerts, or sporting events.
Federal: Of or pertaining to the Federal Government
of the United States of America.
Function: Function refers to the five major activities
in ICS: Command, Operations, Planning, Logistics, and
Finance/Administration. The term function is also used
when describing the activity involved, e.g., the planning
function. A sixth function, Intelligence, may be established,
if required, to meet incident management needs.
General
Staff: A group of incident management personnel
organized according to function and reporting to the
Incident Commander. The General Staff normally consists
of the Operations Section Chief, Planning Section Chief,
Logistics Section Chief, and Finance/Administration Section
Chief.
Group: Established to divide the incident management
structure into functional areas of operation. Groups
are composed of resources assembled to perform a special
function not necessarily within a single geographic division.
Groups, when activated, are located between branches
and resources in the Operations Section. (See Division.)
Hazard: Something that is potentially dangerous or harmful,
often the root cause of an unwanted outcome.
Incident: An occurrence or event, natural or human-caused,
that requires an emergency response to protect life or
property. Incidents can, for example, include major disasters,
emergencies, terrorist attacks, terrorist threats, wildland
and urban fires, floods, hazardous materials spills,
nuclear accidents, aircraft accidents, earthquakes, hurricanes,
tornadoes, tropical storms, war-related disasters, public
health and medical emergencies, and other occurrences
requiring an emergency response.
Incident
Action Plan: An oral or written plan containing
general objectives reflecting the overall strategy for
managing an incident. It may include the identification
of operational resources and assignments. It may also
include attachments that provide direction and important
information for management of the incident during one
or more operational periods.
Incident
Command Post (ICP): The field location at which
the primary tactical-level, on-scene incident command
functions are performed. The ICP may be collocated with
the incident base or other incident facilities and is
normally identified by a green rotating or flashing light.
Incident
Command System (ICS): A standardized on-scene
emergency management construct specifically designed
to provide for the adoption of an integrated organizational
structure that reflects the complexity and demands of
single or multiple incidents, without being hindered
by jurisdictional boundaries. ICS is the combination
of facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures, and
communications operating within a common organizational
structure, designed to aid in the management of resources
during incidents. It is used for all kinds of emergencies
and is applicable to small as well as large and complex
incidents. ICS is used by various jurisdictions and functional
agencies, both public and private, to organize field-level
incident management operations.
Incident
Commander (IC): The individual responsible
for all incident activities, including the development
of strategies and tactics and the ordering and the release
of resources. The IC has overall authority and responsibility
for conducting incident operations and is responsible
for the management of all incident operations at the
incident site.
Incident
Management Team (IMT): The IC and appropriate
Command and General Staff personnel assigned to an incident.
Incident
Objectives: Statements of guidance and direction
necessary for selecting appropriate strategy(s) and the
tactical direction of resources. Incident objectives
are based on realistic expectations of what can be accomplished
have been effectively deployed. Incident objectives must
be achievable and measurable, yet flexible enough to
allow strategic and tactical alternatives.
Initial
Action: The actions taken by those responders
first to arrive at an incident site.
Initial
Response: Resources initially committed to an
incident.
Intelligence
Officer: The intelligence officer is responsible
for managing internal information, intelligence, and
operational security requirements supporting incident
management activities. These may include information
security and operational security activities, as well
as the complex task of ensuring that sensitive information
of all types
(e.g., classified information, law enforcement sensitive
information, proprietary information, or export-controlled
information) is handled in a way that not only safeguards
the information, but also ensures that it gets to those
who need access to it to perform their missions effectively
and safely.
Joint
Information Center (JIC): A facility established
to coordinate all incident-related public information
activities. It is the central point of contact for all
news media at the scene of the incident. Public information
officials from all participating agencies should collocate
at the JIC.
