We Are FEMA

Helping People Before, During, and 

After Disasters
2
Publication 1

Purpose

Publication 1 (Pub 1) is our capstone doctrine. It helps us as Federal Emergency 

Management Agency (FEMA) employees understand our role in the emergency 

management community and provides direction for how we conduct ourselves 

and make decisions each day. It explains:

▪ Who We Are: An understanding of our identity and foundational beliefs

▪ Why We Are Here: A story of pivotal moments in history that have built and

shaped our Agency

▪ What We Face: How we manage unpredictable and ever-evolving threats

and hazards

▪ What We Do: An explanation of how we help people before, during, and after

disasters

▪ How We Do It: An understanding of the principles that guide the work we do

Audience

This document is for every FEMA employee. Whether you have just joined us or 

have been with the Agency for many years, this document serves to remind us 

why we all choose to be a part of the FEMA family. Our organization includes 

many different offices, programs, and roles that are all committed to helping 

people. Everyone plays a role in achieving our mission.

We also invite and welcome the whole community to read Pub 1 to help 

individuals and organizations across the Nation better understand FEMA’s 

mission and role as we work together to carry out an effective system of 

emergency management.

“Once you are a part of the FEMA family, you are 

always a part of the family."

Larry Hall

Former FEMA Employee

The intent of our Pub 1 is to promote innovation, flexibility, and performance in 

achieving our mission. It promotes unity of purpose, guides professional 

judgment, and enables each of us to fulfill our responsibilities.

We Are FEMA
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Who We 

Are

Page 5

Why We Are 

Here

Page 14

What We 

Face

Page 29

What We 

Do

Page 33

How We 

Do It

Page 47
1

5

Who We Are: We Are FEMA

We are the Federal Emergency Management 

Agency (FEMA). We are a team of Federal 

leaders who support the people and 

communities of our Nation by providing 

experience, perspective, and resources in 

emergency management. Each of us finds 

strength and value from our role at FEMA,

whether we are helping others in the office or in 

the field. We live our core values of Compassion, 

Fairness, Integrity, and Respect every day to help 

people and support the Nation’s disaster and 

emergency management needs.

"Each time I go out to 

the field, I’m reminded 

of how much living out 

our mission and core 

values can and is 

making a difference in 

the lives of survivors. 

We exist to help people 

before, during, and 

after disasters. This is 

our mission." 

David Maurstad

FEMA Executive
Who We Are

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We Are FEMA: Helping People Before, During, and After Disasters

FEMA's Fundamental Role

Leadership is a process of social influence, which maximizes the efforts of 

others towards the achievement of a goal.

We have a distinct role as Federal leaders. Our Administrator is the principal 

advisor to the President, the Homeland Security Council, and the Secretary of 

Homeland Security for all matters relating to emergency management in the 

United States (U.S.). This unique role is what fuels us as leaders to create an 

environment where partners work together to make a difference in communities 

before, during, and after disasters.

Our Agency is one player on a large team collaborating to build a more resilient 

Nation. We provide a platform for people to build relationships, gather and share 

information, and think holistically about disasters. We lead by supporting, 

coordinating, and managing personnel, assets, and information. We also offer 

tools, guidance, and resources to help individuals and communities review, build, 

and continuously improve their own capabilities.

In our emergency management role, we:

▪ Raise risk awareness; educate in risk reduction options; and help to take

action before disasters

▪ Alert, warn, and message; coordinate the Federal response; and apply and

manage resources during disasters

▪ Coordinate Federal recovery efforts; provide resources; and apply insight to

future risk after disasters

"Every FEMA employee is an owner of our mission 

and a defender of our Core Values."

Joel Doolin

FEMA Executive
Publication 1

Who We Are

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Your Role as a FEMA Employee

We are a team. Every FEMA employee contributes to our mission and has an 

impact on the Agency. Whether you are supporting human resources, information 

technology, policy and program work, deploying to a disaster, engaging directly 

with survivors, or performing any other function within our Agency, we all play a 

critical role in building a prepared and resilient Nation. 

As a family we take care of each other so we are best positioned to help others. 

Responding to increasingly frequent and complex disasters requires us to 

become more skilled, agile, informed, and innovative as emergency management 

professionals. We foster a culture of innovation in our Agency by encouraging 

new ideas and accepting creative thought. We are curious and disciplined, 

constantly seeking ways to learn, develop, and grow. We also offer training, 

education, and professional development opportunities so every employee feels 

knowledgeable, empowered, and ready to take action in any work setting.

Fulfilling FEMA's mission is also dependent on our personal credibility and 

preparedness. We offer training to our employees on individual and financial 

preparedness, emergency procedures, and continuity of operations planning. We 

lead by example by preparing ourselves, just as we want others to do for 

themselves and their communities.

As we face an ever-changing disaster landscape, one thing will always remain 

constant – we are a diverse and inclusive team making a difference in the lives 

of others. We are a dynamic workforce with different backgrounds and identities 

that strengthen our ability to help, relate, and support others during adversity. 

We work together to lead and support in service of the Nation. We believe we 

have the best mission in the Federal Government: helping people before, during, 

and after disasters. As a FEMA employee you are a part of this mission and we 

expect you to make a mark on the Agency and a difference in the lives of others!

“Every employee at FEMA is a critical part of the team that 

comes together to help people before, during, and after 

disasters. Whether you are pulling network cable, ordering 

supplies, standing in the rain at a staging area, processing 

a grant award for a survivor or their community, working the 

night shift in an operations center, or filling in for your deployed 

teammates YOU are what makes FEMA able to deliver to the 

American people when they need us most.”

MaryAnn Tierney

FEMA Executive
Who We Are

Publication 1

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We Are One FEMA

There are many different types of FEMA employees that work together to 

create One FEMA. In addition to permanent full-time employees, FEMA’s 

workforce includes: a Cadre of On-Call Response/Recovery Employees (CORE)

who contribute directly to open disasters; Reservists who support disaster 

operations in affected communities; and FEMA Corps members who spend 

ten months completing FEMA-related service projects throughout the country. 

Additionally, FEMA can hire locally to augment the disaster workforce, 

providing a way for individuals to help their community in the recovery process 

and support their local economy. 

Our diverse perspectives and experiences position us to respect that every 

community is unique and to help others in their time of need. We work 

together to deliver solutions. The dedication and commitment of our 

workforce extends beyond our normal duties, especially when our mission 

requires us to deploy around the country when disaster strikes. 
Publication 1

Who We Are

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What We Believe

We believe in honoring and practicing our ethos and core values every day. They 

are the essence of our identity and the force that drives us. They give us purpose 

to keep going and guide each decision we make. They define who we are and set 

expectations for our employees. We embody our ethos when we demonstrate 

our core values in all our interactions – both in our professional and personal 

lives – and treat others with Compassion, Fairness, Integrity, and Respect. 

Ethos

An ethos describes the character, tone, or collective reputation of an institution and 

conveys the underlying sentiment that informs a particular organization's belief.

Stemming from our belief that we help people, our commitment to public service 

distinguishes us as an organization and defines our ethos. An ethos is the feeling 

created within a group that drives the work it does. Our ethos is the pride we have 

in our work as public servants. It motivates and inspires us as an organization to 

work diligently for ourselves and others.

We are also a team of colleagues who respect and care about one another. The 

sum of our people, programs, and dedication to helping others defines our 

strength as an Agency.

Core Values

Core values are the accepted standards of an organization that are the 

foundation for which work is performed and conducted.

Our core values are Compassion, Fairness, Integrity, and Respect. They are the 

heart of what our Agency and our employees stand for and represent. These values 

form the foundation of who we are, what we believe, and who we want to be. We 

are committed to these core values, which apply to our interactions with everyone 

– survivors, colleagues, partners – every single day.

"Helping people before, during, and after disasters means helping all 

impacted people – including those who speak different languages, have 

mental or physical disabilities, are low income, are older, etc. Our best 

is needed by everyone, in every corner of every community; there are no 

second class citizens in our work."

Jo Linda Johnson

FEMA Executive
Who We Are

Publication 1

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Compassion

Compassion is the expression of our care for others. We are understanding, 

empathetic, and inclusive as we support fellow employees, partner organizations, 

individuals, and communities.

Compassion in Action

▪ Showing empathy to a

disaster survivor, and

providing relevant information

and direction

▪ Supporting a colleague by

listening or assisting with a

project, or when they are

coping with a personal or

family emergency

▪ Exercising patience when

explaining our processes to

one of our partners
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Who We Are

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Fairness

Fairness is treating everyone impartially, offering unbiased and consistent 

assistance, and ensuring equal access to resources and tools. We are consistent 

in our commitment to help others.

Fairness in Action

▪ Providing programs and

services that ensure equal

access for survivors with

disabilities

▪ Treating all colleagues

equitably, professionally,

and consistently

▪ Creating a standardized

review process for

stakeholder requests that

ensure all applicants are

considered equally
Who We Are

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Integrity

Integrity encompasses our responsibility as stewards of Federal resources, 

services, and programs, and our conduct as trusted professionals. We earn 

trust by being accountable, present, honest, and dependable. Because we 

are the face of FEMA, our conduct – both on and off duty – matters.

