7.2 FEMA

WHO? The Federal Emergency Management Agency.

WHAT? Coordinate Federal assistance to Prevent, Protect, Respond, and Recover to all disasters.

WHEN? Prevent and Protect are continuous; FEMA Responds and Recovers when requested.

WHERE? Across the US including all 54 States and Territories.

WHY? To reduce vulnerabilities to disasters, and quickly mitigate the effects of those that occur.

Today we take Federal disaster assistance for granted. But it hasn’t always been that way. Originally, it took a literal Act of Congress to get Federal disaster assistance. It took an Act of Congress to help Portsmouth New Hampshire rebuild after a fire broke out December 26th, 1803, destroying a large portion of town. 114 buildings were lost. Congressional legislation was necessary more than 100 times over the next century to grant Federal assistance following devastating floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and other disasters. It wasn’t until the 1930s that Congress began delegating relief authority to Federal agencies. In 1934, the Bureau of Public Roads was authorized to fund repairs caused by natural disasters. Over the ensuing decades, different agencies gained authority to lend different types of assistance. By the 1970s, over 100 Federal agencies had some role in lending disaster and emergency assistance. Threading the bureaucracy had become a nightmare, and the nation’s Governor’s wanted it fixed. Thus, on April 1, 1979, President Carter signed Executive Order 2127 merging the many different disaster agencies into one, the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Contrary to what most people think FEMA is not a large organization with an army of relief workers ready to descend on a disaster. FEMA has only about 10,000 employees. FEMA is not the lead actor but plays more of a supporting role in Disaster Management. As we already learned, all disasters go through four stages: Prevent, Protect, Respond, and Recover. Before a disaster strikes, in the Prevent and Protect stages, FEMA works to mitigate hazards. For example, FEMA runs the National Flood Insurance Program. Floods are too common a problem for private insurers to manage. Thus, the Federal government assumes the risk, often at a loss. Federal flood insurance helps people quickly rebuild their homes and businesses after a flood. As part of its responsibilities in managing the National Flood Insurance Program, FEMA works with the US Army Corps of Engineers to fund construction and repair of levees to help prevent floods. And in extreme cases, FEMA may help provide funding to remove your town from the path of floods, as was the case with Valmeyer Illinois on the Mississippi River, 25 miles south of St. Louis. After 90% of Valmeyer was destroyed by the Great Flood of 1993, FEMA provided 90% of the $24 million needed to rebuild the town of 900 residents 2 miles further east, atop higher ground. FEMA also administers the Homeland Security Grant Program to help State and Local First Responders build and expand their capabilities. The Homeland Security Grant Program helps First Responders achieve capabilities set by the National Preparedness Goal through a process of continual exercise, evaluation, and improvement. The objective of the National Preparedness Goal is to make First Responders more self-sufficient, and less reliant on Federal assistance when disaster strikes. But when disaster strikes, FEMA is the lead agency responsible for coordinating all Federal assistance requested by State and Local officials during the Response and Recovery stage. In addition to its headquarters in Washington DC, FEMA has 10 regional offices located across the US. Each FEMA region is managed by a Federal Coordinating Officer. After disaster strikes, the FCO helps the Governor with emergency declarations, and advises the President on approving it. The President may reject it if they don’t think the Governor has done enough. If the President approves the Governor’s declaration, then the FCO will assist State and Local officials with requesting Emergency Support Functions according to the National Response Framework. At no time is the FCO in charge of the disaster. FEMA never “takes over”. The local Incident Commander always remains in charge. Federal assets join the effort according to the National Incident Management System. They receive their tasking from the Incident Action Plan. After the disaster is contained, the FCO may establish a Disaster Recovery Center offering a one-stop shop to apply for Federal aid programs that will help rebuild residents’ homes and businesses.