Joint
Information System (JIS): Integrates incident
information and public affairs into a cohesive organization
designed to provide consistent, coordinated, timely information
during crisis or incident operations. The mission of
the JIS is to provide a structure and system for developing
and delivering coordinated interagency messages; developing,
recommending, and executing public information plans
and strategies on behalf of the IC; advising the IC concerning
public affairs issues that could affect a response effort;
and controlling rumors and inaccurate information that
could undermine public confidence in the emergency response
effort.
Jurisdiction: A range or sphere of authority. Public
agencies have jurisdiction at an incident related to
their legal responsibilities and authority. Jurisdictional
authority at an incident can be political or geographical
(e.g., city, county, tribal, State, or Federal boundary
lines) or functional (e.g., law enforcement, public health).
Liaison: A form of communication for establishing and
maintaining mutual understanding and cooperation.
Liaison
Officer: A member of the Command Staff responsible
for coordinating with representatives from cooperating
and assisting agencies.
Local
Government: A county, municipality, city, town,
township, local public authority, school district, special
district, intrastate district, council of governments
(regardless of whether the council of governments is
incorporated as a nonprofit corporation under State law),
regional or interstate government entity, or agency or
instrumentality of a local government; an Indian tribe
or authorized tribal organization, or in Alaska a Native
village or Alaska Regional Native Corporation; a rural
community, unincorporated town or village, or other public
entity. See Section 2 (10), Homeland Security Act of
2002, Pub. L. 107-296, 116 Stat. 2135 (2002).
Logistics: Providing resources and other services to
support incident management. Logistics Section: The section
responsible for providing facilities, services, and material
support for the incident.
Major
Disaster: As defined under the Robert T.
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122), a major disaster is any natural catastrophe (including any hurricane, tornado,
storm, high water, wind-driven water, tidal wave, tsunami,
earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, mudslide, snowstorm,
or drought), or, regardless of cause, any fire, flood,
or explosion, in any part of the United States, which
in the determination of the President causes damage of
sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant major disaster
assistance under this Act to supplement the efforts and
available resources of States, tribes, local governments,
and disaster relief organizations in alleviating the
damage, loss, hardship, or suffering caused thereby.
Management
by Objective: A management approach that
involves a four-step process for achieving the incident
goal. The Management by Objectives approach includes
the following: establishing overarching objectives; developing
and issuing assignments, plans, procedures, and protocols;
establishing specific, measurable objectives for various
incident management functional activities and directing
efforts to fulfill them, in support of defined strategic
objectives; and documenting results to measure performance
and facilitate corrective action.
Mitigation: The activities designed to reduce or eliminate
risks to persons or property or to lessen the actual
or potential effects or consequences of an incident.
Mitigation measures may be implemented prior to, during,
or after an incident. Mitigation measures are often informed
by lessons learned from prior incidents. Mitigation involves
ongoing actions to reduce exposure to, probability of,
or potential loss from hazards. Measures may include
zoning and building codes, floodplain buyouts, and analysis
of hazard- related data to determine where it is safe
to build or locate temporary facilities. Mitigation can
include efforts to educate governments, businesses, and
the public on measures they can take to reduce loss and
injury.
Mobilization:
The process and procedures used by all organizations—Federal, State, local, and tribal—for
activating, assembling, and transporting all resources
that have been requested to respond to or support an
incident.
Multiagency
Coordination Entity: A multiagency coordination
entity functions within a broader multiagency coordination
system. It may establish the priorities among incidents
and associated resource allocations, deconflict agency
policies, and provide strategic guidance and direction
to support incident management activities.
Multiagency
Coordination Systems: Multiagency coordination
systems provide the architecture to support coordination
for incident prioritization, critical resource allocation,
communications systems integration, and information coordination.
The components of multiagency coordination systems include
facilities, equipment, emergency operation centers (EOCs),
specific multiagency coordination entities, personnel,
procedures, and communications. These systems assist
agencies and organizations to fully integrate the subsystems
of the NIMS.
