EXAMINING DISASTER MANAGEMENT 1
Examining Disaster Management
Helms School of Government, Liberty University
HLSC 600: Introduction to Disaster Management
Dr. Jimmy Johnson
June 4, 2022
EXAMINING DISASTER MANAGEMENT 2
Examining Disaster Management
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, commonly known as FEMA, is an agency
under the Department of Homeland Security umbrella. FEMA’s primary mission is to serve the
nation by “helping people before, during, and after disasters” (FEMA, 2021a, p. 5). In addition,
FEMA, according to its strategic plan, aims to bring forth “a whole community approach in an
attempt to engage the full capacity of the private and nonprofit sectors—including businesses,
faith-based and disability organizations, and the American public in conjunction with the
participation of state, local, tribal, territorial, and federal government partners” (FEMA, 2021a,
p. 7). The intensity of recent disasters calls for a collaborative effort from all stakeholders.
While the word “disaster” may conjure multiple meanings, for this paper, disasters are
social events that significantly impact people, cause social disruption, and would more than
likely require assistance from partners beyond the local level of any jurisdiction (Phillips et al.,
2016). As such, disaster management refers to the entirety of all coordinated activities performed
by various stakeholders at the state, local, and federal levels “to reduce risks, prepare for and
respond to disasters, and foster recovery” (Phillips, 2016, p. 22). These coordinated activities are
an all-hazard approach to emergency management. The main phases of this disaster management
framework are mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. Figure 1 is a visual
