Quizlet #2

Emergency Management not new

Emergency Management has ancient roots. Ex: Moses trying to part the Red Sea could be a first attempt at flood control. The Bible talks about many disasters that befell civilizations.

Project Impact

Building Disaster-Resistant Communities. "The goal of Project Impact was to incorporate decisions about risk and risk avoidance into the community's everyday decision-making processes. By building a disaster- resistant community, the community would promote sustainable economic development, protect and enhance its natural resources, and ensure a better quality of life for its citizens."

Disaster Insurance

Disaster Insurance wasn't created till the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968, which created the NFIP. Only helped with disasters after they happened. Not just the risk.

James Lee Witt

FEMA director under Clinton. First FEMA director with Emergency Management experience. Breathed life back into FEMA from 1993-2001. The start of Project Impact.

FEMA

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was created by President Carter in 1978. The FEMA director would report directly to the president. "The intent of this plan was to consolidate emergency preparedness, mitigation, and response activities into one federal emergency management organization."

1803

First example of Federal Gov't involvement in a local disaster: In 1803, a Congressional Act was passed to provide financial assistance to a New Hampshire town devastated by fire.

2002

In 2002, President Bush signed the Homeland Security Act of 2002, and made Tom Ridge the Secretary of the Department of Homelanf Security (DHS). "This act, which authorized the greatest federal government reorganization since President Harry Truman joined the various branches of the armed forces under the Department of Defense, is charged with a three-fold mission of protecting the United States from further terrorist attacks, reducing the nation's vulnerability to terrorism, and minimizing the damage from potential terrorist attacks and natural disasters." After 9/11 this office was seen as ineffective. "The White House and Congress recognized that a Homeland Security czar would require both a staff and a large budget in order to succeed, and thus began deliberations to create a new Cabinet-level Department that would fuse many of the security-related agencies dispersed throughout the federal government."

Four phases of Emergency Management

Mitigation - "a sustained action to reduce or eliminate risk to people and property from hazards and their effects." The function of mitigation is that it looks at long-term solutions to reducing risk and preparing for their consequences, responding to their consequences, or recovering from them. Preparedness - "a state of readiness to respond to a disaster, crisis or any other type of emergency situation." Response - usually local first responders such as police, firefighters and EMTs. Their main job is rescue and attend to those injured. Recovery - "This function often begins in the initial hours and days following a disaster event and can continue for months and in some cases years, depending on the severity of the event."

Communications

Promotes preparedness and prevention. Promotes actions that reduce the risk of future disasters. Media plays a primary role in communicating to the general public about emergency management. Goal of the media is to provide accurate and vital information.

Emergency Management Definition

The discipline dealing with risk and risk avoidance. Emergency Management is an essential role of the government.