A Whole Community Approach to 

Emergency Management: Principles, 

Themes, and Pathways for Action

FDOC 104-008-1 / December 2011

A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management:

Principles, Themes, and Pathways for Action

i

Table of Contents

Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1

National Dialogue on a Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management.........2

Whole Community Defined.....................................................................................................3

Whole Community Principles and Strategic Themes...........................................................4

Strategic Themes in Practice ....................................................................................... 6

Understand Community Complexity .....................................................................................6

Recognize Community Capabilities and Needs.....................................................................8

Foster Relationships with Community Leaders..................................................................10

Build and Maintain Partnerships.........................................................................................11

Empower Local Action..........................................................................................................14

Leverage and Strengthen Social Infrastructure, Networks, and Assets...........................16

Pathways for Action.................................................................................................... 19

Conclusion................................................................................................................... 23
A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management:

Principles, Themes, and Pathways for Action

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A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management:

Principles, Themes, and Pathways for Action

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Introduction

The effects of natural and manmade disasters have become more frequent, far-reaching, and 

widespread. As a result, preserving the safety, security, and prosperity of all parts of our society 

is becoming more challenging. Our Nation’s traditional approach to managing the risks 

associated with these disasters relies heavily on the government. However, today’s changing 

reality is affecting all levels of government in their efforts to improve our Nation’s resilience 

while grappling with the limitations of their capabilities.1 Even in small- and medium-sized 

disasters, which the government is generally effective at managing, significant access and service 

gaps still exist. In large-scale disasters or catastrophes, government resources and capabilities 

can be overwhelmed.

The scale and severity of disasters are 

growing and will likely pose systemic 

threats.2 Accelerating changes in 

demographic trends and technology are 

making the effects of disasters more 

complex to manage. One future trend 

affecting emergency needs is continued 

population shifts into vulnerable areas 

(e.g., hurricane-prone coastlines). The 

economic development that accompanies 

these shifts also intensifies the pressure 

on coastal floodplains, barrier islands, 

and the ecosystems that support food 

production, the tourism industry, and 

suburban housing growth. Other 

demographic changes will affect disaster 

management activities, such as a growing population of people with disabilities living in 

communities instead of institutions, as well as people living with chronic conditions (e.g.,

obesity and asthma). Also, communities are facing a growing senior population due to the Baby 

Boom generation entering this demographic group. Consequently, changes in transportation 

systems and even housing styles may follow to accommodate the lifestyles of these residents. If 

immigration trends continue as predicted, cities and suburbs will be more diverse ethnically and 

linguistically. Employment trends, when combined with new technologies, will shift the ways in 

which local residents plan their home-to-work commuting patterns as well as their leisure time. 

All of these trends will affect the ways in which residents organize and identify with communitybased associations and will influence how they prepare for and respond to emergencies.3

 1 Resilience refers to the ability to adapt to changing conditions and withstand and rapidly recover from disruption

due to emergencies. White House, “Presidential Policy Directive 8 (PPD-8),” March 30, 2011. 2 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, “Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and 

Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation,” November 2011. 3 Strategic Foresight Initiative, “U.S. Demographic Shifts: Long-term Trends and Drivers and Their Implications for 

Emergency Management,” May 2011.

Strategic Foresight Initiative, “Government Budgets: Long-term Trends and Drivers and Their Implications for 

Emergency Management,” May 2011.

Figure 1: Joplin, Missouri, May 24, 2011—Homes were leveled with 

the force of 200 mph winds as an F5 tornado struck the city on May 22, 

2011. This scene is representative of the growing impacts of disasters. 

Jace Anderson/FEMA
A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management:

Principles, Themes, and Pathways for Action

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This document presents a foundation for increasing individual preparedness and engaging with 

members of the community as vital partners in enhancing the resiliency and security of our 

Nation through a Whole Community approach. It is intended to promote greater understanding of 

the approach and to provide a strategic framework to guide all members of the emergency 

management community as they determine how to integrate Whole Community concepts into 

their daily practices. This document is not intended to be all-encompassing or focused on any 

specific phase of emergency management or level of government, nor does it offer specific, 

prescriptive actions that require communities or emergency managers to adopt certain protocols. 

Rather, it provides an overview of core principles, key themes, and pathways for action that have 

been synthesized from a year-long national dialogue around practices already used in the field. 

While this is not a guide or a “how-to” document, it provides a starting point for those learning 

about the approach or looking for ways to expand existing practices and to begin more 

operational-based discussions on further implementation of Whole Community principles.

National Dialogue on a Whole Community Approach to Emergency 

Management

In a congressional testimony, the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency 

(FEMA), Craig Fugate, described today’s reality as follows: “Government can and will continue 

to serve disaster survivors. However, we fully recognize that a government-centric approach to 

disaster management will not be enough to meet the challenges posed by a catastrophic incident. 

That is why we must fully engage our entire societal capacity....”4 To that end, FEMA initiated a 

national dialogue on a Whole Community approach to emergency management, an approach that 

many communities have used for years with great success, and one which has been gathering 

strength in jurisdictions across the Nation.

The national dialogue was designed to foster collective learning from communities’ experiences

across the country. It occurred in various settings, such as organized conference sessions, 

research seminars, professional association meetings, practitioner gatherings, and official 

government meetings. The various settings created opportunities to listen to those who work in 

local neighborhoods, have survived disasters, and are actively engaged in community 

development. Participants in this dialogue included a broad range of emergency management 

partners, including representatives from the private and nonprofit sectors, academia, local 

residents, and government leaders. The conversations with the various stakeholders focused on 

how communities are motivated and engaged, how they understand risk, and what their 

experiences are with resilience following a disaster. In addition, international and historical 

resiliency efforts, such as FEMA’s Project Impact, were explored to gather lessons learned and 

best practices.5

FEMA also brought together diverse members from across the country to comprise a core 

working group. The working group reviewed and validated emerging Whole Community 

principles and themes, gathered examples of the Whole Community approach from the field, and 

 4 Administrator Craig Fugate, Federal Emergency Management Agency, before the United States House 

Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and 

Emergency Management at the Rayburn House Office Building, March 30, 2011. 5 FEMA introduced Project Impact in 1997as a national initiative designed to challenge the country to undertake 

actions that protect families, businesses, and communities by reducing the effects of natural disasters. The efforts 

focused on creating active public-private partnerships to build disaster-resistant communities.
A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management:

Principles, Themes, and Pathways for Action

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identified people, organizations, and communities with promising local experiences. They 

participated in various meetings and conferences and, in some cases, provided the examples 

included in this document.

In addition to the national dialogue, this document was created concurrently with a larger effort 

to build an integrated, layered, all-of-Nation approach to preparedness, as called for by 

Presidential Policy Directive (PPD-8): National Preparedness.6 As such, the Whole Community 

approach is being incorporated into all PPD-8 deliverables, including the National Preparedness 

Goal, National Preparedness System description, National Planning Frameworks, and the 

campaign to build and sustain preparedness nationwide, as well as leverage the approach in their 

development.7 In support of these efforts, FEMA seeks to spark exploration into community 

engagement strategies to promote further discussion on approaches that position local residents 

for leadership roles in planning, organizing, and sharing accountability for the success of local 

disaster management efforts, and which enhance our Nation’s security and resilience.

