FEMA is a US agency responsible for preventing, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters. It was created in 1979 to streamline emergency management organizations and was absorbed into the Department of Homeland Security in 2003. While FEMA works to protect the public, individuals also have a responsibility to protect themselves and their families in the event of a disaster.
FEMA is the short name or acronym for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which was incorporated into the Department of Homeland Security. The agency’s motto is “A Nation Prepared” and its goal is to ensure that the United States is able to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters, both natural and man-made.
This agency is not new, although it has had more press in recent years, especially after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York City and the Pentagon. FEMA and other emergency management organizations have been around for many years, but at one point there were so many different agencies that the National Governor’s Association got together to ask then-President Jimmy Carter to help make things easier.
President Carter issued an executive order in 1979 to create the new Federal Emergency Management Agency. It was created to take over the responsibilities of several other emergency management organizations, including Civil Defense, the Federal Disaster Assistance Administration, the Federal Insurance Administration, the Federal Preparedness Agency, and the National Weather Service Community Preparedness Program, to name a few.
In 2003, FEMA, along with 22 other government agencies, was absorbed into the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). FEMA is one of the four major components of DHS, with more than 2,000 full-time employees and 5,000 reserves. Billions of dollars have been funneled into its programs since its inception just over 25 years ago. The streamlining of emergency agencies was intended to create a more seamless system of preparedness, response and recovery.
This new and improved “seamless” approach has been tested over time by disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, contamination, nuclear meltdowns and terrorist attacks. The agency has had its share of problems, and its director seems to change every time a disaster response falls short of public expectations.
The public must remember that “disasters” are so called for a reason, and that no agency on the planet can completely prevent disasters or respond perfectly to any given situation, no matter how lean, organized, or well-funded. While FEMA works to protect the public, individuals also have a responsibility to protect themselves and their families.
A commonly used estimate is that a federal response can take anywhere from 48 to 120 hours, depending on the disaster. People should have survival supplies available, including non-perishable foods, bottled water, first aid supplies, a flashlight, a radio, batteries, tools, and some form of personal communication or alarm. Supplies must be in sufficient quantities to last at least 3 to 4 days pending rescue assistance in the event of a disaster.
A huge, bureaucratic government cannot guarantee the personal safety of every individual, nor can even the ablest agency. People have to take some personal responsibility for their own protection and well-being.
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