The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS),initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders on April 1,1979. The agency's primary purpose is to coordinate the response to a disaster that has occurred in the United States and that overwhelms the resources of local and state authorities. The governor of the state in which the disaster occurs must declare a state of emergency and formally request from the President that FEMA and the federal government respond to the disaster. The only exception to the state's gubernatorial declaration requirement occurs when an emergency or disaster takes place on federal property or to a federal asset—for example,the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City,Oklahoma,or the Space Shuttle Columbia in the 2003 return-flight disaster.
The United States Secretary of Homeland Security is the head of the United States Department of Homeland Security,the federal department tasked with ensuring public safety in the United States. The secretary is a member of the Cabinet of the United States. The position was created by the Homeland Security Act following the attacks of September 11,2001.
An Office of Emergency Management (OEM),alternatively called an Emergency Management Office (EMO),or an Emergency Management Agency (EMA) in some areas,is an agency at the local,tribal,state,federal,or international level that holds responsibility for comprehensively planning for and responding to and recovering from all manner of disasters,whether man-made or natural. An OEM may also be requested to provide consequence management for large special events such as major gatherings,visiting dignitaries,damage assessment following a disaster,etc.
Robert David Paulison is an American former fire chief who served as the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Paulison was appointed by President George W. Bush on September 12,2005,to replace the embattled Michael D. Brown,who resigned amid controversy over his handling of disaster relief in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Prior to his appointment,Paulison was perhaps best known nationally for his 2003 advisory regarding household items to have on hand in case of terrorist attack. At the 2009 National Hurricane Conference,he announced he would resign January 21,2009.
The National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) is a federally coordinated disaster medical system and partnership of the United States Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS),Homeland Security (DHS),Defense (DOD),and Veterans Affairs (VA). The purpose of the NDMS is to support State,local,Tribal and Territorial authorities following disasters and emergencies by supplementing health and medical systems and response capabilities. NDMS would also support the military and the Department of Veterans Affairs health care systems in caring for combat casualties,should requirements exceed their capacity. The NDMS was established in 1984.
Harvey Elwood Johnson Jr.,retired Vice Admiral,United States Coast Guard,is the President of Humanitarian Services for the American Red Cross. Previously,Johnson was the former Vice President for National Preparedness and Response Solutions at BAE Systems and Deputy Administrator and Chief Operating Officer of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Nancy L. Ward is the Director of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services and Homeland Security Adviser to the Governor of California. Previously,Ward served in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as the Regional Administrator for Region IX from 2006 until 2014. During this time,from January until May of 2009,Ward was selected to serve as FEMA's Acting Administrator by her predecessor,R. David Paulison to serve in his place after he retired on January 21,2009. She returned to the position of Region IX Administrator in May 2009 after Craig Fugate was appointed as Federal Administrator.
The Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is a high level civilian official in the United States Department of Homeland Security. The Director,as head of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency at DHS,is the principal staff assistant and adviser to both the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security for all DHS programs designed to reduce the nation's risk to terrorism and natural disasters. The Director is appointed from civilian life by the President with the consent of the Senate to serve at the pleasure of the President.
David Peter Pekoske is an American government official and retired U.S. Coast Guard vice admiral who has served as the seventh administrator of the Transportation Security Administration in the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) since 2017. He served as the acting deputy secretary of Homeland Security from April to November 2019 and again from January to June 2021. From January 20,2021 to February 2,2021 he served as acting secretary of homeland security,during the Senate confirmation of Alejandro Mayorkas. Pekoske retired with 33 years of active military service in 2010 as the 26th vice commandant of the Coast Guard.
Chad Fredrick Wolf is a former lobbyist and former American government official who was named the acting United States secretary of homeland security in November 2019. His appointment was ruled unlawful in November 2020. Wolf was also the under secretary of homeland security for strategy,policy,and plans from 2019 to 2021.
Gina Marie Raimondo is an American businesswoman,lawyer,politician,and venture capitalist who has served as the 40th United States secretary of commerce since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party,she previously served as the 75th governor of Rhode Island from 2015 to 2021,and was the first woman to serve in the role.
Robert J. Fenton Jr is an American governmental official who worked for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in 1996 and was appointed Regional Administrator for FEMA Region IX:Arizona,California,Hawaii,Nevada,and the Pacific Islands in July 2015. He had a leadership role in the development of the National Incident Management System and the National Response Framework.
William Brockmann Long is an American emergency manager who served as the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). He was appointed to the position by President Donald Trump in April 2017 and confirmed by the United States Senate in June 2017. He served until his resignation in March 2019,following criticism of his handling of the Hurricane Maria and an ethical complaint over using official vehicles.
Thomas J. Paolino is a member of the Rhode Island State Senate representing the 17th District. Paolino was first elected in 2016 following the retirement of Edward O'Neill.
The Office of Strategy,Policy,and Plans is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. It was created by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017,replacing the former Office of Policy,and creating a new Senate-confirmed Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Strategy,Policy,and Plans position.
Beginning in 2019,multiple appointments of acting officials in the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) were questioned,on the basis of whether the appointments were legal under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998 and the Homeland Security Act of 2002. After the departure of Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen in April 2019,the Trump administration did not formally nominate a new secretary to be confirmed by the Senate,relying on acting postings.
Michael A. Sprayberry is an American emergency manager who served as the Director of Emergency Management in the North Carolina Department of Public Safety from 2013 to 2021. He oversaw the state's emergency response to several major disasters including Hurricane Matthew,Hurricane Florence,and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Deanne Bennett Criswell is an American emergency management officer who has served as the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency since April 2021. Criswell is the first woman to lead FEMA. She was previously the commissioner of the New York City Emergency Management Office.
United States 
United States Marine Corps 
Lieutenant Colonel 