Whole Community Defined

As a concept, Whole Community is a means by which residents, emergency management 

practitioners, organizational and community leaders, and government officials can collectively 

understand and assess the needs of their respective communities and determine the best ways to 

organize and strengthen their assets, capacities, and interests. By doing so, a more effective path 

to societal security and resilience is built. In a sense, Whole Community is a philosophical 

approach on how to think about conducting emergency management.

There are many different kinds of communities, 

including communities of place, interest, belief, and 

circumstance, which can exist both geographically 

and virtually (e.g., online forums). A Whole 

Community approach attempts to engage the full 

capacity of the private and nonprofit sectors, 

including businesses, faith-based and disability

organizations, and the general public, in conjunction 

with the participation of local, tribal, state, territorial, 

and Federal governmental partners. This engagement 

means different things to different groups. In an allhazards environment, individuals and institutions will 

make different decisions on how to prepare for and 

respond to threats and hazards; therefore, a 

community’s level of preparedness will vary. The 

challenge for those engaged in emergency 

management is to understand how to work with the 

diversity of groups and organizations and the policies 

and practices that emerge from them in an effort to 

improve the ability of local residents to prevent, 

protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from any type of threat or hazard effectively.

 6 President Barack Obama, “Presidential Policy Directive 8 (PPD-8): National Preparedness,” March 30, 2011. 7 FEMA, “National Preparedness Goal,” September 2011. (Formally released on October 7, 2011.)

Whole Community is a philosophical 

approach in how to conduct the 

business of emergency management.

Benefits include:

 Shared understanding of community 

needs and capabilities

 Greater empowerment and 

integration of resources from across 

the community

 Stronger social infrastructure

 Establishment of relationships that 

facilitate more effective prevention, 

protection, mitigation, response, and 

recovery activities

 Increased individual and collective 

preparedness

 Greater resiliency at both the 

community and national levels
A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management:

Principles, Themes, and Pathways for Action

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The benefits of Whole Community 

include a more informed, shared 

understanding of community risks, 

needs, and capabilities; an increase in 

resources through the empowerment of 

community members; and, in the end,

more resilient communities. A more 

sophisticated understanding of a 

community’s needs and capabilities also 

leads to a more efficient use of existing 

resources regardless of the size of the 

incident or community constraints. In 

times of resource and economic 

constraints, the pooling of efforts and 

resources across the whole community is 

a way to compensate for budgetary 

pressures, not only for government 

agencies but also for many private and 

nonprofit sector organizations. The task of cultivating and sustaining relationships to incorporate 

the whole community can be challenging; however, the investment yields many dividends. The 

process is as useful as the product. In building relationships and learning more about the 

complexity of a community, interdependencies that may be sources of hidden vulnerabilities are 

revealed. Steps taken to incorporate Whole Community concepts before an incident occurs will 

lighten the load during response and recovery efforts through the identification of partners with 

existing processes and resources who are available to be part of the emergency management 

team. The Whole Community approach produces more effective outcomes for all types and sizes 

of threats and hazards, thereby improving security and resiliency nationwide.

Whole Community Principles and Strategic Themes

Numerous factors contribute to the resilience of communities and effective emergency 

management outcomes. However, three principles that represent the foundation for establishing a 

Whole Community approach to emergency management emerged during the national dialogue.

Whole Community Principles:

 Understand and meet the actual needs of the whole community. Community engagement 

can lead to a deeper understanding of the unique and diverse needs of a population, including 

its demographics, values, norms, community structures, networks, and relationships. The 

more we know about our communities, the better we can understand their real-life safety and 

sustaining needs and their motivations to participate in emergency management-related 

activities prior to an event.

 Engage and empower all parts of the community. Engaging the whole community and 

empowering local action will better position stakeholders to plan for and meet the actual 

needs of a community and strengthen the local capacity to deal with the consequences of all 

threats and hazards. This requires all members of the community to be part of the emergency 

management team, which should include diverse community members, social and 

community service groups and institutions, faith-based and disability groups, academia, 

Figure 2: Madison, Tennessee, May 29, 2010—Gary Lima, Tennessee 

Emergency Management Agency Community Relations Coordinator, 

leads Boy Scout troop #460 in a Memorial Day project to place flags on 

graves. The picture reflects emergency managers becoming involved in 

the day-to-day activities of community groups. David Fine/FEMA
A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management:

Principles, Themes, and Pathways for Action

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professional associations, and the private and nonprofit sectors, while including government 

agencies who may not traditionally have been directly involved in emergency management. 

When the community is engaged in an authentic dialogue, it becomes empowered to identify 

its needs and the existing resources that may be used to address them.

 Strengthen what works well in communities on a daily basis. A Whole Community 

approach to building community resilience requires finding ways to support and strengthen 

the institutions, assets, and networks that already work well in communities and are working

to address issues that are important to community members on a daily basis. Existing 

structures and relationships that are present in the daily lives of individuals, families, 

businesses, and organizations before an incident occurs can be leveraged and empowered to 

act effectively during and after a disaster strikes.

In addition to the three Whole Community principles, six strategic themes were identified 

through research, discussions, and examples provided by emergency management practitioners. 

These themes speak to the ways the Whole Community approach can be effectively employed in 

emergency management and, as such, represent pathways for action to implement the principles.

Whole Community Strategic Themes:

 Understand community complexity.

 Recognize community capabilities and needs.

 Foster relationships with community leaders.

 Build and maintain partnerships.

 Empower local action.

 Leverage and strengthen social infrastructure, networks, and assets.

In the Strategic Themes in Practice section of this document, the Whole Community concept is 

explored through real-world examples that highlight the key principles and themes of the Whole 

Community approach. In order to provide an illustration of how the principles and themes can be 

applied, examples for each of the five mission areas—Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, 

Response, and Recovery (as outlined in the National Preparedness Goal)—are included. In 

addition, examples from other community development and public safety efforts have been 

included—most notably, community policing. While the focus and outcomes may differ, such 

efforts have proven effective in advancing public health and safety and offer a model for 

emergency management personnel to consider. The Pathways for Action section provides a list 

of reflective questions and ideas for emergency management practitioners to refer to when they 

are beginning to think about how to incorporate the Whole Community concepts into their

security and resilience efforts.

As a field of practice, our collective understanding of how to effectively apply Whole 

Community as a concept to the daily business of emergency management will continue to 

evolve. It is hoped that this document will assist emergency managers, as members of their 

communities, in that evolution—prompting new actions and soliciting new ideas and strategies. 

FEMA is committed to continued engagement in ongoing discussions with its partners in the 

public, private, and nonprofit sectors to further develop and refine strategies to deliver more

effective emergency management outcomes and enhance the security and resilience of our 

communities and our Nation.
A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management:

Principles, Themes, and Pathways for Action

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Strategic Themes in Practice

The strategic themes presented in this section speak to the various ways the Whole Community 

approach can be effectively employed in emergency management and, as such, represent 

pathways for action by members of the emergency management community at all levels. These 

themes and pathways are explored through the presentation of real-world examples that highlight 

how Whole Community concepts are being applied in communities across the country.

Understand Community Complexity

Communities are unique, multidimensional, and complex. They are 

affected by many factors and 

interdependencies, including 

demographics, geography, access to 

resources, experience with government, 

crime, political activity, economic 

prosperity, and forms of social capital 

such as social networks, social cohesion 

between different groups, and 

institutions. Developing a better 

understanding of a community involves 

looking at its members to learn how 

social activity is organized on a normal 

basis (e.g., social patterns, community 

leaders, points of collective organization 

and action, and decision-making 

processes), which will reveal potential 

sources (e.g., individuals and 

organizations) of new collective action. A realistic understanding of the complexity of a 

community’s daily life will help emergency managers determine how they can best collaborate 

with and support the community to meet its true needs.