Integrity in Action

▪ Applying the highest levels of

honesty and transparency in

everything we deliver to those

we serve

▪ Acting and standing up for our

colleagues when we see

something wrong by doing

what is necessary and

appropriate to make it right

▪ Holding ourselves

accountable so that our

partners can rely on us to be

truthful and to follow through
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Who We Are

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Respect

Respect is the practice of acknowledging the value of the people we work 

with and serve. We are committed to active listening and welcome diversity 

of thought, opinion, and background. Together, we are stronger.

Respect in Action

▪ Treating each survivor with

dignity and allowing them to

maintain their personal

autonomy and self

determination

▪ Fostering a healthy, safe, and

positive environment where

managers and staff enjoy

working together

▪ Building trusted relationships

with partners in which we

value different points of view

and listen to one another
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2 Why We Are Here: 

Becoming FEMA – The 

History of Our Agency

Our history provides the foundation for our 

identity as leaders today. It is rooted in the story 

of a Nation committed to finding strength in the 

face of unpredictable and devastating disasters. 

FEMA’s creation in 1979 was the first step in 

unifying Federal emergency management activity 

and building a comprehensive approach to 

national emergency management. We continue 

to learn, grow, and improve as we work to build a 

more resilient Nation. We are proud of our 

Agency’s evolution and the people who have 

made that progress possible.

"I'm not 'Old FEMA' or 

'New FEMA,' I'm 

'Successful FEMA.'"

Delois "Ruby" Champ

FEMA Employee
Why We Are Here

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Our Nation's 

Need for FEMA

Our Nation is built on the willingness and ability of its people to help one another 

in times of need. In early years, emergency managers reacted to each disaster, 

providing inconsistent assistance to those impacted. Over time, we realized the 

need for a more clearly defined approach to managing these disasters and 

providing consistent Federal support. This realization ultimately led to the 

creation of FEMA.

Initial Federal Role (1802 – 1949)

The first legislative act of Federal disaster relief in U.S. history followed a 

devastating fire in Portsmouth, New Hampshire in December 1802. The 

destruction of large areas of the city’s seaport threatened commerce in the newly 

founded Nation. In 1803, acting from the new national seat of government in 

Washington, D.C., the U.S. Congress provided relief to affected Portsmouth 

merchants by suspending bond payments for several months.

Destructive disasters such as the Chicago, Illinois Fire of 1871 and the 

Johnstown, Pennsylvania Flood of 1889 further revealed a need for greater 

Federal involvement and response to major disasters. As the Nation moved into 

the early twentieth century, advancements in science also enabled a better 

understanding of hazard risk and mitigation methods to reduce vulnerability and 
Why We Are Here

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The American Red Cross relief 

efforts for the 1927 Mississippi 

Valley Flood victims in New York, 

NY.

impacts of disasters. For example, the Federal Government played a role 

following the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 in expanding the development of 

flood control systems. While the Federal Government generally did not have a 

significant role in disaster response operations during this time, it supported the 

American Red Cross in its capacity to organize relief efforts for affected 

communities.

Broadening Emergency Management (1950 – 1977)

World War II and the Cold War brought a new national focus on civil defense and 

continuity operations. Emergency management began to evolve from a term that 

primarily referred to the Federal role in mobilizing the Nation for war to a more 

holistic definition to include both natural hazards and man-made incidents.

From 1803 to 1950, Congress passed 128 separate laws relating to disaster 

relief. A lack of comprehensive legislation led to a cumbersome system that 

required Congress to pass a law following each disaster to provide support. 

Thus, Congress enacted an untitled Federal disaster relief act in 1950 that 

enabled a state government to request Federal assistance through the 

President and empowered the President to declare a major disaster. This 

legislation was foundational in establishing the philosophy that Federal disaster 

assistance would supplement the efforts and available resources of state and 

local governments. Congress also passed the Federal Civil Defense Act of 1950

that created a parallel nationwide system of civil defense authorities. These two 

statutes began to lead the U.S. towards comprehensive national emergency 

management.

In 1965, Hurricane Betsy caused major damage across southern Florida and 

Louisiana. In the aftermath, Congress passed the National Flood Insurance Act 

of 1968 that made flood insurance coverage available to homeowners and 
Why We Are Here

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established a national program for flood risk reduction. Congress also enacted 

reforms that authorized Federal loans and tax assistance to individuals and 

Federal funds to repair and replace public facilities, created the first program to 

provide direct assistance to individuals and households, and strengthened 

Federal support in risk reduction from fires and earthquakes. Though FEMA had 

not yet been established, the legislative changes made in the 1960s and 1970s 

are the backbone of our programs today.

Creation of FEMA and Expanding Authorities (1978 – 1989)

By 1978, more than 100 separate Federal agencies had jurisdiction over aspects 

of emergency management. The National Governors Association championed a 

request from state governments seeking a national-level disaster management 

organization capable of handling both natural and man-made disasters.

In response, on June 19, 1978, President Carter submitted a proposal to 

Congress that would consolidate emergency preparedness, mitigation, and 

response activities into one Federal emergency management agency.

In late March of 1979, a partial meltdown at the Three Mile Island Nuclear 

Generating Station in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania required more than 100 entities 

to coordinate response efforts. Unfortunately, the disaster response effort was 

inefficient and fragmented, once again reinforcing the need for a coordinated 

emergency management agency. President Carter signed Executive Order 

12127, effective April 1, 1979, establishing FEMA and activating his 

reorganization plan. Shortly after, in signing Executive Order 12148 on July

20, 1979, President Carter gave our Agency the dual mission of emergency 

management and civil defense. This brought together additional agencies such 

This image shows a FEMA employee 

representing the U.S. at the 

North Atlantic Treaty Organization 

(NATO). Our engagement with the 

international community expanded 

in 1988, when President H.W. Bush 

issued an executive order giving our 

Agency a role at the U.S. Mission to 

NATO. The executive order assigned 

FEMA lead responsibility to assist the 

Secretary of State in coordinating the 

formulation and implementation of 

U.S. policy for NATO civil emergency 

planning.
Why We Are Here

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"President Carter has honored me in requesting that I assume 

the responsibility as the first director of the Federal Emergency 

Management Agency (FEMA)...

I believe that the five agencies that are brought together 

under the leadership of that single executive have a high 

degree of program compatibility and that through their merger 

greater effectiveness and efficiency can be achieved in the 

performance of the Federal Government's role."

John Macy

First FEMA Director

August 1979 - January 1981

as the Defense Civil Preparedness Agency (from the Department of Defense), the 

Federal Disaster Assistance Administration (from the Department of Housing and 

Urban Development), and the Federal Preparedness Agency (from the General 

Services Administration).

Our Agency’s authorities were further defined and expanded by the Disaster 

Relief and Emergency Assistance Amendments of 1988, which amended the 

Disaster Relief Act of 1974 and renamed it the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 

and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act).

Requesting Federal Assistance

The Stafford Act provides clear direction for our role in emergency management 

and establishes the current statutory framework for disaster response and 

recovery through Presidential disaster declarations. When resources exceed 

the capabilities of the state, local, tribal, or territorial government, a declaration 

request may be submitted by the Governor or Tribal Chief Executive to receive 

supplemental Federal assistance. 

For necessary expenses in carrying out the Stafford Act, Congress makes 

appropriations to the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF), which enables us to direct, 

coordinate, manage, and fund eligible response and recovery efforts associated 

with domestic major disasters and emergencies that overwhelm state, local, 

tribal, or territorial resources. The Stafford Act remains the formal and legal 

foundation for our role as leaders in emergency management. 
Why We Are Here

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FEMA's Ten Regional Offices

In 1974, the Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) required all Federal departments and 

agencies to establish a consistent and compatible 

Federal field structure to provide more 

opportunities for intergovernmental coordination. 

Five years later in 1979 when FEMA was 

established, we mirrored our regional structure to 

meet this requirement.

Our FEMA regions are:

▪ Region I (Boston, MA): Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire,

Rhode Island, Vermont

▪ Region II (New York City, NY): New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin

Islands

▪ Region III (Philadelphia, PA): Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland,

Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia

▪ Region IV (Atlanta, GA): Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North

Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee

▪ Region V (Chicago, IL): Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin

▪ Region VI (Denton, TX): Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas

▪ Region VII (Kansas City, MO): Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska

▪ Region VIII (Denver, CO): Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah,

Wyoming

▪ Region IX (Oakland, CA): Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Pacific territories*

▪ Region X (Bothell, WA): Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington

Facilities from legacy agencies, such as the Defense Civil Preparedness Agency and 

the Federal Disaster Assistance Administration, contributed to our initial regional 

offices. For example, in the 1960s the Federal Government built five Federal 

Regional Centers in Maynard, MA; Denton, TX; Thomasville, GA; Denver, CO; and 

Bothell, WA. These centers were originally constructed for continuity of operations 

in the event of an attack during the Cold War. Over time, we were given funding to 

expand and relocate. Today, some of our regional offices still use the original Federal 

Regional Centers as coordination centers, office space, or warehouses. FEMA also 

shares the U.S. government’s unique nation-to-nation relationship with Federally 

recognized tribes. Tribal governments and their members are an essential part of 

our Nation’s emergency management team. Our regional offices serve as invaluable 

conduits to reach, connect, and better communicate with people in all communities 

in their day-to-day lives. 

