Foreign Emergency Support Team

Definition/Scope: The Foreign Emergency Support Team is the United States Government’s only interagency, on-call, short-notice team poised to respond to terrorist incidents worldwide. Led and trained by the Operations Directorate of the Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism, it assists U.S. missions and host governments in responding quickly and effectively to terrorist attacks. The FEST, which has deployed to over 20 countries since its inception in 1986, leaves for an incident site within four hours of notification, providing the fastest assistance possible. The FEST provides round-the-clock advice and assistance to Ambassadors and foreign governments facing crisis. The Team is comprised of seasoned experts from the Department of State, FBI, DoD, DOE, and the Intelligence Community. Once on the scene, FEST members help Ambassadors assess the emergency, advise on how best to respond, and assist in managing consequent operations. FEST provides: seasoned crisis management expertise; time-sensitive information and intelligence; planning for contingency operations; hostage negotiating expertise; reach-back to Washington agencies.

Acronym:

FEST

Broader Terms:

Department of State
Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism
State Department

Narrower Terms:

counterterrorism

Related Terms:

ambassador
Army Element Reserve Unit--Consequence Management
Department of Homeland Security
domestic terrorist