Understanding the complexities of local communities helps with tailoring engagement strategies 

and shaping programs to meet various needs. Numerous examples that involve local initiatives to 

identify, map, and communicate with a wide range of local groups exist nationwide. For 

example, the Houston Department of Health and Human Services (HDHHS) has been actively 

identifying ways to better communicate and plan with linguistically isolated populations (LIP) 

and limited-English proficient (LEP) populations within the city. HDHHS is working with about 

20 community organizations that serve and represent LIP/LEP communities, along with 

Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston, four refugee resettlement agencies that work with these 

populations, and several apartment complexes in southwest Houston (where many refugee and 

some immigrant populations live), in an effort to develop trusted relationships and ways to 

provide current preparedness, response, and recovery information. Because of this outreach, 

significant unmet needs (e.g., transportation) for these specific populations have been identified. 

The City of Houston is using this information to fulfill unmet needs for these populations and 

continues to work with these community organizations and private sector partners to improve 

outreach materials, methods of communication, and preparedness programs.

Figure 3: New Orleans, Louisiana, September 5, 2008—A bilingual 

volunteer helps non-English speaking evacuees, guiding them in the 

right direction to board the correct buses to their parishes. 

Understanding the complexity of communities (e.g., non-English 

speakers) helps emergency management practitioners to meet the 

residents’ needs. Jacinta Quesada/FEMA
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Principles, Themes, and Pathways for Action

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The full diversity of communities is better understood 

when communication and engagement efforts move 

beyond easy, typical approaches to looking at the real 

needs and issues a community faces. In one California 

city, the police noticed a high level of violent crime in 

a particular neighborhood. In a typical policing model, 

the police would have assigned additional officers to 

patrol the neighborhood, approached the community 

to provide them with information about the criminal 

activity, and informed residents of what they might do 

to avoid being affected by the crime. However, as part 

of an operational shift, the police took a proactive 

approach by first engaging with the community to 

obtain information about the nature and frequency of the local crimes. At the initial meeting, the 

police learned from the local residents that a number of problems contributed to the unsafe 

conditions of the neighborhood—problems that police response alone could not correct. Cars 

speeding through the neighborhood; the presence of abandoned cars, couches, and other litter in 

front yards; rundown conditions of apartment buildings; few safe walkways for neighborhood 

children; and a lack of lighting on street corners all contributed to the crime situation.

At the next community meeting, the police brought together a number of government 

departments, including fire, public works, and the housing authority, to address the residents’ 

concerns. Government representatives agreed to provide dumpsters for the litter and the residents 

agreed to fill them. The community agreed to tow the abandoned cars and identified street 

repaving as a high priority. Together, the community and city officials approached the apartment 

owners, who agreed to paint the exteriors of the buildings. The public works department fixed 

the street lighting. Building upon the cooperation and the demonstrated responsiveness to the 

community’s needs, several residents provided the police with information that led to the arrests 

of several individuals involved in the area’s drug-related activities. In a relatively short period of 

time, police worked with local residents to transform what had been perceived to be a narrow 

crime issue into a broad-based community revitalization effort. Crime decreased, residents 

became involved, and the neighborhood was significantly improved. Emergency management 

practitioners can take a similar approach by understanding the underlying and core community 

concerns in order to build relationships and identify opportunities to work together to develop 

solutions that meet everyone’s needs.

Numerous approaches exist to identify and better understand the complexities of local 

populations, how they interact, what resources are available, and the gaps between needs and 

solutions. For example, community mapping is a way to identify community capabilities and 

needs by visually illustrating data to reveal patterns. Examples of patterns may take into account 

the location of critical infrastructure, demographics, reliance on public transportation, available 

assets and resources (e.g., warehouses that can be used as distribution centers), and businesses 

that can continue to supply food or water during and after emergencies. Understanding 

communities is a dynamic process as patterns may change. Emergency managers and local 

groups often use community mapping to gather empirical data on local patterns. Revealing 

patterns can help emergency managers to better engage communities and understand and meet 

the needs of individuals by illustrating the dynamics of populations, how they interact, and 

available resources.

Understand Community “DNA”

Learn how communities’ social activity 

is organized and how needs are met 

under normal conditions.

A better understanding of how 

segments of the community resolve 

issues and make decisions—both with 

and without government as a player—

helps uncover ways to better meet the 

actual needs of the whole community in 

times of crisis.
A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management:

Principles, Themes, and Pathways for Action

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One community mapping program that the Washington State Emergency Management Division 

developed (“Map Your Neighborhood”) won FEMA’s 2011 Challenge.gov award for addressing 

community preparedness. This program helps citizens identify the most important steps they 

need to take to secure their homes and neighborhoods following a disaster. In addition, it helps to 

identify the special skills and equipment that neighbors possess, the locations of natural gas and 

propane tanks, and a comprehensive contact list of neighbors who may need assistance, such as 

older residents, children, and people with disabilities and other access and functional needs.

Recognize Community Capabilities and Needs

Appreciating the actual capabilities and 

needs of a community is essential to 

supporting and enabling local actions. 

For example, in response to past 

disasters, meals ready-to-eat (MREs) 

have been used to feed survivors because 

these resources were readily available. 

However, for a large portion of the 

population, such as children, seniors, or 

individuals with dietary or health 

considerations, MREs are not a suitable 

food source for various reasons, as MREs 

tend to contain high levels of fat and 

sodium and low levels of fiber.

A community’s needs should be defined 

on the basis of what the community 

requires without being limited to what 

traditional emergency management capabilities can address. By engaging in open discussions, 

emergency management practitioners can begin to identify the actual needs of the community 

and the collective capabilities (private, public, and civic) that exist to address them, as the role of 

government and private and nonprofit sector organizations may vary for each community. The 

community should also be encouraged to define what it believes its needs and capabilities are in 

order to fully participate in planning and actions.

Based on a shared understanding of actual needs, the 

community can then collectively plan to find ways to 

address those needs. Following the devastating 

tornadoes in Alabama during the spring of 2011, 

various agencies, organizations, and volunteers 

united to locate recovery resources in the community 

and communicate information about those resources 

to the public. Two days after the tornadoes, they 

formed the Alabama Interagency Emergency 

Response Coordinating Committee. The committee 

was led by representatives from Independent Living Resources of Greater Birmingham, United 

Cerebral Palsy of Greater Birmingham, and the Alabama Governor’s Office on Disability. The 

committee also included representatives from FEMA and the American Red Cross.

Figure 4: Fargo, North Dakota, March 23, 2009—Thousands of 

students and community members work together with the National 

Guard at the Fargo Dome to make sand bags during a 24-hour 

operation. Community members have the capabilities to help meet 

their own emergency needs. Michael Reiger/FEMA

Recognize Community Capabilities 

and Broaden the Team

Recognize communities’ private and 

civic capabilities, identify how they can 

contribute to improve pre- and postevent outcomes, and actively engage 

them in all aspects of the emergency 

management process.
A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management:

Principles, Themes, and Pathways for Action

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A daily conference call was attended by as many as 60 individuals representing agencies that 

serve individuals with disabilities and chronic illnesses. In addition, volunteers with disabilities 

continuously scanned broadcast media and printed and electronic newspapers and called agency 

contacts to obtain the latest information on resources for disaster recovery. For instance, 

volunteers placed calls to local hospitals and clinics, faith-based organizations, and organizations 

representing clinical professionals to request help with crisis counseling. Recovery resource 

information was compiled in an extensive database with entries grouped within the following 

categories: Red Cross, FEMA, emergency shelters/housing assistance, medication assistance, 

health care services, mental health support, food assistance, eyewear, communications, 

computers/Internet, hiring contractors for home repairs, insurance claims, legal aid, vital 

documents, older adult care, childcare, blood donations, animal shelter and services, and 

emergency preparation. The Disaster Recovery Resource Database was updated twice daily and 

information was disseminated in multiple formats (e.g., email attachment, website, hard copy, 

and telephone).