Construction of Federal Regional 

Center for Region VI in Denton, TX 

on August 31, 1962.

*The Pacific territories are Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American 

Samoa. Region IX also has the unique responsibility to coordinate with the U.S. Agency for International 

Development (USAID) to support the Federal Government’s long-standing relationship and treaty obligations 

with the Compact Nations of the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
Why We Are Here

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Refining 

Our Mission

Once organized as one FEMA, the decades following our creation were pivotal in 

defining what we do and how we can do it better. The triumph of our Nation 

following major disasters in the 1990s and early 2000s provided opportunities 

for us to learn from our mistakes, grow together, and continue to define our 

mission.

Expanding Mitigation and Preparedness (1990 – 2000)

As the Cold War ended and the threat of nuclear war faded, our Agency began to 

shift away from civil defense activities. In 1992, we brought together 27 Federal 

agencies and departments, as well as the American Red Cross, to publish the first 

Federal Response Plan. This plan was the first step in formalizing how we 

coordinate Federal resources to assist state and local governments in responding 

to disasters.

In August 1992, the Nation witnessed Hurricane Andrew destroy swaths of 

infrastructure across Florida and Louisiana, leaving tens of thousands of people 

without homes. Congress enacted reforms through the Stafford Act to streamline 

Federal relief and recovery operations and prioritize service delivery, emergency 

preparedness, and mitigation measures. 
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The Great Midwest Floods of 1993 and the Northridge Earthquake of 1994 

tested these new reforms. We successfully leveraged innovations in technology to 

create service centers that enabled survivors to apply for Federal assistance over 

the phone rather than in person. Furthermore, as the value of risk-based hazard 

mitigation became apparent, we encouraged communities to adopt better 

building practices and increased outreach programs focused on building disasterresistant communities.

A firefighter surveys the 

Murrah Building following the 

Oklahoma City bombing in 

Oklahoma City, OK on April 

19, 1995.

The 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, OK 

shook the Nation with the emerging threat of domestic terrorism. In 1996, 

Congress passed the Defense Against Weapons of Mass Destruction Act that 

reshaped the role of our Agency and other entities to further protect the public 

from terrorists. Earlier that year, President Clinton also raised our FEMA Director 

to cabinet-level status, signaling the importance of our disaster authority and 

responsibilities in response and recovery.

With the threat and hazard landscape continuing to evolve, Congress also 

passed legislative reform to further advance disaster risk reduction. The Disaster 

Mitigation Act of 2000 marked the first time in history that disaster management 

legislation placed a requirement on state and local governments to assess risk 

and plan for mitigation efforts as a condition of receiving Federal mitigation 

grant assistance.

“Disasters have a way of making us stronger in the 

broken places."

James Lee Witt

Former FEMA Director

April 1993 - January 2001
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Securing the Nation (2001 – 2003)

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 changed America forever, resulting in 

the loss of nearly 3,000 lives, billions of dollars in property, an untold number of 

jobs, and the displacement of many individuals and businesses. In a time of 

unanswered questions, confusion, and uncertainty, we immediately went into 

action supporting New York, Virginia, and Pennsylvania officials in managing the 

consequences of the attacks. We deployed Urban Search and Rescue teams, 

mobile communication equipment, and thousands of staff. The Agency helped fund 

extensive debris removal operations and the rebuilding of major infrastructure in 

lower Manhattan to include the modernization of the mass transportation system. 

We pushed our authorities to bring the financial resources that communities 

needed to recover.

FEMA Region VIII Urban Search 

and Rescue team leader and the 

Colorado Lieutenant Governor 

inspect the recovery operations 

underway at Ground Zero, the 

site of the World Trade Center 

collapse.

The attacks changed the face of homeland security and emergency management, 

and drove major statute and policy changes to reorganize the Federal 

Government. In 2002, President W. Bush signed the Homeland Security Act, 

leading to the creation of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The 

new organization stood up on March 1, 2003 and united our Agency and 21 other 

organizations into one Department. The FEMA Director title was renamed to the 

FEMA Administrator. Shortly after the formation of DHS, most of our terrorismrelated preparedness programs were consolidated with other counterterrorism 

activities to refocus our Agency’s efforts primarily on natural disasters.

"I watched our rescue teams join New York City's finest and Virginia's finest, 

working shoulder to shoulder around the clock to find their brothers and sisters 

and fellow citizens. These sites are truly hallowed ground. Now our rescue teams 

have gone home and we are fully engaged in the recovery process."

Joe Allbaugh

Former FEMA Director

February 2001 - March 2003
Why We Are Here

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Large Scale Disasters, Major Reforms (2004 – 2010)

The response to the September 11th attacks involved thousands of emergency 

responders from across the Nation and highlighted the need for a common 

planning process and incident management structure. In 2004, the National 

Response Plan was published, replacing the Federal Response Plan and breaking 

new ground in integrating all levels of government in a common incident 

management framework.

FEMA and the Alabama 

Emergency Response Team 

at the state's Emergency 

Operation Center monitor 

Hurricane Katrina as it 

makes landfall on the Gulf 

Coast.

Large-scale natural disasters in 2004 and 2005 once again led to the reform and 

evolution of our Agency’s role in serving the Nation. The rapid succession of 

Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne in 2004 left significant damage to 

Florida, marking our Agency’s first large-scale, sustained response effort. The 

following year brought Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

If an incident exceeds the 

capacity of our disaster 

workforce, the Secretary 

of Homeland Security is 

authorized to activate the DHS 

Surge Capacity Force (SCF) to 

augment the Federal 

response efforts. Pictured, 

SCF members canvass 

neighborhoods to reach those 

who might not have registered 

for assistance.
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The historic Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Mississippi, causing large-scale 

devastation along the Gulf Coast, leaving more than 1,800 people dead, 

displacing families to all 50 states, and resulting in billions in losses to 

infrastructure and the economy. The Federal Government’s response to the 

extensive and disruptive impacts of Hurricane Katrina faced criticism, which 

caused a significant reevaluation of the execution of Federal disaster response 

efforts and resource allocation. As a result, Congress passed the Post-Katrina 

Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006. 

Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act (PKEMRA)

The Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 established us 

as a distinct Agency within DHS, defined our primary mission, and designated 

our FEMA Administrator as the principal advisor to the President, the Homeland 

Security Council, and the Secretary of Homeland Security for all matters relating 

to emergency management in the U.S. This Act also codified into law the key 

principle that FEMA may provide accelerated Federal assistance and support 

where necessary in the absence of a specific request by a state to save lives and 

prevent suffering.

"The primary mission of the Agency is to reduce 

the loss of life and property and protect the Nation 

from all hazards, including natural disasters, acts 

of terrorism, and other man-made disasters, by 

leading and supporting the Nation in a risk-based, 

comprehensive emergency management system of 

preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and 

mitigation.”

The Post-Katrina Emergency Management 

Reform Act of 2006

Recognizing our shortfalls has helped empower our Agency to improve. In the 

years following, we continued to build capability and capacity, nearly doubling our 

full-time workforce and cadre of disaster reservists, to include staff dedicated to 

ensuring our programs and services are available to people with disabilities. DHS 

transferred preparedness programs back to us, and we began enhancing our 

regional offices, professionalizing our disaster workforce, increasing our logistics 

capabilities, and building stronger relationships across the whole community.
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We Cannot Do 

This Alone

To be successful in executing our mission, every member of the community must 

understand their important and indispensable role in emergency management. 

The ability of our Nation to be truly ready depends on everyone understanding 

their part in our collective resilience. We need to continue to build our capabilities 

together as a community to address an evolving landscape of threats and 

hazards.

Coordinating the Federal Family (Early 2010s)

In 2011, President Obama signed Presidential Policy Directive 8: National 

Preparedness which called for the development of a national preparedness goal 

and a national preparedness system. This direction was exciting for our Agency 

because it allowed us to lead an integrated whole community approach to 

preparedness. 

Our Federal capabilities were tested once again in 2012 when Hurricane Sandy 

affected the entire East Coast from Florida to Maine, as well as states as far 

inland as West Virginia, Ohio, and Indiana. The storm’s effects were extensive, 

leaving millions without power, destroying hundreds of thousands of homes, and 

causing tens of billions in damages. Hard-working team members of a coordinated 

Federal, state, and local response worked around the clock to restore power, 

public transportation, critical infrastructure, and services. We also leveraged the 

DHS Surge Capacity Force as a force multiplier to ensure a comprehensive 
Why We Are Here

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response in aiding those impacted. Subsequently, Congress passed the Sandy 

Recovery Improvement Act of 2013 to streamline the recovery of public 

infrastructure and to allow Federally recognized tribes to directly request a 

Presidential declaration.