Multijurisdictional
Incident: An incident requiring
action from multiple agencies that each have jurisdiction
to manage certain aspects of an incident. In ICS, these
incidents will be managed under Unified Command.
Mutual-Aid
Agreement: Written agreement between agencies
and/or jurisdictions that they will assist one another
on request, by furnishing personnel, equipment, and/or
expertise in a specified manner.
National: Of a nationwide character, including the Federal,
State, local, and tribal aspects of governance and polity.
National
Disaster Medical System: A cooperative, asset-sharing
partnership between the Department of Health and Human
Services, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department
of Homeland Security, and the Department of Defense.
NDMS provides resources for meeting the continuity of
care and mental health services requirements of the Emergency
Support Function 8 in the Federal Response Plan.
National
Incident Management System: A system mandated
by HSPD-5 that provides a consistent nationwide approach
for Federal, State, local, and tribal governments; the
private-sector, and nongovernmental organizations to
work effectively and efficiently together to prepare
for, respond to, and recover from domestic incidents,
regardless of cause, size, or complexity. To provide
for interoperability and compatibility among Federal,
State, local, and tribal capabilities, the NIMS includes
a core set of concepts, principles, and terminology.
HSPD-5 identifies these as the ICS; multiagency coordination
systems; training; identification and management of resources
(including systems for classifying types of resources);
qualification and certification; and the collection,
tracking, and reporting of incident information and incident
resources. National Response Plan: A plan mandated by
HSPD-5 that integrates Federal domestic
prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery plans
into one all-discipline, all-hazards plan.
Nongovernmental
Organization: An entity with an association
that is based on interests of its members, individuals,
or institutions and that is not created by a government,
but may work cooperatively with government. Such organizations
serve a public purpose, not a private benefit. Examples
of NGOs include faith-based charity organizations and
the American Red Cross.
Operational
Period: The time scheduled for executing
a given set of operation actions, as specified in the
Incident Action Plan. Operational periods can be of various
lengths, although usually not over 24 hours.
Operations
Section: The section responsible for all
tactical incident operations. In ICS, it normally includes
subordinate branches, divisions, and/or groups.
Personnel
Accountability: The ability to account for
the location and welfare of incident personnel. It is
accomplished when supervisors ensure that ICS principles
and processes are functional and that personnel are working
within established incident management guidelines.
Planning
Meeting: A meeting held as needed prior to
and throughout the duration of an incident to select
specific strategies and tactics for incident control
operations and for service and support planning. For
larger incidents, the planning meeting is a major element
in the development of the Incident Action Plan (IAP).
Planning
Section: Responsible for the collection, evaluation,
and dissemination of operational information related
to the incident, and for the preparation and documentation
of the IAP. This section also maintains information on
the current and forecasted
situation and on the status of resources assigned to
the incident.
Preparedness: The range of deliberate, critical tasks
and activities necessary to build, sustain, and improve
the operational capability to prevent, protect against,
respond to, and recover from domestic incidents. Preparedness
is a continuous process. Preparedness involves efforts
at all levels of government and between government and
private-sector and nongovernmental organizations to identify
threats, determine vulnerabilities, and identify required
resources. Within the NIMS, preparedness is operationally
focused on establishing guidelines, protocols, and standards
for planning, training and exercises, personnel qualification
and certification, equipment certification, and publication
management.
Preparedness
Organizations: The groups and fora that
provide interagency coordination for domestic incident
management activities in a nonemergency context. Preparedness
organizations can include all agencies with a role in
incident management, for prevention, preparedness, response,
or recovery activities. They represent a wide variety
of committees, planning groups, and other organizations
that meet and coordinate to ensure the proper level of
planning, training, equipping, and other preparedness
requirements within a jurisdiction or area.