The committee used local media outlets, state agencies (e.g., health, education, rehabilitation, 

aging, and mental health), city and county governments, the United Way’s 2-1-1 Information & 

Referral Search website, and nonprofit organizations to disseminate the database to community 

residents. Independent Living Resources of Greater Birmingham hosted a website with recovery 

resources presented by category. This collaboration greatly enhanced the delivery of services to 

individuals with disabilities, as well as older residents.

As a protection effort, some communities have 

developed self-assessment tools to evaluate how 

prepared they are for all threats and hazards. One 

example is a Community Resilience Index (CRI), 

which was developed by the Gulf of Mexico 

Alliance’s Coastal Community Resilience Priority 

Issue Team, the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant 

Consortium, and the Louisiana Sea Grant College 

Program in collaboration with 18 communities along the Gulf Coast, from Texas to Florida. It is 

a self-assessment tool and provides communities with a method of determining if an acceptable 

level of functionality may be maintained after a disaster. The self-assessment tool can be used to 

evaluate the following areas to provide a preliminary assessment of a community’s disaster 

resilience: critical infrastructure and facilities, transportation issues, community plans and 

agreements, mitigation measures, business plans, and social systems. Gaps are identified through 

this analysis. The CRI helps to identify weaknesses that a community may want to address prior 

to the next hazard event and stimulates discussion among emergency responders within a 

community, thus increasing its resilience to disasters. As a result of the initial implementation of 

the Community Resilience Index (CRI), additional grant funding is being provided by the 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coastal Storms Program to continue 

to build capacity in the region so facilitators can assist communities in taking the next steps. 

Under this new grant, facilitators will continue their work by helping communities identify issues 

and needs in connection with becoming more resilient, create a shared community understanding 

of the potential extent of future losses, apply strategies to serve near- and long-term mitigation 

needs, and take the first steps toward adapting to a rise in sea level. This support will be in the 

form of follow-up training and/or technical assistance.

Plan for the Real

Plan for what communities will really 

need should a severe event occur and 

not just for the existing resources on 

hand.
A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management:

Principles, Themes, and Pathways for Action

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Foster Relationships with Community Leaders

Within every community, there are many different formal and informal leaders, such as 

community organizers, local council members and other government leaders, nonprofit or 

business leaders, volunteer or faith leaders, and long-term residents, all of whom have valuable 

knowledge and can provide a comprehensive understanding of the communities in which they 

live. These leaders can help identify activities in which the community is already interested and 

involved as people might be more receptive to preparedness campaigns and more likely to 

understand the relevancy of emergency management to their lives.

The Colorado Emergency Preparedness Partnership (CEPP) exemplifies the benefits of fostering 

relationships with community leaders. According to its website, “CEPP is a collaborative 

enterprise created by the Denver Police Foundation, Business Executives for National Security,

and the Philanthropy Roundtable. It is a broad coalition to implement a voluntary, all-hazards 

partnership between business and government and, to date, is the product of many Colorado 

partners including leaders of the philanthropic community, Federal, state and local agencies, 

business, academia, and US Northern Command.” CEPP has built these trusted relationships 

since its inception in 2008. When not responding to a disaster, Colorado Emergency 

Preparedness Partnership (CEPP) partners remain connected with their network through 

information bulletins and tap into their capabilities for smaller emergencies and other needs. For 

example, the police recently needed a helicopter for a murder investigation and they contacted 

CEPP, a trusted partner, to see if there was one available. Within 30 minutes, three helicopters 

were offered by three different member organizations.

As suggested previously, disaster-resilient 

communities are, first and foremost, communities 

that function and solve problems well under normal 

conditions. By matching existing capabilities to 

needs and working to strengthen these resources, 

communities are able to improve their disaster 

resiliency. Community leaders and partners can help 

emergency managers in identifying the changing 

needs and capabilities that exist in the community. 

Community leaders can also rally their members to 

join community emergency management efforts and to take personal preparedness measures for 

themselves and their families. The inclusion of community leaders in emergency management 

training opportunities is a way to reach individuals, as these leaders can pass preparedness 

information to their members. They can be a critical link between emergency managers and the 

individuals they represent. Many emergency management agencies, such as the New York City 

Office of Emergency Management, include their private sector partners in regular exercises, 

sustaining and strengthening their relationships in the process.

For example, central Ohio is home to the country’s second-largest Somali population. The MidOhio Regional Planning Commission has been working to gather information about this group’s 

preferred communication methods, traditions, behaviors, and customs in order to appropriately 

plan for its needs in the event of an emergency. The Somali population requested that planners 

include the Somali community leaders in emergency preparedness and response efforts because 

they were the foremost sources of trustworthy communication. Both emergency managers and 

the community benefit from developing these trusted relationships.

Meet People Where They Are

Engage communities through the 

relationships that exist in everyday 

settings and around issues that already 

have their attention and drive their 

interactions. Connect the social, 

economic, and political structures that 

make up daily life to emergency 

management programs.
A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management:

Principles, Themes, and Pathways for Action

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Trust is a recurring theme that underpins healthy and 

strong communities. It acts as the glue that holds 

different groups together, strengthens and sustains 

solidarity, and supports the means for collective 

action. It is crucial that partnerships are based on 

trust and not on fear or competition to ensure the 

success of the Whole Community approach. Building 

social trust requires more than conventional outreach 

focused on “trust issues”; it requires collaborating 

with communities in joint activities designed to 

address specific local problems. As emergency 

managers and community leaders work together to 

solve problems, trusted relationships are formed as they learn to support and rely on one another. 

Fostering relationships and collaborating with community leaders is a way to build trust within 

the broader community as they are the links to individual community members. To this end, it is 

important that the government and its partners are transparent about information sharing, 

planning processes, and capabilities to deal with all threats and hazards.

Build and Maintain Partnerships

While certainly not a new concept, 

building relationships with multiorganizational partnerships and coalitions 

is an exemplary organizing technique to 

ensure the involvement of a wide range 

of local community members. The 

collective effort brings greater 

capabilities to the initiatives and provides 

greater opportunities to reach agreement 

throughout the community and influence 

others to participate and support 

activities. The critical step in building 

these partnerships is to find the 

overlapping and shared interests around 

which groups and organizations are 

brought together. Equally important is to 

sustain the motivations and incentives to 

collaborate over a long period of time 

while improving resilience through 

increased public-private partnership. As FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate stated at the first 

National Conference on Building Resilience Through Public-Private Partnerships, “We cannot 

separate out and segment one sector in isolation; the interdependencies are too great.... We want 

the private sector to be part of the team and we want to be in the situation where we work as a 

team and not compete with each other.”8

 8 Administrator Craig Fugate, Federal Emergency Management Agency, First National Conference on Building 

Resilience through Public-Private Partnerships, August 2011.

