fema slides
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FEMA• Created by Executive Order in 1979 by President Jimmy Cater
• coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, lessening the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all disasters within the United States
• Though initially focused on natural disaster relief (floods, hurricanes, tornadoes), the agency has expanded in scope to deal with “man-made” disasters (fire, oil spills) as with as acts of terror.
• FEMA is the culmination of more than a centuries worth of disaster related legislation beginning with the Congressional Act of 1803, which provided assistance to a New Hampshire town following a fire
FEMA REGIONS
The United States is separated into several regions, each with its own FEMA headquarters.
Executive Order 12127
The creation of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in 1979 merged several disaster related agencies
• The Federal Insurance Agency
• The National Fire Prevention and Control Administration
• The National Weather Service Community Preparedness Program
• The Federal Preparedness Agency of the General Services Administration•
• The Federal Disaster Assistance Administration activities from HUD
• FEMA also absorbed responsibility from the Civil Preparedness Agency
CONGRESSIONAL HOMELAND SECURITY ACT OF 2002
FEMA became a part of the Department of National Security following the attacks of 9/11 (along with 21 other governmental agencies)
Focus of the agency shifted to ensuring the nations first-responders were trained and equipped to deal with acts of terror
POST-KATRINA EMERGENCY REFORM ACT OF 2006
First Congressional legislation authorizing FEMA as a federal agency
Following the events and responses to Hurricane Katrina, FEMA’s role in preparedness was greatly expanded
Provided an annual budget for FEMA operations as well as creating a department head for the agency within the Department of Homeland Security
Required the development of a national communications capability following and type of disaster
FEMA DISASTER ASSISTANCE REFORM ACT OF 2015
Established a national study on the rise of disaster relief costs
Strengthened FEMA’s role in disaster mitigation and first responder oversight and training
Established Congressional oversite of FEMA policy and budgeting
Reformed FEMA based on lessons learned in the Katrina and Sandy hurricanes
Clarified FEMA’s ability to provide grants and to collect disaster relief loan monies
THE FINANCIAL CHANGES OF FEMA
As the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s role in America has changed, so too have its expenditures.
From 2003 to 2014, FEMA received an increase in not only overall funding but a larger portion of the DHS funding.
As the following charts will show, FEMA has steadily increased from $3.3 million in 2003 to $13.5 million in 2014.
FEMA BUDGET MILESTONES
0
10,000,000
20,000,000
30,000,000
40,000,000
50,000,000
60,000,000
70,000,000
2003 2006 2010 2014
DHS Budget FEMA Budget
THE CHANGING ROLE OF FEMA
2003
Provide low-interest loans following a disaster
Provide grants following a disaster
Works at the request of the State government (following the declaration of a state of emergency)
2016 Acts as a federal agency focused on
preparation as much as damage mitigation
Provides:
Transportation
Communication
Logistics Management
Public Safety
Security
Loans
Grants
THE NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY LABORATORY (NREL)
• Private sector company focused on renewable and sustainable energy as well as energy efficiency
• The NREAL was first funded by FEMA following Hurricane Sandy in 2013
• NREL’s role is to provide expertise in the field of energy sustainability
• Ensures the inclusion of renewable energy and energy efficiency in FEMA planning
• Coordinated between FEMA and Partnership for Sustainable Communities, the New York State Energy Research Authority, and Environmental Protection Agency's Brownfields Program during the Hurricane Sandy relief effort
USING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS
In late 2012, FEMA partnered with the CDC for the production of a survival video discussing the “Zombie Apocalypse”. While there is of course no need for concern regarding the “walking dead”, the video did go viral. This mass appeal led to many watching the video and learning how to create an emergency plan as well as an emergency kit.
It can easily be argued that this appeal to pop culture allowed FEMA and the CDC to capture the attention of many who would have otherwise dismissed a public service announcement.
FEMA AND CLIMATE CHANGE
The increase in frequency and severity of weather disasters caused by global warming led FEMA to formally adapt policy to mitigate potential damage in 2011
Coastal areas would not only suffer infrastructure damage (loss of communications and logistics), but could suffer mass migration as well
The threat of drought and/or flooding could cause cross border migrations, domestic migrations, and the potential spreading of diseases associated with such situations
FEMA not only increased internal research into climate change, but partners with the CDC and other agencies to mitigate possible threats
THE CARROT AND THE ROD
Beginning in 2016, states that do not incorporate climate change mitigation policies could be denied disaster preparedness funds from FEMA.