Prevention: Actions to avoid an incident or to intervene
to stop an incident from occurring. Prevention involves
actions to protect lives and property. It involves applying
intelligence and other information to a range of activities
that may include such countermeasures as deterrence operations;
heightened inspections; improved surveillance and security
operations; investigations to determine the full nature
and source of the threat; public health and agricultural
surveillance and testing processes; immunizations, isolation,
or quarantine; and, as appropriate, specific law enforcement
operations aimed at deterring, preempting, interdicting,
or disrupting illegal activity and apprehending potential
perpetrators and bringing them to justice.
Private
Sector: Organizations and entities that are
not part of any governmental structure. It includes for-profit
and not-for-profit organizations, formal and informal
structures, commerce and industry, and private voluntary
organizations (PVO). Processes: Systems of operations
that incorporate standardized procedures, methodologies,
and functions necessary to provide resources effectively
and efficiently. These include resource typing, resource
ordering and tracking, and coordination.
Public
Information Officer: A member of the Command
Staff responsible for interfacing with the public and
media or with other agencies with incident-related information
requirements.
Publications
Management: The publications management
subsystem includes materials development, publication
control, publication supply, and distribution. The development
and distribution of NIMS materials is managed through
this subsystem. Consistent documentation is critical
to success, because it ensures that all responders are
familiar with the documentation used in a particular
incident regardless of the location or the responding
agencies involved.
Qualification
and Certification: This subsystem provides
recommended qualification and certification standards
for emergency responder and incident management personnel.
It also allows the development of minimum standards for
resources expected to have an interstate application.
Standards typically include training, currency, experience,
and physical and medical fitness.
Reception
Area: This refers to a location separate from
staging areas, where resources report in for processing
and out-processing. Reception Areas provide accountability,
security, situational awareness briefings, safety awareness,
distribution of IAPs, supplies and equipment, feeding,
and bed down.
Recovery: The development, coordination, and execution
of service- and site-restoration plans; the reconstitution
of government operations and services; individual, private-
sector, nongovernmental, and public-assistance programs
to provide housing and to promote restoration; long-term
care and treatment of affected persons; additional measures
for social, political, environmental, and economic restoration;
evaluation of the incident to identify lessons learned;
postincident reporting; and development of initiatives
to mitigate the effects of future incidents.
Recovery
Plan: A plan developed by a State, local, or
tribal jurisdiction with assistance from responding Federal
agencies to restore the affected area.
Resources: Personnel and major items of equipment, supplies,
and facilities available or potentially available for
assignment to incident operations and for which status
is maintained. Resources are described by kind and type
and may be used in operational support or supervisory
capacities at an incident or at an EOC.
Resource
Management: Efficient incident management requires
a system for identifying available resources at all jurisdictional
levels to enable timely and unimpeded access to resources
needed to prepare for, respond to, or recover from an
incident. Resource management under the NIMS includes
mutual-aid agreements; the use of special Federal, State,
local, and tribal teams; and resource mobilization protocols.
Resources
Unit: Functional unit within the Planning
Section responsible for recording the status of resources
committed to the incident. This unit also evaluates resources
currently committed to the incident, the effects additional
responding resources will have on the incident, and anticipated
resource needs.
Response: Activities that address the short-term, direct
effects of an incident. Response includes immediate actions
to save lives, protect property, and meet basic human
needs. Response also includes the execution of emergency
operations plans and of mitigation activities designed
to limit the loss of life, personal injury, property
damage, and other unfavorable outcomes. As indicated
by the situation, response activities include applying
intelligence and other information to lessen the effects
or consequences of an incident; increased security operations;
continuing investigations into nature and source of the
threat; ongoing public health and agricultural surveillance
and testing processes; immunizations, isolation, or quarantine;
and specific law enforcement operations aimed at preempting,
interdicting, or disrupting illegal activity, and apprehending
actual perpetrators and bringing them to justice.
Safety
Officer: A member of the Command Staff responsible
for monitoring and assessing safety hazards or unsafe
situations and for developing measures for ensuring personnel
safety.