Build Trust through Participation

Successfully collaborating with 

community leaders to solve problems for 

non-emergency activities builds 

relationships and trust over time.

As trust is built, community leaders can 

provide insight into the needs and 

capabilities of a community and help to 

ramp up interest about emergency 

management programs that support 

resiliency.

Figure 5: Tuscaloosa, Alabama, June 9, 2011—The Japanese 

International Cooperation Agency made a donation of several pallets of 

blankets to representatives from several faith-based and volunteer 

organizations. The donation came in the wake of the April tornados 

that hit the southeast. Tim Burkitt /FEMA
A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management:

Principles, Themes, and Pathways for Action

12

Businesses play a key role in building resilient 

communities. As businesses consider what they need 

to do to survive a disaster or emergency, as outlined in 

their business continuity plans, it is equally important 

that they also consider what their customers will need 

in order to survive. Without customers and 

employees, businesses will fail. The ongoing 

involvement of businesses in preparedness activities 

paves the way to economic and social resiliency 

within their communities.

An example of a public-private partnership that 

successfully negotiated difficult community political 

and economic dynamics comes from Medina County, 

just southwest of Cleveland, Ohio. Like so many 

urban areas, expansion into rural areas placed new 

demands on water supplies. Some homebuilders 

initially wanted to develop large plots that would 

require filling in existing wetlands and natural 

floodplains. The building plans also required 

firefighting services to truck in large amounts of water 

in the event of an incident.

A broad-based coalition that included the local 

government, county floodplain manager, planning 

commission, homebuilders association, and 

emergency manager came together to spearhead a 

process to promote development in the county while 

protecting water supplies and preserving wetlands and 

ponds. The partnership achieved a building standard 

that allowed builders to develop their desired housing 

design but also required them to build ponds and 

wetlands within each housing subdivision in an effort 

to sustain water supplies and allow for improved fire 

protection and floodplain management. The zoning 

and land use mitigation efforts promoted and 

protected the health, safety, and welfare of the 

residents by making the community less susceptible to 

flood and fire damage.

Working as a public-private partnership enabled the 

participants to reach an agreement and institutionalize 

it through cooperative legal processes. Mutual 

interests and priorities brought this otherwise 

disparate group together to form a productive 

partnership.

Partnerships are attractive when all parties benefit from the relationship. The State of Florida 

established a team dedicated to business and industry. This dedicated private sector team is 

Partners to Consider Engaging

 Community councils

 Volunteer organizations (e.g., local 

Voluntary Organizations Active in 

Disaster, Community Emergency 

Response Team programs, 

volunteer centers, State and County 

Animal Response Teams, etc.)

 Faith-based organizations

 Individual citizens

 Community leaders (e.g., 

representatives from specific 

segments of the community, 

including seniors, minority 

populations, and non-English

speakers)

 Disability services

 School boards

 Higher education institutions

 Local Cooperative Extension 

System offices

 Animal control agencies and animal 

welfare organizations

 Surplus stores

 Hardware stores

 Big-box stores

 Small, local retailers

 Supply chain components, such as 

manufacturers, distributors, 

suppliers, and logistics providers

 Home care services

 Medical facilities

 Government agencies (all levels and 

disciplines)

 Embassies

 Local Planning Councils (e.g., 

Citizen Corps Councils, Local 

Emergency Planning Committees)

 Chambers of commerce

 Nonprofit organizations

 Advocacy groups

 Media outlets

 Airports

 Public transportation systems

 Utility providers

 And many others...
A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management:

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13

composed of various state agencies/organizations and 

business support organizations. The purpose of this 

team is to coordinate with local, tribal, state, 

territorial, and Federal agencies to provide immediate 

and short-term assistance for the needs of business, 

industry, and economic stabilization, as well as longterm business recovery assistance. The private sector 

team’s preparedness and response assistance may 

include accessing financial, workforce, technical, and 

community resources. Local jurisdictions in the state 

are also incorporating this concept into their planning 

processes. Such partnerships help get businesses 

back up and running quickly after a disaster so they can then assist with the response and 

recovery efforts.

Throughout 2011, the Miami-Dade County Department of Emergency Management, in 

partnership with Communities United Coalition of Churches, the American Red Cross--South 

Florida Region, FEMA, Islamic Schools of South Florida and many others, conducted a pilot 

effort to identify what works and what does not work in engaging the whole community in 

emergency preparedness, response, and recovery. The following seven target population groups 

were chosen: low-income and disadvantaged residents, seniors, immigrants and those with 

limited English-speaking abilities, those of minority faith traditions, disabled people, youth, and 

the homeless. Given the size, diversity (e.g., ethnicity, religion, and age), and breadth of 

experience of Miami-Dade County Emergency Management, many lessons could be learned by 

focusing Whole Community efforts on this geographic area. Most notably, the pilot identified

previously unknown assets that the target population groups could bring to an emergency 

situation, which resulted in the following developments:

 A network of 25 newly affiliated groups now partnering with emergency management and 

the Red Cross;

 Identification of 65 houses of worship, community groups, and religious broadcasters who 

can support disaster communications and language translation;

 New capacity to serve 8,000 survivors;

 Nine facilities already in the community identified as potential new sites for feeding and 

sheltering; and

 Five existing facilities identified as new points of distribution for commodities.

Following the pilot and despite significant budget cuts, Miami-Dade emergency management 

officials established a team of people to work over the next two years to institutionalize Whole 

Community into the way the department thinks, plans, and acts.

Once partnerships have been established, relationships like the ones created in Miami-Dade can 

be sustained through regular activities. Community ownership of projects will help ensure 

continued involvement and progress in the future. Furthermore, engaging community members 

through routine resilience-building activities, such as business continuity-related exercises, will 

ensure they can be activated and sustained during emergencies.

Create Space at the Table

Open up the planning table and engage 

in the processes of negotiation, 

discussion, and decision making that 

govern local residents under normal 

conditions.

Encourage community members to 

identify additional resources and 

capabilities. Promote broader community 

participation in planning and empower 

local action to facilitate buy-in.
A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management:

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14

Including partners such as representatives from for-profit and nonprofit private sector 

organizations and individuals from the community in preparedness activities (e.g., emergency 

management exercises) is a way to maintain momentum. One key aspect of maintaining 

partnerships is to set up regular means of communication with community groups and local 

leaders, such as through newsletters, meetings, or participating volunteers, to ensure that they 

stay informed about and engaged in emergency management activities. The Agua Caliente Band 

of Cahuilla Indians sends out a monthly outreach newsletter that includes emergency 

preparedness updates. Contact information is provided in the newsletter to encourage community 

members to provide feedback on emergency management programs. The tribe also uses social 

media applications like Twitter and Facebook to update the community on emergency 

management issues and programs.

Emergency managers can continue to build and maintain partnerships that emerge during the 

response phase, enabling a better response when another disaster strikes. For example, Support 

Alliance for Emergency Readiness Santa Rosa (SAFER) is a network of organizations 

committed to serving actively during disasters. It was developed to bring together local 

businesses and faith-based and nonprofit organizations to provide more efficient service to 

disaster survivors after Hurricane Ivan devastated northwest Florida. The network’s coordinating 

efforts were aimed specifically at eliminating unnecessary duplication of effort.

