Government's Ability to Respond
I read a lot of posts about the government's ability or lack of ability to respond should some disaster happen. On the surface, we all realize that it's our own responsibility to protect ourselves and our families. But did you know that, by design, the federal government is one of the last entities to assist? I don't think many folks realize that.
The Major Disaster Process
A Major Disaster Declaration usually follows these steps:
- Local Government Responds, supplemented by neighboring communities and volunteer agencies. If overwhelmed, turn to the state for assistance;
- The State Responds with state resources, such as the National Guard and state agencies;
- Damage Assessment by local, state, federal, and volunteer organizations determines losses and recovery needs;
- A Major Disaster Declaration is requested by the governor, based on the damage assessment, and an agreement to commit state funds and resources to the long-term recovery;
- FEMA Evaluates the request and recommends action to the White House based on the disaster, the local community and the state's ability to recover;
- The President approves the request or FEMA informs the governor it has been denied. This decision process could take a few hours or several weeks depending on the nature of the disaster.
I just thought you might want to know.
Source: http://www.fema.gov/hazard/dproc.shtm
