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.
Emergency management is a science and a system charged with creating the framework within which communities reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters. Emergency management,despite its name,does not actually focus on the management of emergencies;emergencies can be understood as minor events with limited impacts and are managed through the day-to-day functions of a community. Instead,emergency management focuses on the management of disasters,which are events that produce more impacts than a community can handle on its own. The management of disasters tends to require some combination of activity from individuals and households,organizations,local,and/or higher levels of government. Although many different terminologies exist globally,the activities of emergency management can be generally categorized into preparedness,response,mitigation,and recovery,although other terms such as disaster risk reduction and prevention are also common. The outcome of emergency management is to prevent disasters and where this is not possible,to reduce their harmful impacts.
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is a program created by the Congress of the United States in 1968 through the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968. The NFIP has two purposes:to share the risk of flood losses through flood insurance and to reduce flood damages by restricting floodplain development. The program enables property owners in participating communities to purchase insurance protection,administered by the government,against losses from flooding,and requires flood insurance for all loans or lines of credit that are secured by existing buildings,manufactured homes,or buildings under construction,that are located in the Special Flood Hazard Area in a community that participates in the NFIP. U.S. Congress limits the availability of National Flood Insurance to communities that adopt adequate land use and control measures with effective enforcement provisions to reduce flood damages by restricting development in areas exposed to flooding.
The United States Fire Administration (USFA) is a division of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) located in Frederick County,Maryland,near Emmitsburg. Per the official website,"the mission of the U.S. Fire Administration is to support and strengthen fire and emergency medical services (EMS) and stakeholders to prepare for,prevent,mitigate and respond to all hazards".
The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act,commonly known as the Stafford Act,is a 1988 United States federal law designed to bring an orderly and systematic means of federal natural disaster assistance for state and local governments in carrying out their responsibilities to aid citizens. Congress's intention was to encourage states and localities to develop comprehensive disaster preparedness plans,prepare for better intergovernmental coordination in the face of a disaster,encourage the use of insurance coverage,and provide federal assistance programs for losses due to a disaster.
New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM) was formed in 1996 as part of the Mayor's Office under Rudolph W. Giuliani. By a vote of city residents in 2001 it became an independent agency,headed by the commissioner of emergency management. In 2006 the office was reorganized under the deputy mayor for administration by Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
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.
The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is the agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that coordinates federal,state,local,and private resources throughout the Commonwealth during times of disasters and emergencies.
Disaster risk reduction aims to make disasters less likely to happen. The approach,also called DRR or disaster risk management,also aims to make disasters less damaging when they do occur. DRR aims to make communities stronger and better prepared to handle disasters. In technical terms,it aims to make them more resilient or less vulnerable. When DRR is successful,it makes communities less the vulnerable because it mitigates the effects of disasters. This means DRR can make risky events fewer and less severe. Climate change can increase climate hazards. So development efforts often consider DRR and climate change adaptation together.
The United States’Emergency Management Institute (EMI),of the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),serves as the United States’focal point for the development and delivery of emergency management training. The emergency management training improves the capabilities of state,territorial,local,and tribal government officials;volunteer organizations;FEMA's disaster workforce;other Federal agencies;and the public and private sectors to minimize the impact of disasters and emergencies on the American public. EMI curricula are structured to meet the needs of this diverse audience,with an emphasis on separate organizations working together in all-hazards emergencies to save lives and protect property. Particular emphasis is placed on governing doctrine,such as,the National Response Framework (NRF),National Incident Management System (NIMS),and the National Preparedness Guidelines. EMI is fully accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and the American Council on Education (ACE). The instruction is based upon the principles of emergency management and instructional systems design. This instruction creates a framework within whole community to reduce vulnerability to hazards and to cope with disasters. EMI develops courses and implements training delivery systems to include residential onsite training;offsite delivery in partnership with emergency management training systems,colleges,and universities;and technology-based mediums to conduct individual training courses for emergency management and response personnel across the United States.
Andrew Velasquez III is the former Regional Administrator for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),Region V. He coordinated preparedness,response,recovery,and mitigation activities for the states of Illinois,Indiana,Michigan,Minnesota,Ohio,and Wisconsin. Prior to his appointment as Region V administrator he served as Director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Executive Director of Chicago's Office of Emergency Management and Communication.
The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) is a department of the government of Oklahoma responsible for coordinating the response to a natural disaster that has occurred in the State and that has overwhelmed the abilities of local authorities. This is achieved primarily through the development and maintenance of a comprehensive statewide emergency management plan. OEM is responsible for coordinating the efforts of the federal government with other state departments and agencies,county and municipal governments and school boards,and with private agencies that have a role in emergency management.
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 California Governor's Office of Emergency Services is a California cabinet-level office responsible for overseeing and coordinating emergency preparedness,response,recovery and homeland security activities within the state. The agency was created by AB 38 (2008),superseding both the Office of Emergency Services (OES) and Office of Homeland Security (OHS).
Due to the common occurrence of hurricanes in the coastal state of North Carolina,hurricane recovery in North Carolina is a large component of the state's emergency management efforts. Recovery from these tremendous storms at the local and state level is a large part of the aftermath of a hurricane. Gavin Smith and Victor Flatt stated that "Disaster recovery remains the least understood aspect of hazards management,when assessed relative to preparedness,response,and hazard mitigation." Smith and Flatt also went on to state that the role of the states is even less understood. The review of the plans and policies that instruct recovery,agencies involved,funding processes and budgets,and the environmental effects of a hurricane creates a better understanding of how North Carolina recovers from a hurricane.
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.
Daniel Kaniewski is a former American government official who served as the deputy administrator for resilience at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He also served as the acting deputy administrator of FEMA.
Peter Thomas Gaynor is an American Certified Emergency Manager who served briefly as acting Secretary of Homeland Security under President Trump. Gaynor previously served as administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). He was appointed as Acting Administrator by President Donald Trump on March 8,2019,and became Administrator on January 16,2020.
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 served as the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency from 2021 to 2025. Criswell is the first woman to lead FEMA. She was previously the commissioner of the New York City Emergency Management Office.
