Federal Emergency Management Agency
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Federal Emergency Management Agency |
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|---|---|
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| State level | United States Federal Agency |
| position | Disaster relief |
| Supervisory authority | United States Department of Homeland Security |
| founding | April 1, 1979 |
| Headquarters | Washington, DC |
| Authority management | W. Craig Fugate, administrator Richard Serino, Deputy Administrator |
| Servants | 7,474 (October 2011) |
| Web presence | www.fema.gov |
The Federal Emergency Management Agency ( FEMA ; German Federal Agency for Disaster Protection ) is the United States' national coordination office for disaster relief and reports to the United States Department of Homeland Security .
FEMA coordinates the work of federal, state and local authorities in the event of floods, hurricanes, earthquakes and other natural disasters. FEMA also provides financial assistance to individuals and local or state governments in rebuilding homes, businesses, and public facilities. The training of fire fighters and emergency physicians is also supported. It funds disaster planning in the United States and its overseas territories .
history
The agency was established on April 1, 1979 by President Jimmy Carter ( Executive Order 12127).
In the 19th century, the American Congress enacted over 100 individual laws to provide local aid in the event of various natural disasters. In the first half of the 20th century, disaster relief was expanded through various federal agencies such as the Bureau of Public Roads and the US Army Corps of Engineers . It was not until the 1960s and 1970s that it was requested that disaster relief be coordinated centrally in a single federal agency. The triggers were Hurricanes Carla , Betsy, Camille and Agnes as well as the Good Friday earthquake and the 1971 San Fernando earthquake .
In 2003, FEMA was incorporated by George W. Bush into the newly created Department of Homeland Security. Since FEMA is at the center of public attention during disasters, the agency was able to keep its own logo despite the incorporation.
Hurricane Katrina 2005
Until September 12, 2005, attorney Michael Brown , who was with the International Arabian Horse Association prior to his appointment by George W. Bush , was the director of FEMA. Brown and his two deputies served as campaign leader for Bush during the 2000 presidential election . According to the Washington Post , five of the eight top FEMA officials, including Brown's two deputies, came to their job despite having little or no experience in disaster management. Brown was forced to resign after relief efforts for victims of Hurricane Katrina were belatedly requested, slowed down and perceived as poorly coordinated. Under his leadership, FEMA appeared unable to respond adequately to major terrorist attacks or natural disasters.
criticism
Since the 1990s, FEMA has been accused by various conspiracy theorists of being part of a conspiracy with the aim of building a totalitarian "New World Order" . In particular, she is accused of preparing concentration camps in various locations in the USA to which patriots would be deported who oppose the new regime and would, for example, refuse to surrender their private firearms . When, following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the American government presented plans for a new Department of Homeland Security, which should also include FEMA, this was seen as confirmation of older fears.
On 23 October 2007, FEMA held a press conference in Washington, DC on the forest fires in California from. As it turned out later, only FEMA employees were present and asked innocuous questions. Reporters were only informed 15 minutes before the start. Sometimes they were connected by telephone, but were not allowed to ask any questions. Johnsen later admitted in the Washington Post : "Our goal was to get the information out as quickly as possible, and we made a mistake." The American Department of Homeland Security, to which the agency is subordinate, was critical: " That is inexcusable, such actions will not be tolerated and must not be repeated. "
Libertarian author James Bovard criticized FEMA in 1997 for subsidizing reconstruction in disaster-prone areas by asking, "Are we really going to help rebuild homes and federal buildings in areas where they should never have been built in the first place?" He also claimed that municipalities are much more likely to neglect their own snow removal because the federal authorities will help them out if they B. are cut off because of snow-covered roads.
The manual of the libertarian Cato Institute , which is given to parliamentarians, says that the work of FEMA should be taken over by private companies, which would favor building construction in safe zones: “Every time there is a natural disaster, FEMA is listed as an example of how well government organizations work. But in reality, because the taxpayer subsidizes disaster relief and discounted insurance premiums, FEMA encourages one citizen to build in disaster-prone areas - and the other citizens face the consequences of those risky decisions. In a well-functioning, free market, people who build their homes in flood areas or hurricane zones would shell out the risk themselves with higher insurance premiums. However, FEMA's activities undermine this process. Americans shouldn't be forced to pay the cost if vacation homes on the south coast are destroyed. This authority, which costs four billion dollars a year, should be abolished. "
FEMA, on the other hand, said that it was strengthening citizens' personal responsibility by encouraging people to use structural measures to minimize future damage or to take out insurance against flooding.
A similar criticism was made in September 2005 by Republican Congressman Dennis Hastert in connection with Hurricane Katrina with the intention of challenging the reconstruction of the city of New Orleans : “It makes no sense to invest billions of dollars in rebuilding a city which is below sea level. "
The reconstruction of San Francisco was also "stubborn" after the earthquake. Louisiana , where New Orleans is located, is mostly Republican.
Regions
FEMA is organized in ten regional and two divisional offices. Each office is responsible for multiple states or dependent areas. The regional employees work directly with state agencies to develop disaster prevention plans. In the event of disasters that have already occurred, FEMA works on site with the appropriate emergency organizations in the respective state.
- Region 1: Connecticut , Maine , Massachusetts , New Hampshire , Rhode Island , Vermont
- Region 2: New Jersey , New York , Puerto Rico , US Virgin Islands
- Region 3: Delaware , District of Columbia , Maryland , Pennsylvania , Virginia , West Virginia
- Region 4: Alabama , Florida , Georgia , Kentucky , Mississippi , North Carolina , South Carolina , Tennessee
- Region 5: Illinois , Indiana , Michigan , Minnesota , Ohio , Wisconsin
- Region 6: Arkansas , Louisiana , New Mexico , Oklahoma , Texas
- Region 7: Iowa , Kansas , Missouri , Nebraska
- Region 8: Colorado , Montana , North Dakota , South Dakota , Utah , Wyoming
- Region 9: American Samoa , Arizona , California , Guam , Hawaii , Nevada , Northern Mariana Islands , Marshall Islands , Micronesia
- Region 10: Alaska , Idaho , Oregon , Washington
Larger claims in FEMA history
- Terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 , mainly in New York City
- Hurricane Katrina 2005, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia
- 2007 Southern California wildfires
Web links
- The evolution of FEMA (self-expression)
- McAllister Th, Corley Gene, FEMA Commission of Inquiry (2002) Report on Building Security after 9/11 - Building Performance Study: Data Coll… Preliminary Observations, and Recomm… (296 pages, PDF)
- Legal powers of FEMA Director (English)
swell
- ↑ www.fema.gov ( Memento of the original from May 21, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. William Craig Fugate, Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Accessed June 21, 2010.
- ↑ www.fema.gov ( Memento of the original from June 17, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Richard Serino, Deputy Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Accessed June 21, 2010.
- ↑ www.fema.gov ( Memento of the original from May 3, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. About FEMA> Who We Arr. Accessed November 25, 2011.
- ↑ www.fema.gov ( Memento of the original from May 9, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. FEMA history. Accessed June 21, 2010.
- ↑ www.fas.org Executive Order 12127 - Federal Emergency Management Agency. Accessed June 21, 2010.
- ↑ Michael Barkun : A Culture of Conspiracy. Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America . University of California Press, Berkeley 2013, pp. 74 ff. And 170.
- ↑ CNN : Transcript: The Situation Room . September 1, 2005
- ↑ www.fema.gov ( Memento of the original from June 21, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Regional Operations. Accessed June 21, 2010.