During non-emergency periods, SAFER works closely with other agencies to address the needs 

of the county’s impoverished and vulnerable populations. In connection with this, SAFER helps 

families who lose their homes to fire, replenishes local food pantries, and provides cold weather 

shelters to the homeless. The relationships it forms while serving community residents daily 

provides the foundation for collective action when disaster strikes.

Empower Local Action

Recognition that government at all levels cannot manage disasters alone means that communities 

need the opportunity to draw on their full potential to operate effectively. Empowering local 

action requires allowing members of the communities to lead—not follow—in identifying 

priorities, organizing support, implementing programs, and evaluating outcomes. The emergency 

manager promotes and coordinates, but does not direct, these conversations and efforts. Lasting 

impacts of long-term capacity building can be evident in an evolving set of civic practices and 

habits among leaders and the public that become embedded in the life of the community. In this 

regard, the issue of social capital becomes an important part of encouraging communities to own 

and lead their own resilience activities.9 Furthermore, community ownership of projects provides 

a powerful incentive for sustaining action and involvement.

In May 2011, a devastating tornado struck Joplin, Missouri, leading to the development of the 

Citizens Advisory Recovery Team (CART). CART is composed of city officials, business 

leaders, community leaders, and residents whose shared purposes are to engage residents to 

determine their recovery vision and share that vision with the community; provide a systematic 

way to address recovery through a planning process; and bring all segments of the community 

 9 “By analogy with notions of physical capital and human capital—tools and training that enhance individual

productivity—‘social capital’ refers to features of social organization such as networks, norms, and social trust that 

facilitate coordination and cooperation for mutual benefit.” Putnam, Robert D., “Bowling Alone: America’s 

Declining Social Capital,” Journal of Democracy 6:1, Jan 1995, 65-78, p. 67.
A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management:

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together to share information and work together.10 Shortly after the tornado, CART, with support 

from FEMA’s Long-Term Recovery Task Force, Housing and Urban Development, 

Environmental Protection Agency, and the American Institute of Architects, conducted extensive 

public input and community sessions to discuss: housing and neighborhoods, schools and 

community facilities, infrastructure and environment, and economic development. All of the

ideas and comments from these meetings were used to draft a recovery vision as well as goals 

and project concepts. Recommendations were then presented to the City Council in November 

2011.

Similarly, following the 2008 flood in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the city came together to identify the 

capabilities of agencies and organizations that could assist with the recovery. Representatives 

from state, county, and city governments, the chamber of commerce, schools, businesses, faithbased organizations, nonprofit organizations, and neighborhood associations, many of which 

were involved in the response to the flood, formed the Recovery and Reinvestment Coordinating 

Team (RRCT). They explicitly forged the partnership to help create a framework for recovery 

that would include the broad interests of the entire area.

The RRCT organized open houses and general public 

meetings for hundreds of residents and business 

owners in an effort to develop a community-wide 

discussion on the priorities for long-term 

revitalization and investment in the city. They also 

focused the public discussions on the need to 

integrate the revitalization plan with a flood 

protection plan. Out of these efforts, the RRCT 

established the Neighborhood Planning Process to 

oversee the city’s post-flood Reinvestment and Revitalization Plan. The Reinvestment and 

Revitalization Plan included area action plans, goals, timelines, and redevelopment strategies for 

all ten affected neighborhoods, ultimately turning the recovery effort into an opportunity for 

redesigning and revitalizing the city.

Strengthening the government’s relationship with communities should be based on support and 

empowerment of local collective action, with open discussion of the roles and responsibilities of 

each party. This vision should be clearly conveyed so that participating organizations can 

commit adequate resources over the long term and have a clear understanding of what the 

desired outcomes will be. Engaging members of communities as partners in emergency planning 

is critical to developing collective actions and solutions.

Two consecutive tragedies involving youth in a city in Colorado caused community members to 

recognize a need to better educate their youth on emergencies. A local fire department battalion 

chief helped form a small group of volunteers from the fire and police departments, enlisted 

support from a local television station’s meteorologist, and began offering clinics and classes. 

Other agencies joined the effort and the group also began offering a Youth Disaster Training 

program for teenagers, hoping to engage the younger population in a broader, more meaningful 

experience through which emergency management skills and knowledge could easily be learned. 

The organizers found that when the teen participants became involved, the program’s learning 

 10 Citizens Advisory Recovery Team. Listening to Joplin: Report of the Citizens Advisory Recovery Team, Nov. 

2011.

Let Public Participation Lead

Enable the public to lead, not follow, in 

identifying priorities, organizing support, 

implementing programs, and evaluating 

outcomes. Empower them to draw on 

their full potential in developing collective 

actions and solutions.
A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management:

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16

objectives and training approach were transformed from what had initially been envisioned. The 

teens rejected the program’s original logo and redesigned it to be more meaningful to their peers. 

The teens also pressed for a different type of instruction. They wanted to hear from people who 

had actually survived a disaster and learn what the experience was like and how the survivors 

and relatives of victims felt afterward.

The Youth Disaster Training program became such a success that requests to participate quickly 

outstripped the available and planned resources. Other organizations, including public school 

leaders, state agencies, and other organizations, joined in. The teenagers brought their parents, 

informed their friends, and participated in activities such as a career development session during 

which they met emergency managers from the health, fire, and police departments, as well as the 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and FEMA. As a result of the 

summer program, the teenagers became empowered to voice their needs and interests and design 

and implement the best ways to fulfill them.

Empowering local action is especially important in rural communities where there tends to be 

less infrastructure (e.g., telecommunications, public transportation, and health services) and 

where emergency managers are often part-time employees who are also responsible for areas 

outside of emergency management. Rural communities understand that the social capital found 

in local volunteer organizations and individuals is necessary for preparing for and responding to 

unique rural threats such as agroterrorism. The Agrosecurity Committee of the Extension 

Disaster Education Network (EDEN) has established the Strengthening Community 

Agrosecurity Planning (S-CAP) workshop series to address challenges concerning the protection 

of agriculture and the food supply. Workshop participants include a wide range of community 

representatives (e.g., local emergency management and public health personnel, first responders, 

veterinarians, producers/commodity representatives, and agribusinesses). They come together to 

address the issues relevant to their specific agricultural vulnerabilities. The workshops help guide 

local Extension personnel and other community partners in developing the agricultural 

component of their local emergency operations plan to help safeguard the community’s 

agriculture, food, natural resources, and pets. The workshops empower communities to build on 

their capacity to handle agricultural incidents through improved networking and team building.

Leverage and Strengthen Social Infrastructure, Networks, and 

Assets

Leveraging and strengthening existing social infrastructure, networks, and assets means investing 

in the social, economic, and political structures that make up daily life and connecting them to 

emergency management programs. A community in general consists of an array of groups, 

institutions, associations, and networks that organize and control a wide variety of assets and 

structure social behaviors. Local communities have their own ways of organizing and managing 

this social infrastructure. Understanding how communities operate under normal conditions (i.e., 

before a disaster) is critical to both immediate response and long-term recovery after a disaster. 

