Hurricanes Helene and Milton have now passed, leaving trails of destruction. Some politicians are using the disasters as a political football, focusing particularly on the funding of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). But the debate over FEMA is somewhat misplaced. FEMA is the lead federal agency for natural disaster response, but the American system of disaster response is not a top-down structure imposed by Washington. Rather, two core principles in disaster response are federalism and mutual aid between states, cities, utilities, and other private entities. In other words, we have a decentralized and horizontal response system. State, local, and private groups play the main role in disaster response. As the Congressional Research Service noted, "The United States takes a 'bottom up' approach to both managing and providing assistance during a disaster." State and local governments employ 1.3 million people in police and fire departments, for example, and those first responders are spread across the nation.
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Table of Contents
- Hurricanes Helene and Milton have now passed leaving trails of 1
- Management Agency FEMA. But the debate over FEMA is somewhat 1
- FEMA is the lead federal agency for natural disaster response but the 1
- American system of disaster response is not a top-down structure imposed 1
- State local and private groups play the main role in disaster response. As 1
- State governors are crucial. They have wide-ranging responsibilities and 1
- Helene made landfall. Colorado sent helicopters K9s and other first 1
- The National Guard under state command plays a crucial role during 1
- Southeast. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005 50000 guardsmen from 1
- Most of the nationʼs critical infrastructuresuch as utility infrastructureis 1
- Crews from Kentucky arrived in Florida on Tuesday. 1
- Looking at US history disasters have always generated large outpourings 1
- American Red Cross plays a huge role providing food water and 1
- The federal role should be to offer its unique assets and capabilities to 2
- FEMA distributes emergency aid to individuals after disasters and has sent 2
- This function is important although it overlaps the activities of the states 2
- FEMAʼs disaster response has been known for bureaucracy that slows the 2
- Presidents usually visit disaster-hit areas to appear to be in charge and 2
- FEMA is not a first responder agency. Instead FEMA mainly provides 2
- News reports are discussing whether or not FEMA has enough money and 2
- See The Federal Emergency Management Agency Floods Failures and 2
- Federalism at Downsizing the Federal Government for more on FEMA and 2