A FEMA worker surveys 

damage from a fire caused 

by a gas leak during 

Hurricane Sandy at Breezy 

Point, NY in November 

2012.

As an example of our growth in Federal leadership, our Agency has also been 

directed by the White House and DHS to support response operations outside of 

traditional coordination authorities. In 2014, for example, we provided incident 

management advice and support to other DHS components and Federal agencies 

for matters such as the influx of unaccompanied children across the Southwest 

border, Ebola responses, and water contamination in Flint, Michigan.

Unique Response Coordination Efforts in Our History

Cuban Refugee Crisis – 1980: FEMA was tasked to help process more than 100,000 refugees 

arriving on Florida’s shores.

Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster – 2003: FEMA coordinated the collection of debris from the 

shuttle accident across Texas and Louisiana.

Bam, Iran Earthquake – 2003: At the request of the Iranian Government, FEMA sent two 

International Medical Surgical Response Teams to set up a temporary field hospital.

Haiti Earthquake – 2010: Supporting USAID, FEMA established a Joint Information Center on 

the island. FEMA also sent search and rescue teams, communications equipment, and staff 

from the Mobile Emergency Response Support system.

Increase in Arrivals of Unaccompanied Children – 2014: FEMA coordinated a governmentwide response to address the needs of an influx of unaccompanied children crossing into the 

U.S. along the southwest border. Over 57,000 children crossed the border, many in need of 

food, water, shelter, and social and medical services.

Ebola Virus – 2014: FEMA collaborated with over a dozen Federal agencies, states, the private 

sector, and other nations in combatting the spread of Ebola domestically and overseas.
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"We know that there are many challenges ahead 

and that recovery will not happen overnight. Many 

survivors remain without power, and many are finding 

themselves without shelter. FEMA will remain in 

support of our state, tribal, and local partners, 24 

hours a day, seven days a week. Even as television 

cameras turn to other stories, we will be on the ground 

to support the survivors."

Craig Fugate

Former FEMA Administrator

May 2009 - January 2017

Sharing Responsibility Across the Nation (Late 2010s)

In 2017, the Nation faced a historic Atlantic hurricane season and extreme 

wildfire disasters. The effects from consecutive Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and 

Maria were widespread, causing long-lasting damage across the southern 

continental U.S. and surrounding islands, as well as Puerto Rico and the U.S. 

Virgin Islands. Our Agency brought together the community in a way it had never 

done before. We leveraged our skilled workforce to manage the coordination of 

resources across multiple locations during consecutive storms and deployed 

large numbers of Federal personnel before and after the storms' landfall to 

provide assistance to survivors and communities. Hurricane Maria will be one of 

the largest post-disaster humanitarian and reconstruction efforts in our history. 

In addition to the devastating 2017 hurricane season, in October of the same 

year, communities in Northern California were ravaged by fast-moving wildfires. 

The unprecedented and rapid succession of disasters transformed the way we 

look at emergency management and focused our efforts to build a culture of 

preparedness, ready the Nation for catastrophic disasters, and reduce our 

Agency’s complexity – because together, we share this responsibility.

Congress provided us with expanded authorities to further these goals by 

enacting the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 (DRRA). The DRRA is a 

landmark law that highlights the Federal Government’s commitment to 

increasing investments in mitigation and building the capabilities of our state, 

local, tribal, and territorial partners. With this expanded assistance, communities 

will be able to plan and execute programs to assist with community recovery and 

help reduce disaster risk in the future. The DRRA also provides better

opportunities for the Agency to retain and promote an experienced and talented 

workforce, as well as work even better with our interagency partners.
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Passengers board chartered 

buses leaving each morning 

to take FEMA employees to 

Disaster Recovery Centers 

(DRCs) in Butte County, CA to 

assist Camp Fire survivors in 

their recovery.

An Evolving Agency

Our Agency emerged from the Nation’s need for a comprehensive emergency 

management entity. We are an organization that is ever-changing and 

continuously learning. Our history has shown us that we can meet and 

overcome adversity. We are strong and we are resilient. We are one team 

united by our shared privilege and responsibility to lead and support the Nation 

through its worst disasters. We all contribute to FEMA's history.

"FEMA’s best assets are its people...The 2017 

hurricane season provided many opportunities for 

FEMA’s programmatic staff to support response and 

recovery efforts. This experience is invaluable and 

will help FEMA deliver better services and support in 

future disasters."

Brock Long

Former FEMA Administrator

June 2017 - March 2019
3

29

What We Face: The Nature 

of Emergency Management

History has shown us that our Nation faces an 

evolving disaster landscape. Known and unknown 

threats and hazards require that we all take part 

in implementing policies, developing plans, and 

executing processes that reduce risk and mitigate 

the loss of life and property. In doing so, it is 

important to recognize that disasters impact 

individuals and communities differently. It is 

critical that everyone understand their role in the 

system of emergency management. By everyone 

doing their part, we can better achieve our vision 

of a more prepared and resilient Nation.

“Change has been 

constant, but one 

thing remains the 

same: It’s the 

dedication of FEMA’s 

workforce that makes 

the difference...I truly 

love my job to this 

day!” 

Josie Arcurio

FEMA employee
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What We Face as A Nation

Our Nation experiences a diverse range of disasters. A disaster is defined as an 

adverse condition or occurrence that requires coordinated action across multiple 

entities to resolve. Disasters include all types of emergencies and hazards, and 

can come in all forms and magnitudes to include both natural and man-made 

incidents.

We consider many factors when preparing and planning for disasters. From the 

climate to new threats, alongside things like demographics and technology, many 

factors must be taken into consideration on our path to becoming more resilient. 

We prepare for natural hazards such as heatwaves, heavy precipitation, storm 

surges, droughts, floods, wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, or earthquakes. We 

also prepare for man-made incidents such as acts of terrorism and war. As a 

Nation we need to be more prepared than ever to face a spectrum of disasters.

Severe Storm Power Outage Tornado Earthquake Wildfire Winter Storm

Our operating environment is also shaped by the individuals and communities we 

serve. Through experience, we have seen disasters have disproportionate impacts 

on people with disabilities, people with specific medical requirements, older 

adults, individuals with limited English proficiency, and people with low income, 

among others. We recognize and account for diversity to help reduce barriers to 

resources and opportunities for those individuals and communities. 

As we work towards a prepared and resilient Nation, we face the challenge in 

balancing disaster preparedness and mitigation with competing priorities. For 

example, economic goals and consumer choices can influence decisions and 

resource allocation, even when the risks these choices present are well known.

"To implement effective emergency management, 

you have to acknowledge both mother nature and 

human nature."

Billy Wagner

Former FEMA Employee
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Nature of Emergency Management

Our Agency is only one member of a larger team that shares responsibility for 

emergency management and national preparedness. Most disasters begin and 

end locally. Local officials best understand the unique needs, opportunities, and 

risks their communities face. As such, it is our philosophy that local officials are 

best positioned to prepare their communities and execute disaster response and 

recovery efforts. The larger or more complex the disaster, the greater the number 

and variety of partners that must be involved to support local officials.

Emergency management is collaborative and tiered. It is a system reflective of a 

continuous cycle, with no definitive beginning or end. Our efforts often overlap 

and carry over from one phase to the next. It is designed to continuously increase 

our Nation's resilience to all hazards. Preparedness efforts with partners at all 

levels are fundamental to increase the effectiveness of this type of cooperation.

Local level disasters require a unified approach from local agencies, the private 

sector, and nongovernmental organizations. Some may require additional support 

from neighboring jurisdictions or state, tribal, or territorial governments. As a 

disaster increases in scale or scope, so does the level of support. States, tribes, 

and territories play a critical role in coordinating planning, mitigation, and 

response activities, while also serving as a critical conduit between Federal 

resources and local needs. The Federal Government’s support before, during, and 

after disasters builds on, and is affected by, the capacity of state, local, tribal, and 

territorial governments, as well as the business community and nongovernmental 

organizations. When those capacities are overwhelmed and assistance is 

requested, the Federal Government can then begin coordinating and 

collaborating with the governments of the impacted area.

"The mission success of FEMA happens through 

the work of many coming together. Our employees 

are selfless, empathetic, and passionate – working 

long, tiring hours in unison to support survivors and 

communities.”

Elizabeth Zimmerman

Former FEMA Executive 
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Managing an Emergency – A Tiered Approach

Disaster: A residential flood

A local emergency manager is leading the response. Firefighters and police are 

on scene providing traffic control and aid in evacuations. Emergency medical 

services personnel are triaging, transporting, and redistributing injured to local 

hospitals. A local nonprofit or voluntary organization (e.g., American Red Cross, 

Salvation Army) may be on hand to assist displaced residents. The scope of 

the impacted area quickly changes when a dam is breached as a result of the 

flooding, and surrounding communities are compromised, lives are at risk, and 

property is damaged. The complexity of the situation has increased as others –

such as states or tribes and, ultimately, the Federal Government – become

involved. Businesses, voluntary organizations, and other elements of the private

sector are also key stakeholders providing essential services that must be

restored to stabilize the community.

