Before and after a disaster strikes, it is useful to understand the basic national emergency management structure and where authority rests at various stages of the process. This report provides information to aid policymakers as they navigate the many levels of responsibility, and numerous policy pressure points; it describes the laws and administrative policies governing the disaster response and recovery process. The report also reviews the legislative framework that exists for providing federal financial assistance following disasters, as well as the policies the executive branch employs to provide supplemental help to state (or territory), tribal, and local governments during time of disasters. For information on federal declarations and assistance, see the " Federal Disaster Declarations ," " Federal Financial Assistance Programs ," and " Other Federal Assistance " sections of this report. For information about how a congressional office may wish to prepare and respond to disasters in their state or district, see " Congressional Activity in Disasters ." For online resources with information on the response to current disasters, the disaster management process, federal disaster assistance programs, and the current scientific predictions for various natural hazards, see the " Where to Obtain Further Information " section of this report. The United States takes a "bottom up" approach to both managing and providing assistance, during and following a disaster. The responsibility for responding to disasters begins at the local level with survivors, elected officials, and emergency service personnel. If local government resources are overwhelmed, nongovernmental voluntary organizations in the community and governments in neighboring jurisdictions may be called upon to provide assistance. If those sources of assistance become exhausted, state and tribal governments may supplement a local government's resources, which may be coupled with the governor declaring a state disaster or emergency declaration. Generally, only after local and state/territory/tribal government resources have been overwhelmed, and the governor of the state or chief executive of a tribal nation has requested assistance, does the federal government begin to provide additional help. The role of the federal government, as described in the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (the Stafford Act, P.L. 93-288 , as amended), is generally to "supplement the efforts and available resources of States, local governments, and disaster relief organizations in alleviating the damage, loss, hardship, or suffering." Given this "bottom up" approach, except in the most extraordinary circumstances, local and state/tribal governments are in charge of the disaster response. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), or any other federal agency, is there to aid the disaster response process through the National Response Framework and the programs it administers, and to coordinate federal resources in response to state/tribal requests—not to be in the lead or take command. The local chief elected official, such as a mayor or their appointed representative, leads the disaster response for their community. The governor is the lead for the state response, the chief for the tribe, and the President for the federal response. If state resources are being used to supplement the local response, they are typically coordinated through a State Coordinating Officer (SCO) and the state's emergency management or homeland security agency. If an incident has been declared by the President as an emergency or major disaster under the Stafford Act, the President is to request that each governor appoint an SCO if they have not done so already. Similar requests are made to the chiefs of tribes. At the federal level, the President, FEMA Administrator, or Regional Administrator is to appoint a Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO) to coordinate all federal resources by state. The FCO generally operates out of a Joint Field Office (JFO) where federal agencies and departments coordinate their activities. Often times, state/tribal disaster officials will collocate at the JFO to facilitate coordination of efforts. The National Preparedness System (NPS) was established under guidance from Presidential Policy Directive 8: National Preparedness (PPD-8), issued by former President Barack Obama on March 30, 2011. The NPS is designed to help "ensure the Nation's ability to prevent, respond to, recover from, and mitigate against natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters." In brief, the NPS and its many component policies embody the strategic vision and planning of the federal government, with input from the whole community , as it relates to preparing the nation for all hazards. The NPS also establishes methods for achieving the nation's desired level of preparedness for both federal and nonfederal partners by identifying the core capabilities. A key component of the NPS is the National Incident Management System (NIMS) that provides a consistent approach for the whole community to work "together seamlessly and manage incidents involving all threats and hazards—regardless of cause, size, location, or complexity—in order to reduce loss of life, property and harm to the environment." Further, as directed by PPD-8, the NPS is supported by numerous strategic component policies, including National Planning Frameworks for each of the five mission areas: Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery. Each National Planning Framework is supported by a federal interagency operational plan (FIOP) that describes how the federal government aligns its supporting resources and delivers core capabilities. Two of the most important Frameworks for responding to a disaster are described below. The National Response Framework (NRF) guides the nation's response to a major disaster, regardless of cause or size. The NRF establishes 14 different Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) to organize the response capabilities of the federal government. ESFs group federal agencies with pertinent authorities, resources, and expertise to accomplish a set of capabilities needed in disaster response, regardless of the type of hazard. For instance, ESF #9 is "Search and Rescue," which unifies federal agencies with the appropriate resources and authorities to conduct search and rescue operations following a hurricane, earthquake, terrorist attack, or other disaster. The NRF also contains additional guidance describing how the NRF is to be used in response to certain common disaster problems. The Volunteer and Donations Management Support Annex, for example, describes how the federal government will help coordinate the most efficient and effective use of unaffiliated volunteers, unaffiliated organizations, and unsolicited donated goods. Although the NRF is often closely linked with the Stafford Act, the NRF is always in effect and does not require a formal Stafford Act declaration to be used. Any disaster requiring federal coordination, including those declared under other federal authorities, arguably would be managed through the NRF. As a result of the NRF, the federal, tribal, state, and local government agencies, and even most nongovernmental organizations, will likely operate in similar ways during response, with commonly understood terminology and management structures. The National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF) is a companion document to the NRF and guides the nation's recovery from disasters. The NDRF provides a structure and process to assist short- and long-term recovery following a disaster incident, including basic recovery principles, and an explanation of roles and responsibilities at the respective levels of government. As with the NRF, the NDRF uses a support function model to organize federal capabilities. For the recovery phase, FEMA and its partners have identified six Recovery Support Functions (RSFs). An example of a Recovery Support Function is the Economic Recovery Support Function, which is coordinated by the U.S. Department of Commerce. In addition, the NDRF also establishes three positions that provide focal points for incorporating recovery considerations into the decisionmaking process following a disaster. Those positions are Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator (FDRC), State or Tribal Disaster Recovery Coordinators (SDRC or TDRC), and Local Disaster Recovery Managers (LDRM). If the capacity of a local government has been overwhelmed by an incident, the local government may first turn to voluntary organizations within its community for additional support. Further, the local government may request assistance from other, nearby local governments through mutual aid and assistance agreements. Though not required, voluntary organizations willing to provide disaster assistance and relief are encouraged by statute and regulation to coordinate their assistance through the structure of the NRF. Two national organizations, the American Red Cross and the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (National VOAD), have specific responsibilities under the NRF. Faith-based organizations may also be a key source of assistance to the community and the local government during an incident. Because each disaster has a unique set of voluntary organizations involved in response and relief, the state, tribal, or local government officials may generally be the best initial source of information on their activities during the disaster. If the incident has been declared an emergency or major disaster through the Stafford Act, FEMA, through Voluntary Agency Liaisons (VALs), may provide additional support to coordinate the efforts of voluntary organizations bringing relief to afflicted communities. Many local governments have prenegotiated agreements with neighboring jurisdictions to share resources ranging from emergency service equipment (ambulances, fire trucks, etc.) to technical experts (bridge inspectors, contract managers, etc.). At the state level, the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) is a congressionally ratified compact that provides a legal structure by which states affected by a disaster may request emergency assistance and aid from other states. Mutual aid agreements are an increasingly common and important source of assistance during significant incidents that overwhelm local and state capacities. The capacities and capabilities of states are varied, as is the process for local governments to request such assistance from their states. All states have either an emergency management agency or a homeland security agency (or both) that is responsible for providing and coordinating assistance to local governments within its jurisdiction, much in the way that FEMA is responsible at the federal level. Though all states have some legal process for declaring a "state of emergency" (or synonymous incident), the process for declaring a state of emergency, and the powers and assistance it subsequently grants, varies considerably.