Emergency managers can strengthen existing capabilities by participating in discussions and 

decision-making processes that govern local residents under normal conditions and aligning 

emergency management activities to support community partnerships and efforts. Emergency 

managers can engage with non-traditional partners within their communities to build upon these 

day-to-day functions and determine how they can be leveraged and empowered during a disaster.
A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management:

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Communities are extremely resourceful in using what is available—in terms of funding, physical 

materials, or human resources—to meet a range of day-to-day needs. Whether relying on 

donations and volunteers to stock a local 

food bank or mobilizing neighbors to 

form “watch groups” to safeguard 

children playing in public parks, 

communities have a great capacity for 

dealing with everyday challenges. There 

are opportunities for government to 

support and strengthen these pathways, 

such as providing planning spaces where 

people can meet and connect, providing 

resources to support local activities, and 

creating new partnerships to expand 

shared resources. Enhancing the 

successful, everyday activities in 

communities will empower local 

populations to define and communicate 

their needs, mediate challenges and 

disagreements, and participate in local 

organizational decision making. As a 

result, a culture of shared responsibility 

and decision making emerges, linking 

communities and leaders in tackling 

problems of common concern.

For example, the protection and resilience of the Nation’s critical infrastructure is a shared 

responsibility involving all levels of government and critical infrastructure owners and operators. 

Prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery efforts relating to the Nation’s 

infrastructure are most effective when there is full participation of government and industry 

partners. The mission suffers (i.e., full benefits are not realized) without the robust participation 

of a wide array of partners.

Following September 11, 2001, communities discovered that partnerships with local rail 

enthusiasts can help strengthen the security of the Nation’s rail network. Across the United 

States, thousands of rail enthusiasts, or “rail fans,” enjoy a hobby that takes them to public spots 

alongside rail yards where they watch and photograph trains. Rail fans are drawn from across a 

community’s social and demographic landscape. However, the heightened security measures that 

followed the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, resulted in law enforcement and rail 

security police becoming suspicious of rail fans photographing busy locations where commuter 

and freight trains clustered.

After two rail fans were detained by local police for taking pictures of trains, a public outcry 

arose from rail fans online and their national associations. Across the country, rail fans insisted 

that they were far from being a threat to security and were actually one of the rail network’s best 

security assets because they were routinely in a position to observe suspicious behavior. A 

coalition of senior police officers, rail fans, and local elected leaders convened to review and 

resolve the conflict. The controversy subsided as police acknowledged the rights of rail fans to 

Figure 6: Margaretville, New York, September 4, 2011—Volunteers 

came to help residents remove mud and salvage belongings from 

homes ruined by floodwaters on “Labor for Your Neighbor” weekend 

events following Hurricane Irene. Elissa Jun/FEMA
A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management:

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photograph trains from public locations and the rail fans publicly embraced the need for greater 

security around rail yards. Rail fans offered to help keep America’s rail network safe from 

vandalism, terrorism, and other incidents by reporting situations that appeared to be out of the 

ordinary.

BNSF Railway, one of the largest freight rail companies in North America, developed a 

community-based rail fan reporting program called Citizens for Rail Security. This program

includes a web-based reporting system in which rail fans can enter a minimal amount of their 

personal information, generate an official identification card, and receive guidelines on how to 

report any suspicious activities or potential security breaches.

Experiences in Haiti after the catastrophic earthquake in 2010 also underscore the value of 

leveraging existing social infrastructure. A research team that had worked for months after the 

disaster identified two different types of social and organizational networks providing aid to 

earthquake survivors.11 One network consisted of large relief agencies that focused on 

transporting a large volume of humanitarian aid from outside the country and into the disaster 

area. The second type of network involved pre-existing social groups that routinely worked with 

and inside local Haitian neighborhoods to provide basic social services.

The network of large relief agencies had to create 

systems and gather manpower and equipment to 

distribute the aid, whereas the second group that used 

pre-existing social groups already had systems, 

manpower, and equipment in place. The unfamiliar 

network of large relief agencies was also plagued by 

aggression and theft by the locals, which the familiar 

pre-existing social groups did not experience. Since the network of pre-existing social groups 

routinely worked with and inside local Haitian neighborhoods to provide basic social services, 

they were trusted and had detailed knowledge of local conditions, which allowed them to 

anticipate local needs accurately and provide the aid required. Since they knew the actual amount 

of resources needed, they did not rely on large convoys that would be tempting to vandals.

Many of the problems encountered in providing aid to Haiti resemble difficulties faced in other 

large-scale emergency response operations. Problems did not occur because of an absolute 

shortage of supplies or slow responses. Rather, they resulted from failures to connect with and 

benefit from the strengths of existing, familiar patterns of community interaction and assistance.

One reason why local community organizations are effective during emergencies is that they are 

rooted in a broad-based set of activities that address the core needs of a community. They are of, 

by, and with the community. They may be, for instance, involved in feeding and sheltering the 

homeless or working with children in after-school programs. They also remain visible in the 

community, communicating regularly with local residents about issues of immediate concern, as 

well as more distant emergency management interests.

 11 Holguín-Veras, José, Ph.D., et al., “Field Investigation on the Comparative Performance of Alternative 

Humanitarian Logistic Structures after the Port au Prince Earthquake: Preliminary Findings and Suggestions,”

March 2, 2011.

Strengthen Social Infrastructure

Align emergency management activities 

to support the institutions, assets, and 

networks that people turn to in order to 

solve problems on a daily basis.
A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management:

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Pathways for Action

While there are many similarities that most communities share, communities are ultimately 

complex and unique. Ideas that work well in one community may not be feasible for another due 

to local regulations, available funding, demographics, geography, or community culture, for 

example. Some communities have fully integrated Whole Community concepts into their 

operations. For other communities, this is a new concept that they are hearing about for the first 

time. If this concept is familiar to you, think about what you can teach and share with others. On 

the other hand, if you are looking to begin a Whole Community approach or expand existing 

programs, the following questions and bullets may help get you started.

What follows are ideas and recommendations that were collected as part of the national dialogue 

during facilitated group discussions with emergency management practitioners from nonprofit 

organizations, academia, private sector organizations, and all levels of government. These 

recommendations are by no means exhaustive, but are intended to help you think about ways in 

which you can establish or broaden a Whole Community practice of emergency management 

within your community.

How can we better understand the actual needs of the communities we serve?

 Educate your emergency management staff on the diversity of the community and implement 

cultural competence interventions, such as establishing a relationship with a multi-lingual 

volunteer to help interact with the various groups.12

 Learn the demographics of your community. Develop strategies to reach community 

members and engage them in issues that are important to them.

 Know the languages and communication methods/traditions in the community—not only 

what languages people speak and understand, but how they actually exchange new 

information and which information sources they trust.

 Know where the real conversations and decisions are made. They are not always made at the 

council level, but at venues such as the community center, neighborhood block parties, social 

clubs, or places of worship. Tap into these opportunities to listen and learn more about the 

community. For example, homeowner association quarterly meetings (social or formal) may 

serve as opportunities to identify current community issues and concerns and to disseminate 

important public information.

What partnerships might we need in order to develop an understanding of the community’s needs?

 Identify a broad base of stakeholders, including scout troops, sports clubs, home school

organizations, and faith-based and disability communities to identify where relationships can 

be built and where information about the community’s needs can be shared. Partner with 

groups that interact with a given population on a daily basis, such as first responders, places 

of worship, niche media outlets, and other community organizations. These 

 12 For more information on cultural competence interventions, see Betancourt, J., et al., “Defining Cultural 

Competence: A Practical Framework for Addressing Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Health and Health Care,” Public 

Health Reports, 2003, Vol. 118.
A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management:

Principles, Themes, and Pathways for Action

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groups/organizations have already established trust within the community and can act as 

liaisons to open up communication channels.

 Every year, foreign-born residents and visitors are among those affected by disasters in our 

country. Reach out to local foreign country representatives through consulates or embassies

to incorporate international partners in a Whole Community approach to domestic disasters.