We have a distinct role shaped by unpredictable, ever-evolving threats and 

hazards and the diverse communities we serve. Experience has taught us that 

emergency management includes the collective efforts of everyone – all levels of 

government, individuals, communities, businesses, and nonprofit organizations. 

As FEMA employees, we are a part of that larger community. Whether before the 

first snow of the year, during the midst of hurricane season, or after a tornado 

damages a community – we are here helping people.

"...as patients poured in, there was no confusion, no 

panicking, no question over who was in charge of 

what. The medical center was ready for this, officials 

said. In October, it had participated in a citywide 

disaster training: a simulated mass shooter incident 

at the El Paso airport."

University Medical Center of El Paso prepared to 

save lives during a real active shooter incident after 

training with FEMA for mass casualty scenario

El Paso Mass Shooting

August 3, 2019
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4 What We Do: Helping 

People Before, During, and 

After Disasters

Given the scope of our mission, it is helpful to 

describe what we do in a framework of “before,” 

“during,” and “after” a disaster. While 

categorized separately, many of the things we do 

are activities that occur simultaneously and are 

not exclusive to a particular phase of a disaster. 

Understanding what our Agency does helps you 

recognize the critical part you play in FEMA's 

success. You, our FEMA employees, make our 

mission possible every day.

"U.S. Northern 

Command's close 

partnership with FEMA 

is vital. Whether for 

natural disasters or 

the nefarious actions 

of bad actors, we work 

together to manage 

the catastrophic 

consequences and 

keep Americans safe 

during their time of 

greatest need."

General Terrence J. 

O'Shaughnessy

Commander of U.S. 

Northern Command
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Before

Disasters

We help people understand risks to life and property and motivate them to 

take action – individually and collectively – to reduce these risks, build 

capabilities, and prepare for disasters. We support national preparedness and 

self-sufficiency by helping everyone understand their disaster risk. We provide 

resources and guidance to help communities train, exercise, and build 

capabilities to reduce their disaster risk, and prepare for disasters should they 

occur. By educating, we empower the whole community to take action.

“There is so much about emergencies and 

disasters – and life, really – that we can’t control, 

and that’s scary. What we can do is prepare to 

help ourselves and others, just in case. We can 

save a little from each paycheck, we can learn 

first aid, and, most importantly, we can be active 

members of our community. All three are 

worthwhile, with or without a disaster.”

Katie Fox

Former FEMA Executive
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Raise Risk Awareness

We help identify and assess risks to life and property, and then collaborate with a 

wide range of partners to communicate risk information.

Risk awareness is identifying and understanding different threats and hazards in 

an environment. Whether you are clarifying risk for yourself or your community, 

understanding different types of disasters and potential impacts is a critical first 

step in preparedness. Part of risk awareness is also assessing community 

vulnerabilities and gaps in capabilities to create a comprehensive picture of the 

risk environment. Our success in risk awareness is rooted in the diversity of our 

workforce, ensuring all perspectives are included in the identification and 

communication of risk.

Information is power and having information on local risks is invaluable. We work 

to ensure risk information is accessible, relevant, and actionable. We consider all 

stakeholders, including people with disabilities, people with limited English 

proficiency, people without computer access, among others, to ensure that we 

identify and assess the varying needs for all communities. While communities 

cannot completely control all risk, those that better understand their risks can 

make informed choices about where to prioritize action.

Educate in Risk Reduction Options 

We educate individuals, communities, and the public to understand different 

options for reducing risk.

Individuals and communities need to be aware that there are options for reducing 

risk. Through programs, tools, and outreach, we engage the public at an 

individual level to help educate in risk reduction options. We champion 

preparedness activities across communities, organizations, and businesses. 

Using media campaigns, we reach millions of people and engage the public in a 

variety of activities and events. We provide personnel and resources to support 

those preparedness events across the country. Our regional offices serve as a 

conduit to reach even more people in their day-to-day lives. We are focused on 

providing risk reduction education for all. Our programs and resources are for a 

variety of audiences, such as underserved and youth populations.

We provide best-practice guidance, technical assistance, and planning support to 

our partners to help them understand how they can plan for and mitigate risks in 
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their local community. We issue planning guidance. Risk-informed planning and 

decision-making helps planners examine a hazard or threat and produce 

integrated, coordinated, and synchronized plans. We also encourage the 

adoption and implementation of current codes and standards. Codes and 

standards are one of the Nation's strongest defenses against natural disasters 

and are a cost-effective way of protecting important investments, like homes or 

businesses.

Help to Take Action

We help individuals, communities, and organizations take action to mitigate, 

reduce risk, and build capabilities to prepare for disasters.

Individuals need to take action to address their risk. We offer resources and 

tools to help translate risk reduction options into tangible actions such as 

helpful checklists, communication plans, and risk management and mitigation 

opportunities. We also provide hands-on expertise and guidance in capabilitybuilding, to include training and exercises.

We work with individuals, organizations, communities, and governments to plan 

for the continuity of critical services when those normal services and functions 

are disrupted. As we guide our partners in taking coordinated action, we 

emphasize the shared responsibility of planning and preparing for disasters. We 

offer programs and services that allow communities to access Federal funds 

before a disaster strikes to train staff, purchase equipment, develop projects 

and plans, and mitigate future losses. These programs are made available as 

Federal assistance to states, territories, and tribes. Additionally, we offer flood 

insurance products in partnership with private sector providers.

“The most important thing I've learned as a 

member of FEMA’s Youth Preparedness Council, 

is that everyone, including youth, can contribute 

to community resilience. It’s a team effort and by 

working together we can get it done!” 

Nyla Howell

FEMA Youth Preparedness Council Representative
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FEMA In Action: Before
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During

Disasters

We message, mobilize, and coordinate to support state, local, tribal, and 

territorial response efforts to stabilize communities. By law, we are the primary 

coordination mechanism of the Federal Government for every presidentially 

declared disaster under the Stafford Act. Our responsibility during disasters is to 

coordinate and position the Federal interagency to apply and manage our Federal 

resources for immediate lifesaving and life-sustaining operations. 

Disaster response should be managed at the lowest level possible. We actively 

engage our community partners at the local, regional, and national levels to 

effectively communicate an impacted community’s needs and identify resources to 

rapidly fill those gaps. This is where the relationships and partnerships we have 

built prior to a disaster are most visible and most critical. Through a bottom-up 

approach, our field staff request resources and provide ground truth information 

up to the regional and national levels. That communication continues to the 

Federal interagency and private sector partners for coordination to help fill 

resource gaps and provide verified situational awareness for senior leadership 

decision-making. We use this information to provide the right resources to the right 

places at the right time.

"Disaster response is a fascinating ballet of 

chaos. FEMA helps us get our steps a little 

straighter and our work a little more organized 

by bringing a massive amount of resources and 

knowledge to the table."

Kimberly Stout

American Red Cross Liaison
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Alert, Warn, and Message

We bring valuable insight to our partners during a disaster using our nationallevel perspective. 

During and immediately following a disaster, our priority is to stabilize critical 

services within a community to alleviate immediate threats to human health, 

safety, and economic security. A large part of this stabilization is ensuring 

individuals and communities have access to lifesaving and life-sustaining 

information. Communicating directly with the public can be difficult during a 

disaster when standard forms of communications are compromised or 

inaccessible. 

Individuals should always look first for information from their local officials. 

Using alert and warning systems, FEMA helps amplify local messaging by 

communicating critical information to disaster survivors and response officials. 

Timely, accessible, and actionable emergency alert and warning messages 

build resilience by providing individuals with information to make decisions and 

take action to effectively reduce the impact of a disaster. The former one-way 

flow of warnings, information, and updates to the affected public has become a 

two-way system that includes many partners, sources, and systems.

Coordinate the Federal Response 

We organize ourselves and others to coordinate the Federal emergency 

response community. 

We bring together departments and agencies that have responsibilities, 

authorities, or expertise in a functional area. We have a unique authority to 

assign and fund other Federal agencies to support Federal response during 

Stafford Act disasters. Many of the arrangements by which departments and 

agencies participate are determined and formalized in pre-disaster planning 

efforts. Relevant stakeholders and experts are also brought together to identify 

and address needs, issues, and challenges. Effective response begins with a 

variety of preparedness activities such as planning, exercising, training, and 

constant communication between partners on capability gaps.

We work to establish a unified group that coordinates with the impacted state, 

territory, or tribe to etablish shared priorities and objectives. This ensures unity 

of effort and shared situational awareness so Federal resources are employed 

to support and augment the disaster response requirements. In some larger or 

unique disasters, we mobilize the Federal Government’s emergency response 
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teams, systems, and capabilities to support FEMA’s incident management 

personnel with information and operational support. We also coordinate with the 

international community, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector to meet 

the needs of impacted communities. 

