What is the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)?
The mission of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is to lead America to prepare for, prevent, respond to, and recover from disasters. In 1979, through an executive order of President Carter, FEMA was created as a separate federal agency responsible for coordinating national hazard mitigation and recovery efforts. In March 2003, FEMA became part of the newly formed Department of Homeland Security under the Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response. Today, FEMA manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA continues to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. It also initiates proactive mitigation activities and trains first responders.
