The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), an independent agency, was founded in 1979. Reporting to the President and tasked with responding to, planning for, recovering from and mitigating against disaster, it can trace its beginnings to the Congressional Act of 1803. This act generally considered the first piece of disaster legislation, provided assistance to a New Hampshire town following an extensive fire.
FEMA’s mission is to reduce the loss of life and property and protect our nation’s critical infrastructure from all types of hazards through a comprehensive, risk-based, emergency management program of mitigations, preparedness, response, and recovery.
FEMA’s organizational structure mirrors the functions that take place in the life cycle of emergency management: Mitigation, Preparedness, and Response and Recovery. In addition, FEMA also contains the U.S. fire Administration, which supports the nation’s fire service and the Federal Insurance Administration, which provides flood insurance to property owners nationwide.
FEMA Region II serves the federal emergency management needs of the stats of New York and New Jersey, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the Territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
FEMA has ten regional offices. Each region serves several states, and regional staff works directly with the states to help plan for disasters, develop mitigation programs, and meet needs when disasters occur.
