Federal Emergency Management Agency

1. Federal Emergency Management Agency By Heidi Loveland

2. "A[n] . . . agency responsible for the survival of the U.S. Government" -The Economist-

3. Outline • Historical Background • Mission Statement and Goals • Present Organization • Institutes and Centers • Response Capabilities • Responses to Major Disasters • Conclusion

4. Prior to 1930’s • Congressional Act of 1830 • Considered the first recorded piece of disaster legislation • Provided relief to the port city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire by waving duties and tariffs on imported goods after a series of devastating fires. • Between 1830 and 1930 non-generalized solutions to specific problems called ad hoc legislations, were passed over 100 times to provide relief or compensation for natural disasters

5. Piecemeal Approach (1930’s-1960’s) Reconstruction Finance Cooperation (RCF) Commissioned by Herbert Hoover First organized federal disaster response agency Responsible for dispensing federal dollars Bureau of Public Affairs Reconstructed roads and highways after a disaster U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Disaster recovery reconstruction Flood Act Flood control and irrigation projects Summery: Hundreds of federal, state, and local agencies were created to respond to and provide relief from disasters. This fragmented methodology only created increased confusion

6. Department of Housing and Urban Development (1960’s-1979) • Disaster relief was partially reorganized under the Federal Disaster Assistance Administration within the Dept of Housing and Urban Development • Major disasters requiring federal response • Hurricanes Carla, Betsy, Camille, and Agnes • Alaskan earthquake • San Fernando earthquake in S. California • New hazards • Nuclear power plant • Transportation of hazardous material • Still fragmented- 1oo new federal agencies were involved in some aspect with disasters, hazards, and emergencies • Many parallel programs and policies existed at the state and local level, adding to the complexity of federal disaster relief efforts.

7. FEMA as an Independent Agency(1979-2003) • Under President Jimmy Carter and the Executive Order 12127 Federal Emergency Management Agency was established on April 1, 1979 • FEMA absorbed: • Federal Disaster Assistance Administration activities from HUD • Federal Insurance Administration • National Fire Prevention and Control Administration • National Weather Service Community Preparedness Program • Federal Preparedness Agency of the General Services Administration • Defense Civil Preparedness Agency • Focused switched from solely response to prevention

8. FEMA and Homeland Security (2003- present) • In March 2003, FEMA joined 22 other federal agencies, programs, and offices in becoming the Department of Homeland Security. • Billions of dollars of new funding were directed to FEMA to help communities face the threat of terrorism. • The new department brought a coordinated approach to national security from emergencies and disasters - both natural and man-made • On March 4, 2009, President Obama nominated Florida's state emergency management director, W. Craig Fugate, to lead FEMA.

9. FEMA’s Purpose Mission As it has for almost 30 years, FEMA's mission remains: to lead America to prepare for, prevent, respond to and recover from disasters with a vision of “A Nation Prepared.” Goal To reduce the loss of life and property and protect the Nation from all hazards, including natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters, by leading and supporting the Nation in a risk-based, comprehensive emergency management system of preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation.

10. When Does FEMA Respond? • The governor of the state in which the disaster occurred 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 is when an emergency or disaster occurs 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. Where does FEMA Respond? • To a disaster which has occurred in the United States and which overwhelms the resources of local and state authorities. • FEMA also provides these services for territories of the United States, such as Puerto Rico.

11. Organization

12. Institutes and Centers • Headquarters in Washington D.C. • Regional and area offices across the country • Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center, and the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland. • FEMA has more than 2,600 full time employees. • FEMA also has nearly 4,000 standby disaster assistance employees who are available for deployment after disasters. • Often FEMA works with state and local emergency management agencies, 27 federal agencies and the American Red.

13. Interesting Information FEMA: • Assists individuals and businesses with low interest loans. • Provides state and local governments with experts in specialized fields • Provides funds for training of response personnel throughout the United States and its territories as part of the agency's preparedness effort • Provides funding for rebuilding efforts and relief funds for transportation, communications, and roads, in conjunction with the Small Business Administration.

14. Response Capabilities FEMA's emergency response is based around small, decentralized teams trained in such areas as: • National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) • Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) • Disaster Mortuary Operations Response Team (DMORT) • Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) • Mobile Emergency Resource Support (MERS).

15. Response Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocCq37Ddux0

16. Regional Distribution

17. Pre-disaster Mitigation Programs • FEMA's Mitigation Director is responsible for programs that take action before a disaster, in order to • identify risks • reduce injuries, loss of property, and recovery time. • FEMA works to ensure affordable flood insurance is available to homeowners in flood plains, through the National Flood Insurance Program • Works to enforce no-build zones in known flood plains and relocate or elevate some at-risk structures. • The agency has major analysis programs for floods, hurricanes, dams, and earthquakes. • Pre-Disaster Mitigation grants are available to acquire property for conversion to open space, retrofit existing buildings, construct tornado and storm shelters, manage vegetation for erosion and fire control, and small flood control projects.