This policy will force climate change denial away from personal opinion and into the realm of federal funding and politics.
States must have policies in place to safeguard citizens and infrastructure from disasters created by drought, flooding, and tornadoes (even potential correlations between fracking and earthquakes).
With over a billion dollars in federal grants awarded to states every year, this has the potential to change the political landscape in America
These policies do not influence disaster relief funding, only annual disaster preparation funding.
THE DRIVERS OF FEMA’S CHANGE
Three distinct driver come to the fore when dealing with changes to FEMA’s role and responsibilities:
• Terrorist threats to the United States
• Extreme changes and damage due to Climate Change
• An internal change in agency demographics
THE INCREASING THREAT OF TERRORISM
With the creation of the Office of National Preparedness (created in 2001), FEMA’s role has drastically shifted from a governmental organization dealing with financial relief after a natural disaster into a wide reaching organization dealing not only with such relief, but also responding to terrorist attacks
As global terrorism increases and the threat to the United States grows, the role of FEMA will continue to increase in scope.
While several other governmental agencies are responsible for an actual attack or stopping such attacks, FEMA is responsible for preparing for the aftereffects of an attack.
As a director at FEMA said “we are not in the intelligence business”
PREPARING FOR AND MITIGATING CLIMATE CHANGE
With the ever apparent damage to the country and possible harm to its citizens created by climate change, FEMA has been at the forefront in long term mitigation planning
FEMA must not only prepare first responders to deal with a crisis, but also assist the population in preparing for such disasters
Food shortages, coastal changes, population shifts, and ever increasing severe weather all play a significant role in the future plans for FEMA
FEMA must not only prepare to maintain communications in such an environment it will also be required to provide assistance in the hardest hit areas
CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS WITHIN FEMA
2003 Emergency Managers
Not college educated
2nd or 3rd career
Spend career in one jurisdiction
Middle to late-middle aged
Disaster plan is response oriented
Low paid
Bureaucratic
Not in professional associations
Works primarily with emergency services
2016 Emergency Managers
College educated (EM degrees)
1st career choice
Geographically mobile
Younger
Focus on disaster resistant communities
Higher paid
Works with a broader range of contacts (private, public, NGO, Non-profits, and governmental agencies
CONCLUSION
In the last 15 years the Federal Emergency Management Agency has evolved from a disaster relief organization assisting with financial assistance to a fully fledged government agency dealing with all types of disaster preparation. As its role has increased on the national stage, so too has its budget within the Department of Homeland Security. The primary driver of this change was the attacks of 9/11 and the need to mitigate subsequent terrorist attacks in the United States. A secondary, though equally important factor, in FEMA’s growth is the threat of climate change. Where as terrorism is seen as an imminent threat, climate change will have devastating effects on the country far into the future. As such, FEMA is tasked with preparing for and mitigating these threats as part of its operations.
WORK CITED
Anonymous. (2012). Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse. FEMA.gov. Retrieved September 16, 2016, from https://www.fema.gov/blog/2011-05-19/cdc-preparedness-101-zombie-apocalypse
Bastasch, M. (n.d.). FEMA To Deny Funding To States Without Global Warming Plans. FEMA.gov. Retrieved September 17, 2016, from http://dailycaller.com/2015/03/23/fema-to-deny-funding-to-states-without-global-warming-plans/
Cwiak, C., Karlgaard, T., & Kline, C. (n.d.). Emergency Management Demographics. Retrieved September 16, 2016, from https://training.fema.gov/hiedu/surveys/survey - cwiakcarol - em demographics-what can we learn.doc
Federal Emergency Management Agency. (n.d.). About the Agency. FEMA.gov. Retrieved September 16, 2016, from http://www.fema.gov/about-agency
Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2016). DHS Budget. FEMA.gov. Retrieved September 17, 2016, from https://www.dhs.gov/dhs-budget
Gerstenzang, J. (2001). Bush Puts FEMA in Charge of Domestic Terrorism Response. LA Times. Retrieved September 16, 2016, from http://articles.latimes.com/2001/may/09/news/mn-61273
National Renewable Energy Laboratory. (2013). FEMA Engages NREL in Hurricane Sandy Recovery Effort. NREL.gov. Retrieved September 16, 2016, from http://www.nrel.gov/tech_deployment/news/2013/2189.html
Strategic Foresight Initiative. (2012). Evolving Terrorist Threat. FEMA.gov. Retrieved September 17, 2016 from http://www.fema.gov/pdf /about /programs/oppa/evolving_terrorist_threat.pdf
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