Apply and Manage Resources

We bring together and deploy Federal resources that supplement state, local, 

tribal, and territorial capabilities to stabilize the disaster. 

We receive and process requests to source and deploy various resources to the 

field for distribution. Federal resources can include commodities, equipment, or 

personnel. We aim to deliver Federal assistance that is timely, efficient, effective, 

and accessible. Our regional offices play a critical role in delivering these 

resources. We receive resource requests from our governmental partners in the 

field who have firsthand knowledge of the needs required to stabilize the 

community. Through this process, we work with our partners to determine the 

most effective and efficient ways to fulfill their requests. 

We analyze all sourcing options by examining internal and external capabilities. 

Effective management of resources requires robust coordination and 

synchronization with governmental and nongovernmental partners on the ground. 

To be useful, resources must be physically delivered through the last mile when 

and where they are needed. We recognize we are only one member of the 

emergency management community; thus, communication is key to ensure we 

are not hindering one another in achieving the same goal. 

"I believe one measure of our Agency’s 

significance is the mass care resources our 

Agency provides for survivors to take their first 

steps into recovery. Whether it be a meal, a 

shelter, or a friendly face assuring survivors that 

they will pull through, mass care delivers hope 

to survivors and their loved ones."

Jessica Bettinger

FEMA Employee 
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FEMA In Action: During
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After

Disasters

We help individuals and communities recover after a disaster and build back 

stronger. Following a disaster, affected individuals and communities seek 

resources to address their short-, intermediate-, and long-term needs. These 

recovery activities must be accessible to survivors with disabilities and survivors 

with limited English proficiency, among others. Ultimately, outcomes for 

survivors extend beyond lifesaving and life-sustaining activities. Recovery 

includes the continuation or restoration of services critical to support the 

physical, emotional, and financial well-being of impacted community members.

The stabilization, restoration, and strengthening of government functions, 

community infrastructure, and critical business is also essential to the 

economic stability, vitality, and long-term sustainability of communities 

themselves. Following a Presidential disaster declaration, we can initiate 

various post-disaster recovery programs under the Stafford Act. We provide 

coordination, technical assistance, subject matter expertise, and funding 

mechanisms. We also stand ready to assist flood insurance policy holders in 

their recovery.

“I built our house in 1998. After all these years of 

paying for flood insurance, it paid off. We would 

be out on the street right now if it wasn’t for the 

flood insurance. That’s a dollar well spent, it’s an 

investment really.” 

Flood Survivor

Hurricane Florence 2018
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Coordinate Federal Recovery Efforts

We help facilitate problem-solving, improve access to resources, integrate 

principles of resilience, sustainability, and mitigation, and foster coordination 

among our partners after a disaster.

The Federal Government’s supporting role is especially important during the early 

weeks after a large-scale disaster, when many communities are overwhelmed 

with response and short-term recovery efforts. We work to understand the needs 

and requirements of communities after a disaster, then bring together 

appropriate resources and partners to take well-informed actions to help meet 

those needs.

Each partner supports disasters in a different way. Many Federal agencies directly 

or indirectly contribute to meeting recovery needs by delivering assistance 

provided under their normal authorities. The duration and extent of Federal 

support is determined in part by the scale and enduring impacts of the disaster 

and on the ability of a community to sustain recovery efforts on its own. Our job is 

to provide expertise that enables communities to implement solutions that 

leverage both FEMA’s and other Federal agencies’ resources. 

Provide Resources

We provide financial support and direct services to individuals, communities, 

governments, and nonprofit organizations to aid in their recovery.

Along with our Federal partners, we also play an important role in providing 

accessible information to the public and all stakeholders involved in recovery, 

including information about grants and loans. Continuing to inform stakeholders 

throughout recovery enables awareness of the process and informs realistic 

expectations. 

We directly assist survivors in getting back on their feet by providing financial 

assistance or direct services to eligible individuals. We support survivors and 

their families by providing resources to support needs such as housing, medical, 

dental, and funeral expenses, child care, crisis counseling, legal services, 

unemployment, and case management. Housing assistance helps to cover costs 

like rent and home repairs and offers survivors direct services in the form of 

temporary housing. Following a flood, we work with our flood insurance 

policyholders to settle their claims.

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We support communities in providing supplemental Federal disaster grant 

assistance for essential recovery initiatives, such as debris removal. We also 

support the repair, replacement, or restoration of disaster-damaged publiclyowned facilities, and the facilities of certain private nonprofit organizations such 

as schools and hospitals. We encourage protection of these damaged facilities 

from future disasters by providing resources for mitigation measures during the 

recovery process. 

Apply Insight to Reduce Future Risk

We offer insight, standards, resources, and tools for communities, businesses, 

and individuals to build back stronger. 

Disasters can bring awareness to gaps in plans and capabilities as well as risks to 

infrastructure or the environment. Following a disaster, individuals, businesses, 

and communities may use this opportunity to take action that reduces or 

eliminates long-term risk to people and property so that they mitigate future 

impacts. There are opportunities to enhance plans and procedures, train and 

equip staff, and strengthen infrastructure. For example, preparedness resources 

available to ready families, planning guidance to develop continuity of operations 

plans for businesses, or grant opportunities to enhance communities’ emergency 

management capabilities continue to be available to our stakeholders. It is 

important that we work to continuously improve ourselves and our communities 

as we strive to achieve a more resilient Nation. 

Using our national-level experience, we share best practices and lessons learned 

to help communities reduce future risks. We encourage communities to 

incorporate mitigation, resilience, and sustainability into short- and long-term 

recovery goals to systematically address risk and enable a faster recovery against 

future disasters. Our mitigation resources following a disaster help rebuild or 

replace damaged facilities so that losses are avoided or reduced in the future. In 

addition, our mitigation resources can be used to invest in larger community-wide 

mitigation projects. Communities with mitigation plans in place prior to a disaster 

can use this opportunity to access funding that allows them to complete some of 

their priority projects. 
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FEMA In Action: After
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We Help People Before, During, and After Disasters

The work we do is challenging. We help one another find the courage to take 

action against these challenges every day. Individually we have specific roles 

within the Agency. It is the summation of all our work that helps us move closer to 

our shared goal of building a prepared and resilient Nation. When we act 

together, tiny drops can grow into ripples of change.

For many of us, emergency management is a movement or a calling. We pursue 

this calling by helping people before, during, and after disasters. Our success as 

an Agency depends on every single one of us working diligently on the task at 

hand with Compassion, Fairness, Integrity, and Respect.

“A huge wildfire consumed the forest where the hummingbird lived, 

and as the fire raged, all the animals left the forest and stood 

watching, transfixed and overwhelmed. They all felt so overwhelmed 

that they did not do anything, but the hummingbird decided, ‘I 

am going to do something about the fire.’ So it flew to the nearest 

stream, got a drop of water in its beak, and dropped it on the fire. 

Then it went back again, and again, dropping water on the fire as 

fast as it could. The other animals mocked the hummingbird, saying, 

‘What are you doing? You are too small, your wings are too small, 

and the fire is huge.’ The hummingbird turned to them and said, ‘I 

am doing the best I can.’”

Wangari Maathai

2004 Nobel Peace Prize Recipient
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5 How We Do It: Principles to 

Guide the Work We Do

As Federal leaders supporting the Nation in 

emergency management, our guiding principles 

deliver our mission. Our principles inspire 

confidence in FEMA and in one another. We 

follow clear policies and procedures that 

prescribe FEMA’s role in the emergency 

management community. Whether we are 

operating in steady state or responding to a 

wide-scale disaster, living by our principles 

aligns us with our values and our mission. We 

employ our guiding principles, in accordance 

with our core values, in everything we do.

"The professionalism, 

dedication, and 

genuine helpfulness 

of FEMA staff have 

been an impressive 

experience for us –

and a profound 

inspiration."

Henning Thiesen,

Danish Emergency 

Management Agency 

Director General
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Guiding Principles

Principles are rules that have been woven into the way an organization delivers its 

business. They serve as a guide on how to operate and deliver an organization’s 

core values.

To be successful in our mission, we have a set of guiding principles that direct 

how we interact, approach our work, and provide outstanding service. Our nine 

guiding principles are: Accessibility, Accountability, Empowerment, Engagement, 

Flexibility, Getting Results, Preparation, Stewardship, and Teamwork. These 

principles provide a framework and a lens for how we think through 

accomplishing typical day-to-day activities as well as how we solve more 

complex issues and challenges. 

Accessibility

Accessibility is being easily reached, understood, or used by the whole 

community regardless of functional capabilities, disability, age, race, income 

level, or language. We will only be effective if the people we serve can find the 

information and assistance they need, when they need it. Accessibility and equal 

access are woven into our every program and service from the beginning and are 

vital to serving all survivors in times of need.

