The Federal Emergency Management Agency 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 by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
FEMA is one of the four main components of DHS, with
over 2,000 full time employees and 5,000 reserves. Billions
of dollars have been funneled into FEMA 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 meltdown and terrorist
attacks. FEMA has had its share of problems, and its
director seems to change any time disaster response doesn't
live up to the public's expectations.
Businesses need to understand that "disasters" are
so named for a reason, and that no agency on the planet
can completely prevent disasters or respond perfectly
to a given disaster, no matter how streamlined, organized,
or well-funded. While FEMA works to protect the public,
business and individuals also have a responsibility to
protect themselves and their families.
A commonly used estimate is that a federal response
can take anywhere from 48-120 hours, depending on the
disaster. Is your business ready with a disaster recovery
plan, continued business operation strategy, etc? |
FEMA is the short name or acronym
for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which has
been incorporated into the
Department of Homeland Security. FEMA's motto is "A
Nation Prepared." Its goal is to insure that America
is able to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover
from disasters, natural and manmade alike.