18. Mitigation Video http://www.rms.csus.edu/dcp/videos/

19. National Response Framework • The National Response Framework (NRF) is a guide to how the nation conducts all-hazards response. • This document explains the common discipline and structures that have been exercised and matured at the local, tribal, State, and national levels over time.

20. NRF continued. . . • REFERENCE TABS • Emergency Support Function (ESF) Annex Summaries.......................................9 • Introduction.................................................................................................11 • ESF #1 - Transportation...............................................................................13 • ESF #2 - Communications............................................................................15 • ESF #3 - Public Works and Engineering..........................................................17 • ESF #4 - Firefighting...................................................................................19 • ESF #5 - Emergency Management.................................................................21 • ESF #6 - Mass Care, Emergency Assistance, Housing, and Human Services.........23 • ESF #7 - Logistics Management and Resource Support.....................................25 • ESF #8 - Public Health and Medical Services...................................................27 • ESF #9 - Search and Rescue.........................................................................29 • ESF #10 - Oil and Hazardous Materials Response...............................................31 • ESF #11 - Agriculture and Natural Resources....................................................33 • ESF #12 - Energy.........................................................................................35 • ESF #13 - Public Safety and Security...............................................................37 • ESF #14 - Long-Term Community Recovery .....................................................39 • ESF #15 - External Affairs..............................................................................41

21. Response to Major Disasters • Love Canal, New York 1978 • Three Mile Island 1979 • Hurricane Andrew1992 • Terrorist Attack on September 11, 2001 • Hurricane Katrina 2005 • Buffalo Snowstorm 2006 • Dumas, Arkanas tornados 2007 • California wildfires 2007

23. Love Canal

24. New Orleans, August 31, 2005 - Rescue activities continue into the night at the main staging area at I-10 and Causeway. Victims of Hurricane Katrina continue to be evacuated out of the city of New Orleans by bus well into the night. Photo by Win Henderson / FEMA photo. New Orleans, La., September 3, 2005 -- Survivors of Hurricane Katrina arrive at New Orleans Airport where FEMA's D-MAT teams have set up and people will be flown to shelters in other states. New Orleans is being evacuated as a result of floods from hurricane Katrina. Photo: Michael Rieger/FEMA

25. New Orleans, LA, September 6, 2005- FEMA Urban Search and Rescue task forces continue search operations into neighborhoods impacted by Hurricane Katrina.  US Coast Guard help the operations with providing boats.

26. Fargo, ND, March 23, 2009 -- Thousands of student and community members work together with the National Guard at the Fargo Dome making sand bags on a 24 hour operation. Photo: Michael Reiger/FEMA Houston, TX., 9/1/2005 -- Hurricane Katrina survivors arrive at the Houston Astrodome Red Cross Shelter after being evacuated from New Orleans. Thousands of survivors are at the Astrodome after the Superdome became unsafe following the levee breaks in New Orleans. FEMA photo/Andrea Booher

27. FEMA is working with the local Parishes (Counties) who have requested FEMA's help in removing Construction Debris left by Hurricane Rita on Public and Private Property.  MARVIN NAUMAN/FEMA photo

28. Members of the FEMA Urban Search and Rescue, Colorado Task Force 1, receive instructions before entering Ground Zero at the World Trade Center. Michael Rieger/FEMA

29. New York, NY, September 20, 2001 -- This rescue worker talks to a co-worker inside the pile of rubble at the World Trade Center. Photo by Andrea Booher/ FEMA News Photo Photo by Andrea Booher/ FEMA News Photo

30. New York, NY, September 13, 2001 -- Urban Search and Rescue specialists continue to search for survivors amongst the wreckage at the World Trade Center.

31. California Fires

32. Conclusion Since it inception in 1797 the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been the nations most widely recognized and depended upon federal agency in regards to disaster prevention and recovery. FEMA helps communities to mitigate and rebuild in the wake of man-made and natural disasters.

33. References Bea, Keith, "Proposed Transfer of FEMA to the Department of Homeland Security", Order Code RL31510 (updated July 20, 2002), Report for Congress, Congressional Research Service: Library of Congress. Duval, Stanwood R., Jr.; United States District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana (December 12, 2005. ""Order of December 12, 2005" (Rec. Doc. No. 63)" (PFD). "Beatrice B. Mcwaters, et al. v. Federal Emergency Management Section 'K' (3)" (No. 05-5488). USCourts.gov. “Executive Order 12127- Federal Emergency Management Agency”. Federation of American Scientists. http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/eo/eo-12127.htm. FEMA. April, 8 2009. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Retrieved April 4, 2009 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Emergency_Management_Agency. Murry, Justin (updated July 10, 2006). "Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Legislation for Disaster Assistance: Summary Data FY1989 to FY2006", CRS Report for Congress, Congressional Research Service: The Library of Congress. Senate Bipartisan Committee (February 15, 2006), "The Final Report of the Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina, U.S. Government Printing Office: Washington D.C.

34. Questions?