In Action:

▪ Incorporating principles of universal design to make our products and

programs accessible from the beginning for communities

▪ Seeking to understand and mitigate our biases in the office and not

intentionally leaving anyone out

▪ Making things easier for partners to understand and access by providing

reasonable accommodations and recognizing diverse needs
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Accountability

Accountability is meeting expectations set by our colleagues, supervisors, and 

those we serve. Serving as Federal leaders in emergency management requires us 

to be trusted stewards of taxpayer dollars, follow ethical guidelines, protect and 

promote the civil rights of all disaster survivors, and provide the highest level of 

service to support our partners. Having a workforce that is dependable means that 

our Agency is productive and reliable when called on.

In Action: 

▪ Promoting fair and equitable treament of all disaster survivors

▪ Adhering to ethical standards in the workplace and always striving to be

effective and efficient in accomplishing our tasks and meeting our goals

▪ Engaging with DHS, the White House, and Members of Congress on policy and

resource decisions and program oversight

Empowerment

Empowerment is enabling an individual or group to have influence over decisions.

We believe we are most successful when our own employees apply their varying 

experience and skills. Trusting our staff and colleagues to make informed decisions 

encourages them to continue to take initiative and drive change. This also rings 

true for our partners – locals know their own communities best and must feel 

empowered to lead disaster activities.

In Action: 

▪ Understanding the unique needs of each community and providing the right

tools for them to be self-sufficient and stable in the event of an emergency

▪ Encouraging employees to participate in professional development

opportunities

▪ Promoting and rewarding innovative solutions at all levels of government that

improve the way we operate together
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Engagement

Engagement is actively participating in dialogue with internal and external 

stakeholders to build partnerships and gather feedback on our programs and 

services. Practicing active listening and being present in the conversation enables 

us to effectively understand and address needs. We must also be trusted to 

deliver accurate and accessible information.

In Action: 

▪ Providing the best available information to disaster survivors early and often

▪ Building consensus among Agency senior leadership when developing

options and making critical decisions on strategy, policy, or resources

▪ Consulting with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders on

program implementation and policy development

Flexibility

Flexibility is rapidly adjusting to ever-changing environments and a wide variety 

of tasks and circumstances both at the office and in the field. Emergency 

management is rooted in uncertainty. We are expected to be able to adjust to new 

activities, quickly adapt to our surroundings, and embrace opportunities for 

continuous improvement. 

In Action: 

▪ Adapting our programs to a broad range of needs, whether they are for

individual survivors, impacted communities, or partner organizations

▪ Pivoting to new roles and responsibilities when necessary because of a

change in leadership direction, information, or environmental constraints

▪ Expanding our engagement efforts to include non-traditional partners to solve

complex issues
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Getting Results

Getting results is working towards a clearly defined outcome. Measuring against 

desired outcomes for both individual employees and the Agency at large helps to 

drive progress and hold us accountable. Assessing how we achieve our desired 

outcome enables us to improve our delivery of assistance.

In Action: 

▪ Supporting survivors by being innovative and persistent when faced with

roadblocks and working to fill gaps where there are opportunities

▪ Holding everyone accountable – from the larger Agency to individual staff

members – for achieving progress against our strategic priorities and

annual performance plans

▪ Assisting state, local, tribal, and territorial partners in filling capability gaps

through grant funding, guidance, training, and exercises

Preparation

Preparation is taking preventative action to better withstand unpredictable 

moments. Emergencies can happen at any time and help is not always nearby. 

Preparedness is the cornerstone of building strong, resilient communities that are 

better positioned to withstand and recover rapidly from disruption.

In Action:

▪ Pre-positioning essential items needed in disaster response to be readily

available when needed by affected communities

▪ Encouraging conversations about individual and family preparedness –

especially amongst our own employees – and motivating people to build

emergency kits, learn CPR, and develop personal financial plans

▪ Promoting preparedness through planning, training, exercising, assessing,

and engaging with our governmental and nongovernmental partners
52

How We Do It

Publication 1

Stewardship

Stewardship is administering high-quality programs and services required by 

statute, regulation, and policy. As stewards of taxpayer dollars, we routinely 

assess our programs, policies, and actions to ensure that we operate effectively 

and efficiently to meet the needs and interests of our stakeholders. We are an 

Agency of trusted individuals that the Nation can turn to during its time of need.

In Action:

▪ Providing individuals and communities timely and appropriate Federal

assistance following a disaster

▪ Creating and sustaining a workplace environment of continuous improvement

in which we leverage data, best practices, and innovative ideas to better

manage our programs and services with limited resources

▪ Encouraging risk reduction and risk management practices of government

partners so that our Nation is better prepared and more resilient, ultimately

saving lives and protecting property and the environment

Teamwork

Teamwork is bringing together colleagues and stakeholders to accomplish a 

common goal. Collaboration early on can help achieve success. Working together 

better positions us to tackle disaster challenges when the Nation needs us the 

most. 

In Action:

▪ Recognizing we are part of a larger emergency management community that

must work together to meet the needs of all survivors

▪ Tapping into the valuable expertise beyond our own team by engaging

another colleague from across the Agency

▪ Bringing together diverse stakeholders to approach simple and complex

challenges in different work environments
We face the unknown.

We have a distinct role shaped by unpredictable 

and ever-evolving threats and hazards.

We are a team.

We unite to make a difference in the lives 

of others.

We are leaders.

We are Federal leaders and together we help 

people before, during, and after disasters.

We are FEMA.
Photo Sources from Cover:

First row (from left to right): 1) Disaster Survivor Assistance team member canvasses areas to speak with residents impacted by flooding 

of the Arkansas River. Lavaca, AR. June 15, 2016. Source: Jocelyn Augustino / FEMA. 2) FEMA employee works in the National 

Response Coordination Center. October 3, 2019. Source: Rudy Marshall / FEMA. 3) FEMA local hire as an applicant service specialist. 

Source: FEMA Instagram. 4) FEMA Corps member works with Mitigation on the Colorado flood. Denver, CO. November 8, 2013. Source: 

Michael Rieger / FEMA. 5) A FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance member in Humacao, PR. January 6, 2017. Source: Andrew Bajanda / 

FEMA.

Second row (from left to right): 1) FEMA employee speaks with a survivor. Source: FEMA Facebook. 2) A FEMA Disaster Survivor 

Assistance representative helps a survivor register for assistance following Hurricane Michael. Panama City Beach, FL. October 17, 

2018. Source: Jacklyn Farias / CAISE. 3) A FEMA employee smiles at the camera. Source: FEMA Media Library 4) Disaster Survivor 

Assistance team member canvasses areas to speak with residents impacted by flooding of the Arkansas River. Lavaca, AR. June 15, 

2016. Source: Jocelyn Augustino / FEMA. 5) The North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Office hosts an Insurance Camp event after the 

flooding from Hurricane Florence. New Bern, NC. September 26, 2018. Source: Mai Shintani / FEMA.

Third row (from left to right): 1) A FEMA Application Services Program specialist in Daytona Beach, FL smiles at a FEMA Disaster Recovery 

Center. October 31, 2016. Source: Steve Zumwalt / FEMA Media Library. 2) Disaster Survivor Assistance team member canvasses areas 

to speak with residents impacted by flooding of the Arkansas River. Fort Smith, AR. June 15, 2016. Source: Jocelyn Augustino / FEMA. 3) 

FEMA employee smiles with a disaster survivor after providing keys to a temporary home. Source: FEMA Media Library. 4) A FEMA 

employee speaks with a survivor. Source: FEMA Facebook. 5) FEMA Applicant Service Crew Leader in Detroit, MI shakes hands with a 

survivor after providing registration assistance. October 9, 2014. Source: Christopher Mardorf / FEMA Media Library.

Fourth row (from left to right): 1) FEMA employee in Boston, MA educates attendees at an America’s PrepareAthon event. September 3, 

2014. Source: Eilis Maynard / DHS Media Library. 2) FEMA Corps member canvases areas to speak with residents impacted by flooding 

of the Arkansas River. Lavaca, AR. June 15, 2016. Source: Jocelyn Augustino / FEMA. 3) FEMA Community Relations officer canvasses a 

Long Island neighborhood to check on Hurricane Sandy survivors. Long Beach, NY. November 19, 2012. Source: Andrea Booher / FEMA. 

4) FEMA Corps member in Denver, CO works alongside mitigation experts during the Colorado Flood. November 8, 2013. Source: 

Michael Rieger / FEMA. 5) FEMA employee Minh Phan (right) talks with state officials about how the community is recovering from the 

devastation left behind by Hurricane Michael in Blakely, GA. November 1, 2018. Source: Luisa Rivera / FEMA.

Table of Contents:

P4: (From top to bottom) 1) Members of FEMA Corps embrace. Source: FEMA Facebook. 2) Flood waters remain high throughout 

neighborhoods in Kinston, NC as the result of Hurricane Matthew. October 14, 2016. Source: Jocelyn Augustino / FEMA. 3) Virgin Islands 

Territory Emergency Management Agency (VITEMA) Deputy Director in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands gives a situation briefing to FEMA 

and VITEMA emergency workers in the Virgin Islands Emergency Operation Center. August 30, 2010. Source: Andrea Booher / FEMA 

Media Library. 4) FEMA leadership team in Guam discuss how best to support Guam and CMNI in assessing damages from Typhoon 

Dolphin. May 17, 2015. Source: FEMA Media Library. 5) A FEMA Representative in Cypress, TX signs in survivors at a Mobile Disaster 

Recovery Center. October 7, 2017 Source: Steve Zumwalt / FEMA.

