Federal Emergency Management Agency

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an all-hazard response agency established by U.S. president Jimmy Carter's executive order in 1979. FEMA has the mission of planning for and responding to disasters of any type, ranging from natural catastrophes (floods, earthquakes, wildfires, hurricanes, etc.) to deliberate attacks (terrorist bombings; biological, chemical, nuclear, or radiological epidemics). FEMA's 2,600 full-time employees work at headquarters in Washington, D.C., 10 regional offices, the Mt. Weather Emergency Assistance Center in Berryville, Virginia, and the FEMA training center in Emmitsburg, Maryland. There are also 5,000 stand-by emergency reservists.

If a disaster event warrants, FEMA assumes the responsibilities of the lead federal agency for consequence management. FEMA works closely with the FBI and other agencies on the Federal Response Plan team, as well as the American Red Cross. FEMA also oversees Urban Search and Rescue Teams, each of which is composed of 62 ...