DQ 2-1

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· In a federal disaster, depending on the severity of the natural disaster, local, state, and federal

governments have to work together to effectively mitigate the situation. At the local level, the

government maintains control over assets and recovery efforts. Local governments make

preparations for these instances with support of state and federal governments. Local

governments are essentially the “first providers” of natural disasters. Local governments activate

the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) along with the Comprehensive Emergency

Management Plan. They are tasked with coordinating response with various agencies, and

provide situation reports to State Emergency Management Agencies. Local governments activate

response agreements with State and Federal departments. They authorized to proclaim a local

state of emergency in order to utilize local resources, expending local funds, and waiving typical

bidding process for goods and services. Local governments also request the State Emergency

Management Agency to provide State and/or Federal assistance (IS-208).

The State Government steps in when local government needs additional assistance. At the state

level, there may be many local governments requesting assistance simultaneously. State

governments serve as agents for local jurisdictions if Federal disaster aid is required, because

local governments cannot directly access Federal programs. State governments monitor the

situation. They review situation reports, response efforts, and requests for assistance. They

activate the State EOC to coordinate available State assistance. The State Government also

makes the determination if the disaster is beyond their capability, and if Federal assistance is

required. The Governor proclaiming an emergency involves activating the State Disaster

Preparedness Plan, provides the use of State assistance or resources, and starts the process for

requesting Federal assistance (IS-208).

· At the Federal level, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) coordinates activation

and implementation of Federal Response Plan (FRP), in order for states to work with FEMA to

gain access to Federal programs. The Federal government conducts joint investigations with

State and local governments to determine damages to individuals, farms, and businesses, as well

as, public agencies, special districts, and private non-profit organizations. In addition, they

determine the potential mitigation efforts that may take place during repairs and prior to another

disaster. The Federal Government approves or denies requests for Federal assistance. If they

approve the requests, the President assigns a Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO) to lead the

Emergency Response Team (ERT). They also set up a Disaster Field Office (DFO) to coordinate

response and recovery efforts, and they work the State Coordinating Officer (SCO), who is

assigned by the Governor to tackle response and recovery efforts. They establish an Emergency

Support Team (EST) that monitors operations from D.C., while identifying necessary Emergency

Support Functions (ESF) to respond (IS-208).

During the recovery process, the Governor, at the State level makes the requests for Federal

assistance. If the President denies the request, recovery costs are incurred by the State and local

governments. If the President declares a state of emergency, this falls under the Robert T.

Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act of 1988. The Federal, State, and local

governments determine if Disaster Recovery Centers are needed. FEMA and the State coordinate

with local emergency management groups to conduct public assistance assessments. Based on

the information, Federal, State, and local teams will be formed to conduct Damage Survey

Reports (DSR) (IS-208).

What has been discovered through a number of disasters is the breakdown in communication

between the three levels of government in coordinating necessary resources in a timely fashion.

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The government should have an understanding of the magnitude of these disasters and ensure

they have adequate staffing to handle the volume of calls, damage assessments, and requests for

assistance. According to a story in the New York Times, one Hurricane Harvey victim, Rachel

Roberts is still waiting on assistance in late October, from a storm that hit in late August. Many

feel the government has been effective in dealing with immediate needs, but unreliable as

thousands are dealing with long delays in the most basic of disaster assistance. The article states

FEMA has taken weeks to inspect damaged homes and phone calls are placed on hold for hours

from residents requiring assistance. It has been reported that two months after Hurricane Harvey,

residents are still waiting on FEMA payments. Many of these residents had their claims denied

by FEMA (Fernandez, Alvarez, & Nixon, 2017).

References:

Fernandez, M., Alvarez, L., & Nixon, R. “Still Waiting for FEMA in Texas and Florida After

Hurricanes”. The New York Times [New York] 22 October 2017 p. 1-7. Retrieved from

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/22/us/fema-texas-florida-delays-.html

Unit 3 Disaster Sequence of Events State Disaster Management Course –IS208 [PDF File]

Retrieved fromhttps://training.fema.gov/emiweb/downloads/is208sdmunit3.pdf