THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY

Joseph B. Meadows

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 GROWTH OF FEMA

The G

9

11

19

22

2003 2006 2010 2014

Percentage of DHS 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