How do we effectively engage the whole community in emergency management to include a wide breadth 

of community members?

 Reach out and interact with your Citizen Corps Council (or similar organization) to inquire 

about groups that are currently involved in emergency planning, as well as groups that are 

not involved but should be. Citizen Corps Councils facilitate partnerships among government 

and nongovernmental entities, including those not traditionally involved in emergency 

planning and preparedness. Additionally, Councils involve community members in order to 

increase coordination and collaboration between emergency management and key 

stakeholders while increasing the public’s awareness of disasters.

 Strive to hire a diverse staff that is representative of the community.

 Maintain ongoing, clear, and consistent communication with all segments of the community 

by using vocabulary that is understood and known by those members.

 Discuss how organizations can have a formal role in the community’s emergency plan and, 

when feasible, include them in training activities and exercises.

 Use the power of social media applications (e.g., Facebook and Twitter) to disseminate 

messages, create two-way information exchanges, and understand and follow up on 

communication that is already happening within the community.

 Involve children and youth through educational programs and activities centered on 

individual, family, and community preparedness.

 Develop recovery plans with full participation and partnership within the full fabric of the 

community.

 Incorporate emergency planning discussions into the existing format of community meetings. 

Multi-purpose meetings help increase participation, especially in communities where 

residents must travel long distances to attend such meetings.

 Identify barriers to participation in emergency management meetings (e.g., lack of childcare 

or access to transportation, and time of the meeting) and provide solutions where feasible 

(e.g., provide childcare, arrange for the meeting to be held in a location accessible by public 

transportation, and schedule for after-work hours).

 Consider physical, programmatic, and communication access needs of community members 

with disabilities when organizing community meetings.
A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management:

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How do we generate public interest in disaster preparedness to get a seat at the table with community 

organizations?

 Integrate the public and community institutions into the planning process by hosting town 

hall meetings and by participating in non-emergency management community meetings. 

Listen to the public’s needs and discuss how individuals can play a role in the planning 

process.

 Make yourself available for local radio call-in programs to answer questions that callers have 

about emergency management and solicit input from the listeners on what they see as the top 

priorities for community resilience.

 Have an open house at your emergency operations center (EOC) and invite the public. Invite 

schools for field trips. Explain the equipment, organization, and coordination that are used to 

help protect the community.

How can we tap into what communities are interested in to engage in discussions about increasing 

resilience?

 Find local heroes and opinion leaders and learn what they are interested or involved in and 

tailor emergency management materials and information to meet their interests.

 Find out what issues or challenges various groups in your community are currently 

confronting, how they are organizing, and how emergency management might help them 

address pressing needs.

What activities can emergency managers change or create to help strengthen what already works well in 

communities?

 Understand how you can share and augment resources with partners within your community 

during emergencies. For example, providing a power generator to a store that has all the 

supplies the community needs but no power to stay open would be an example of a way in 

which to share and augment resources.

 Work with your partner organizations to better understand the various ways they will be able 

to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from threats and hazards and 

supplement their activities and resources rather than compete with them.

 Identify organizations that already provide support to the community and determine how you 

can supplement their efforts during times of disaster when there might be a greater need. For 

example, if food banks distribute food on a regular basis, emergency managers can deliver 

additional food to the food banks to help them meet a greater demand during a disaster.

 Leverage existing programs, such as the local Parent Teacher Association (PTA), to 

strengthen emergency management skills in the community. Offer Community Emergency 

Response Team (CERT) training to PTA members.
A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management:

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How can communities and emergency management support each other?

 Provide adequate information to organizations ahead of time so they can better prevent, 

protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from threats and hazards. In return, 

organizations will provide you with information on their status and ability to assist when you 

need them. For this reason, ongoing multi-directional information sharing is one of the most 

important aspects of maintaining your partnerships. Have regular meetings with formal and 

informal community leaders and partners to maintain momentum.

 Provide support to for-profit private sector organizations in the development of business 

continuity plans. Keeping businesses up and running after an event helps to stabilize a 

community’s economy and promotes resiliency.

When reflecting on the previous questions and ideas, it is important to remember that one size 

does not fit all. The definition of success will vary by community. Just as certain Whole 

Community efforts are appropriate for some communities and not for others, every jurisdiction 

has a different idea of what success means to them. Periodically assessing progress facilitates an 

ongoing dialogue and helps determine if the needs of the community are being met. Whole 

Community implementation requires flexibility and refinement through routine evaluation as 

lessons are learned. Communities should define metrics that are meaningful to them to track 

progress in the actions they choose to take toward meeting the communities’ needs.

Regardless of what stage you are at in practicing Whole Community principles, think about how 

you can start or continue incorporating Whole Community principles and themes into what you 

do today. Test out your ideas and discuss them with your colleagues to learn and continue the 

national dialogue.
A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management:

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Conclusion

FEMA began its national dialogue with a proposition: A community-centric approach for 

emergency management that focuses on strengthening and leveraging what works well in 

communities on a daily basis offers a more effective path to building societal security and 

resilience. By focusing on core elements of successful, connected, and committed communities, 

emergency management can collectively achieve better outcomes in times of crisis, while 

enhancing the resilience of our communities and the Nation. The three core principles of Whole 

Community—understanding and meeting the actual needs of the whole community, engaging 

and empowering all parts of the community, and strengthening what works well in communities 

on a daily basis—provide a foundation for pursuing a Whole Community approach to emergency 

management through which security and resiliency can be attained.

Truly enhancing our Nation’s resilience to all threats and hazards will require the emergency 

management community to transform the way the emergency management team thinks about, 

plans for, and responds to incidents in such a way to support community resilience. It takes all 

aspects of a community to effectively prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover 

from threats and hazards. It is critical that individuals take responsibility for their own selfpreparedness efforts and that the community members work together to develop the collective 

capacity needed to enhance their community’s security and resilience.

Building community resilience in this manner requires emergency management practitioners to 

effectively engage with and holistically plan for the needs of the whole community. This 

includes but is not limited to accommodating people who speak languages other than English, 

those from diverse cultures or economic backgrounds, people of all ages (i.e., from children and 

youth to seniors), people with disabilities and other access and functional needs, and populations 

traditionally underrepresented in civic governance. At the same time, it is important to realign 

emergency management practices to support local needs and work to strengthen the institutions, 

assets, and networks that work well in communities on a daily basis.

To that end, FEMA will continue its national dialogue to exchange ideas, recommendations, and 

success stories. FEMA also intends to develop additional materials for emergency managers that 

will support the adoption of the Whole Community concept at the local level. As part of this 

ongoing dialogue, reactions and feedback to the Whole Community concept presented in this 

document can be sent to FEMA-Community-Engagement@fema.gov.

This document is just a start. It will take time to transform the way the Nation thinks about, 

prepares for, and responds to disasters. FEMA recognizes that the challenges faced by the 

communities it serves are constantly evolving; as an Agency, it will always need to adapt, often 

at a moment’s notice. This shift in the Nation’s approach to addressing the needs of survivors is 

vital in keeping people and communities safe and in preventing the loss of life and property from 

all threats and hazards. The Whole Community themes described in this document provide a 

starting point to help emergency managers, as members of their communities, address the 

challenge. However, it will require the commitment of members of the entire community—from 

government agencies to local residents—to continue learning together.
A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management:

Principles, Themes, and Pathways for Action

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