Fema Mission Statement

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Summary: FEMA should remain as an agency incorporated within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Since 1979, FEMA has gone through many changes from being an executive level agency to being incorporated into another agency. FEMA’s missions have changed over the years based on political influences instead of the mission outlined in Executive Orders. According to the FEMA Website, FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation, we work together to build, sustain and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards (FEMA.gov). FEMA needs stability and consistency in order to perform this mission well. The DHS has resources and funding …show more content…
The primary missions of DHS included acting as a focal point regarding natural and manmade crises and emergency planning and ensuring that the overall economic security of the U.S. is not diminished by efforts, activities, and programs aimed at securing the homeland (DHS.gov). FEMA was integrated into DHS in 2003 and became part of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate. The mission was to focus on preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation of disasters. Because of DHS’ many missions, personnel and the emergency management community began complaining that DHS was removing authorities and resources from FEMA. DHS’s focus on terrorism instead of planning, preparation and response to natural disasters, was hurting morale and progress (FEMA: in or out?, 2009). This was evident in FEMA’s response to Hurricane Katrina. Personnel performing communication, response, logistics, and the supply chain failed to handle the situation. There were many arguments throughout the U.S. with people pointing fingers in every direction to try to place the blame on why the response …show more content…
The Act contained provisions that directly addressed what were perceived as the major shortcomings of FEMA and its response to Hurricane Katrina. The Act made FEMA a distinct entity within DHS and placed restrictions on actions that the Secretary of DHS can take affecting FEMA, directed that the FEMA Director report directly to the Secretary, created a direct line of communication between the FEMA Director and the President during times of emergency, and restored to FEMA many of the functions that had been transferred to other parts of the department (Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006). This Act strengthened FEMA and provided the support for FEMA to build on preparation, response, protection, recovery and mitigation of disasters to the

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