Section: The organizational level having responsibility
for a major functional area of incident management, e.g.,
Operations, Planning, Logistics, Finance/Administration,
and Intelligence (if established). The section is organizationally
situated between the branch and the Incident Command.
Span
of Control: The number of individuals a supervisor
is responsible for, usually expressed as the ratio of
supervisors to individuals. (Under the NIMS, an appropriate
span of control is between 1:3 and 1:7.)
Staging
Area: Location established where resources can
be placed while awaiting a tactical assignment. The Operations
Section manages Staging Areas.
State: When capitalized, refers to any State of the
United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth
of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa,
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and
any possession of the United States. See Section 2 (14),
Homeland Security Act of 2002, Pub. L. 107-296, 116
Stat. 2135 (2002).
Strategic: Strategic elements of incident management
are characterized by continuous long-term, high-level
planning by organizations headed by elected or other
senior officials. These elements involve the adoption
of long-range goals and objectives, the setting of priorities;
the establishment of budgets and other fiscal decisions,
policy development, and the application of measures of
performance or effectiveness.
Strike
Team: A set number of resources of the same kind
and type that have an established minimum number of personnel.
Strategy: The general direction selected to accomplish
incident objectives set by the IC.
Supporting
Technologies: Any technology that may be
used to support the NIMS is included in this subsystem.
These technologies include orthophoto mapping, remote
automatic weather stations, infrared technology, and
communications, among various others.
Task
Force: Any combination of resources assembled to
support a specific mission or operational need. All resource
elements within a Task Force must have common communications
and a designated leader.
Technical
Assistance: Support provided to State, local,
and tribal jurisdictions when they have the resources
but lack the complete knowledge and skills needed to
perform a required activity (such as mobile-home park
design and hazardous material assessments).
Terrorism:
Under the Homeland Security Act of 2002, terrorism
is defined as activity that involves an act
dangerous to human life or potentially destructive of
critical infrastructure or key resources and is a violation
of the criminal laws of the United States
or of any State or other subdivision of the United States
in which it occurs and is intended to intimidate or coerce
the civilian population or influence a government or
affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction,
assassination, or kidnapping. See Section 2
(15), Homeland Security Act of 2002, Pub. L. 107-296,
116 Stat. 2135 (2002).
Threat: An indication of possible violence, harm, or
danger.
Tools: Those instruments and capabilities that allow
for the professional performance of tasks, such as information
systems, agreements, doctrine, capabilities, and legislative
authorities.
Tribal: Any Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized
group or community, including any Alaskan Native Village
as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaskan
Native Claims Settlement Act (85 stat. 688) [43 U.S.C.A.
and 1601 et seq.], that is recognized as eligible for
the special programs and services provided by the United
States to Indians because of their status as Indians.
Type: A classification of resources in the ICS that
refers to capability. Type 1 is generally considered
to be more capable than Types 2, 3, or 4, respectively,
because of size; power; capacity; or, in the case of
incident management teams, experience and qualifications.
Unified
Area Command: A Unified Area Command is established
when incidents under an Area Command are multijurisdictional.
(See Area Command.)
Unified
Command: An application of ICS used when there
is more than one agency with incident jurisdiction or
when incidents cross political jurisdictions. Agencies
work together through the designated members of the UC,
often the senior person from agencies and/or disciplines
participating in the UC, to establish a common set of
objectives and strategies and a single IAP.
Unit: The organizational element having functional responsibility
for a specific incident planning, logistics, or finance/administration
activity.
Unity
of Command: The concept by which each person within
an organization reports to one and only one designated
person. The purpose of unity of command is to ensure
unity of effort under one responsible commander for every
objective.
Volunteer: For purposes of the NIMS, a volunteer is
any individual accepted to perform services by the lead
agency, which has authority to accept volunteer services,
when the individual performs services without promise,
expectation, or receipt of compensation for services
performed. See, e.g., 16 U.S.C. 742f(c) and 29 CFR 553.101.
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