Emergency Management Agency Analysis

As the state of our currently understood weather patterns and global climate become more understood, in context, with great concern, the federal government has placed an ever larger portion of its national focus on promoting a more efficient response to such concern via disaster mitigation and management with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. A historical extension of the federal government for which is principle utilized for disaster aid and response, this agency is as much a direct extension of the current presidential administration as it is a crisis agency for social good. This simple description clearly suggests a detailed understanding following the Hurricane Katrina disaster that left the Gulf Coast and New Orleans, in particular, as a study in social failure. But as an agency emboldened by an administration concerned with climate change, FEMA has shown as an agent for change in how it addresses and refocuses states in preparation for the inevitable future climate change.

The Rise and Fall of Legitimacy: A Review of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from 1979 to 2005

For the past 35 years, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, commonly known as FEMA, has been dedicated to preparing, protecting, responding and serving the American people following major disasters and crisis. Effective on April 1, 1979 under President Jimmy Carter’s administration and funded through federal funding, FEMA has been committed to preparing, protecting, responding and assisting in recovery efforts in the state as well as the local government during crisis and disasters. Similarly to any agency, FEMA has faced many challenges when providing funding to victims and survivors of disasters. Critics have criticized FEMA in their response to disasters.

Many times the local framework for support and response breaks down after major incidences (Caruson, MacManus, September 2008). The loss of electricity to some, if not all the area, for extended amount of time should be expected. This can also mean loss of communication in the form of cell phone connection, internet and land lines. Hence, MACS establishing an Emergency Operation Center (EOC) is the lynchpin in maintaining the command and control that would otherwise be lost (Walsh, Christen, Callsen, Miller, Maniscalco, Lord, & Dolan,

When the Great Depression hit, the United States economically hit rock bottom. Unemployment hit well over 20% making the US citizens impoverished. The banks went into total failure; high tariffs caused companies to take huge losses and layoffs due to the inability to sell their overproduced products; the wealthy could not contribute enough money to the charities to help those in need without in turn placing themselves in debt. When FDR became president, he brought in the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) to distribute federal money to the states to provide work or direct relief to households so that they could climb back to a low but stable state of living day to day. The Civil Works Administration (CWA), run through FERA put up

Definition of ‘crisis’ from the on-line dictionary defines the word as “a condition of instability or danger, as in social, economic, political, or international affairs, leading to a decisive change”. (Dictionary, n.d.). The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created a chart in which there are several criteria for determining when a situation is qualified as a disaster, only then, may federal aid be available to the communities. According to authors Timothy Sellnow and Matthew Seeger, the criteria allow “the FEMA to assess the relative magnitude of disruption and harm created by any event” (Sellnow & Seeger 2013, 4), so that it can be determined how much and what form of assistance the community may require. Some of the

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is a body under the United States Department of Homeland Security that was created in 1978 to improve the safety of the American residents, especially during disasters. FEMA has a primary mandate of coordinating the response to any disaster that may occur in the U.S. and that overwhelms both local and state authorities’ resources. FEMA comes in to aid only after the governor of the involved state has declared a state of emergency and has made a formal request. However, there is an exception to the gubernatorial declaration requirement, when an emergency occurs on a federal property such as the Space Shuttle Columbia experienced in the 2003 return-flight disaster ("About the FEMA Agency", 2016).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) describes the National Planning Frameworks, which contains preparedness missions for the whole community (individuals, families, businesses, all types of community organizations, non-profit groups, media outlets, academies, and all levels of government including state, local, tribal, territorial, and federal partners, (FEMA 2015), as a way to foster a shared understanding of the roles and responsibilities from the first responders to the Federal government and the White House; all of which results in a more secure and resilient nation. It is everyone’s job in a community to ensure preparedness to keep the Nation safe from harm, and resilient when struck by hazards, such as pandemics, natural

On April 1, 1979 the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) emerged in the United States. The purpose of this agency was to coordinate the response to all types of crises in America to help alleviate local and state government crisis management. In the case of a major crisis in a state, the governor must declare a state of emergency, and request to the president that the state is in need of assistance from FEMA. In addition to assisting states in crisis management, FEMA also provides training of response personnel in the United States, ensuring that people are equipt with the knowledge and skills to assist in case of a disaster (fema.gov).

Our way of life in the United States and around the world changed on September 11th, 2001 after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centers in New York City, the Pentagon and on flight 93. One of the statements that President George W. Bush made in his Address to the Nation on Terrorist Attacks that night was, “Our first priority is to get help to those who have been injured and to take every precaution to protect our citizens at home and around the world from further attacks” (Bush, Para 6, September 11, 2001). Emergency management services across the nation and the world sprang into action to provide immediate aid to the response and recovery efforts that were in dire need in New York City. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was an instrumental part of providing aid in that process.

I definitely agree that we have to also include social media outlet along with traditional media outlets with partnership with emergency mangers. It is useful to teach the public during non-disaster event how to share important information. It is also important to build a strong trust with media and EM mangers to make sure there is very little misinformation to circulate.

1. I think an emergency situation would increase a person to offer their help. I think when an emergency happens you get the feeling that you have to help someone in need. Example: You drive by a car accident and the car is on fire. You stop to help the person out of the car so that they don't catch on fire or die. You may also call 911 so that they can send out help.

Many years ago emergency rooms were more commonly known as emergency zones. I am a doctor in the emergency zone located in the slopes Colorado. In my many years I have seen many bizarre cases, I have witnessed people die before I could save them, but the most rewarding part of my job is the people who come in on the brink of death and I am able to save them. I truly have the greatest job on earth.

Going forward the hospital need to have a plan with many different agencies to make sure we are better prepared in the next disaster, “coordination does not occur at the time of the event.” (Reilly, 2011, p. 146) This coordination with emergency management agencies will need to begin long before a disaster and ongoing. This is especially important in the occurrence of a power outage, due to the issues that were faced with patients on dialysis machines and respirators. We will need to begin this coordination with local and state agencies to get help with overall emergency coordination and promoting partnerships. Communication with emergency management organizations will need to be established to express the extent and severity of the

The emergency Operations Center (EOC) is a central location that any level of government can provide interagency coordination and help resolve administrative decisions that will support the incident response. During a crisis the EOC does not control the on-scene response. The EOC coordinates responding agencies through priority setting, resource management, and information collection and evaluation. A key function of the EOC personnel during a crisis is to make sure that responders at the scene have adequate resources in order to execute their objectives and to manage public information (FEMA, 2010). The flexible and scalable nature of an EOC relies on the mutual aid and joint communications from the participating agencies.