Chapter 1: Who We Are

P8: (First row, from left) 1) Survivor from Loíza receives orientation by a FEMA staff during event in Parcelas Suárez Community. Loíza, 

PR. June 6, 2019. Source: Eduardo Martínez / FEMA. 2) FEMA employee assists a survivor in a local store. Source: FEMA Facebook. 

(Second row, from left): 1) A FEMA Recovery Center manager answers disaster questions at the Glenville Recovery Center in Glenville, 

DE. October 1, 1999. Source: Andrea Booher / FEMA. 2) FEMA Corps employees embrace. Source: FEMA Facebook.

P10 Compassion: Disaster Survivor Assistance specialist gets a hug from a survivor in Apalachicola, FL, after Hurricane Michael. 

November 3, 2018. Source: FEMA Facebook. 

P11 Fairness: The Mayor of Tinian registers for FEMA Assistance after Super Typhoon Yutu damaged his home. Tinian, Commonwealth of 

the Northern Mariana Islands. November 14, 2018. Source: Grace Simoneau / FEMA 

P12 Integrity: A FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer swears in the first group of local hires at the FEMA offices in Durham, NC. October 25, 

2018. Source: Liz Roll / FEMA. 

P13 Respect: FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistant Specialists replace an American flag damaged by flood waters in late June, with a new 

one at a local church. Clendenin, WV. July 5, 2016. Source: Steve Zumwalt / FEMA.

Chapter 2: Why We Are Here

P15: A flag flies in front of a heavily damaged neighborhood in Panama City, FL from Hurricane Michael. Source: FEMA Facebook.

P16: American Red Cross fund drive for relief of the 1927 Mississippi Valley Flood victims, New York, NY. April 1927. Source: American

Red Cross.

P17: FEMA representative at NATO, representing the U.S. on NATO’s Civil Emergency Planning Committee. Source: George Hadrick and 

Joleen Jubela / FEMA.

P19: Federal Regional Center construction for Region VI in Denton, TX. August 31, 1962. Source: FEMA Region VI / FEMA Photo Library. 

P20: Two FEMA employees canvass a neighborhood to register survivors for Individual Assistance. Source: FEMA Facebook.

P21: The Murrah Building following the Oklahoma City bombing in Oklahoma City, OK. April 26, 1995. Source:FEMA Photo Library.

P22: FEMA Region VIII Urban Search and Rescue team leader and Colorado Lieutenant Governor inspect the recovery operations 

underway at Ground Zero, the site of the World Trade Center collapse. Source: FEMA Media Library.

P23: (From top to bottom) 1): FEMA and the Alabama Emergency Response Team at the state's Emergency Operation Center monitor 

Hurricane Katrina as it makes landfall on the Gulf Coast.Source: FEMA Media Library. 2) Department of Homeland Security employees, 

who volunteer for FEMA community relation positions, inform Hurricane Sandy survivors at Rockaway Beach, N.Y. of how to register for 

FEMA assistance. New York, NY. November 19, 2012. Source: Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Patrick Ratcliff, USN/Released. 

P25: Assistant External Affairs Officer for Community Relations speaks with teams prior to deploying for Tropical Storm Irene. Hartford, 

CT. September 6, 2011. Source: Jocelyn Augustino / FEMA.

P26: FEMA worker surveys damage from a fire caused by a gas leak during Hurricane Sandy in Breezy Point, NY. November 1, 2012.

Source: FEMA Facebook.

P28: Passengers board one of three chartered buses leaving each morning to take FEMA employees to Disaster Recovery Centers in

Butte County, CA to assist Camp Fire survivors in their recovery. Source: FEMA Media Library.
Chapter 4: What We Do 

P34: FEMA employees wear blue FEMA vests discuss mitigation options with survivors. Source: FEMA Media Library

P37: (First row): FEMA employees collaborate in a breakout group during a workshop. Source: FEMA Facebook. (Second row, from left):

1) FEMA employee educates a commuter about disaster preparation during National Preparedness month at an America's PrepareAthon 

event in Boston’s South Station. September 3, 2014. Source: Eilis Maynard / FEMA Library. 2) Community Relations Team Leader in 

Lowland, NC reviews the areas where teams will go door-to-door in Pamlico Country to reach survivors after Hurricane Irene. September 

20, 2011. Source: Marilee Caliendo / FEMA News Photo. (Third row, from left): 1) Local volunteers load sandbags on a truck as they 

prepare to help efforts at levees in Winfield, MO. June 18th, 2008. Source: FEMA Media Library. 2) Pueblo, CO Fire Department runs 

decontamination drill. Source: FEMA Facebook. (Fourth row): FEMA Corps member working with community member. Source: FEMA 

Media Library.

P38: Helicopter combats California wildfires with water. Source: FEMA Media Library.

P41: (First row, from left): 1) FEMA phone application distributes updates on weather and other emergency events. Source: FEMA Media 

Library. 2) Virginia Task Force 1 in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. September 23, 2017. Source: FEMA Media Library. (Second row): Region 

VIII Geographic Operations Branch work together in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. 2018. Source: Daniel R. Green. (Third row): 

FEMA Logistics specialist and Army staff at Dobbin Reserve Airforce Base. Atlanta, GA. September 16, 1999. Source: Andrea Booher 

/ FEMA. (Fourth row, from left): 1) Members of FEMA's Urban Search and Rescue Nebraska Task Force One rescue people and pets. 

Source: FEMA Facebook. 2) A rescue squad prepares to help disaster survivors out of a helicopter and into waiting wheelchairs. Source: 

FEMA Facebook.

P42: A FEMA staff member surveys damage to several houses from a hurricane. Source: FEMA Facebook.

P45: (First row): FEMA-Ogala Sioux signing ceremony for DR-4237 in Pine Ridge, SD. 2015. Source: Christopher Mardorf. (Second row, 

from left): 1) A Disaster Survivor Assistance crew member takes down survivor information using a tablet. Source: FEMA Facebook. 2) 

FEMA Russian linguist and community relations specialists begin to canvass a neighborhood with a large Russian population in the 

aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. New York, NY. December 20, 2012. Source: Ed Edahl. (Third row, from left): 1) FEMA mitigation specialists 

at a local home improvement stores in Louisiana answering questions and providing tips to rebuild safer and stronger. Source: FEMA 

Facebook. 2) Mitigation team leader answers questions from a local TV news reporter in Dothan, AL. January 6, 2001. Source: Jason 

Pack / FEMA. (Fourth row, from left): 1) Roofing contractors apply and affix FEMA supplied blue tarp sheets onto a local home in Naples, 

FL. September 16, 2017. Source: Kenneth Bolton. 2) FEMA Region II Community Planning and Capacity Building Regional Coordinator is 

speaking with a community stakeholder to solicit ideas for the development of an island-wide recovery plan for St. Croix. Christiansted, 

St. Croix. April 18, 2018. Source: Matthew Campbell / FEMA CPCB Recovery Support Function.

P46: A sign thanks FEMA employees for their work. Source: FEMA Media Library.

Chapter 5: Guiding Principles

P48 Accessibility: A FEMA Application Services Program specialist speaks with a survivor using an assisted listening device at a FEMA

Disaster Recovery Center. Source: FEMA Media Library.

P49 Accountability: First Cadre of Response Employees at the Transitional Recovery Office in Biloxi, MS take their oath before working 

in a range of long-term Hurricane Katrina recovery jobs throughout the coastal area. Source: FEMA Media Library. Empowerment: 

Earthquake simulator in Cordova, AK. Source: FEMA Facebook.

P50 Engagement: FEMA staff in West Virginia host a community town hall to ask questions about aid programs and recovery plans. 

Source: FEMA Media Library. Flexibility: Members of Indiana Task Force 1 search a neighborhood impacted by Hurricane Ike. 2008. 

Source: FEMA Media Library.

P51 Getting Results: FEMA Evacuation Team member in Washington, DC looks over Mt. Weather Fire and Rescue HAZMAT 21 truck on 

display at FEMA Headquarters during National Fire Prevention Week. October 5 - 11, 2008. Source: Barry Bahler / FEMA. Preparation: 

FEMA Staff reviews dates on a whiteboard for disaster planning. Source: FEMA Twitter.

P52 Stewardship: FEMA executive testifies to Congress on a hearing for the Agency’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System. 

Source: FEMA Media Library. Teamwork: FEMA personnel in Washington, DC at the National Response Coordination Center work side-byside with other Federal agencies to help manage preparations for Hurricane Irene in 2016. Source: FEMA Media Library.

Images and content may be subject to copyright, and rights vary by jurisdiction. 

Please contact FEMA for permission to use.
FEMA No. FP112-01

(FP-FEMA Policy)

Catalog No. 10314-1