Counterterrorism planning, preparedness and response program

(a) Coordination and consultation.--The agency shall coordinate and consult with other State agencies, departments and offices, including the Office of Homeland Security of the Commonwealth, to establish, develop and maintain a counterterrorism planning, preparedness and response program to promote and protect the health, safety and welfare of emergency responders, public officials and the general public from actual or potential disasters in this Commonwealth. (b) Agency responsibilities.--The agency shall: (1) Define the necessary components and composition of regional counterterrorism task forces and specialized regional counterterrorism response teams and the respective regional counterterrorism zones for each, but shall not be responsible for appointing individual members to the regional counterterrorism task forces or the specialized regional counterterrorism response teams. (2) Provide training and technical assistance for counterterrorism planning, preparedness and response. (3) Establish guidelines and policies to coordinate emergency response activities with Federal, State, county and municipal emergency management, health, law enforcement, public safety and other officials and representatives from volunteer service organizations, private business and industry, hospitals and medical care facilities and other entities responsible for the health, safety and welfare of the residents of this Commonwealth. The agency shall consult with representatives of the regional counterterrorism task forces to develop such policies and guidelines necessary to carry out this chapter. (4) Require the regional counterterrorism task forces to prepare counterterrorism emergency response plans or protocols, readiness evaluation reports or other documents deemed necessary by the agency. (5) Provide grants and other funding assistance as required by this chapter. (6) Conduct terrorist incident exercises. (7) Provide technical assistance to regional counterterrorism task forces in developing and entering into mutual aid agreements and letters of agreement. (8) Establish a certification program for specialized regional counterterrorism response teams that may include standards for the administration, composition, training and equipping of the teams.