The Federal Emergency Management Agency - 1123 Words

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) describes the National Planning Frameworks, which contains preparedness missions for the whole community (individuals, families, businesses, all types of community organizations, non-profit groups, media outlets, academies, and all levels of government including state, local, tribal, territorial, and federal partners, (FEMA 2015), as a way to foster a shared understanding of the roles and responsibilities from the first responders to the Federal government and the White House; all of which results in a more secure and resilient nation. It is everyone’s job in a community to ensure preparedness to keep the Nation safe from harm, and resilient when struck by hazards, such as pandemics, natural†¦show more content†¦The Engaged Partnership refers to the leaders at all levels, the whole community/international partners, work together to develop response collective goals and aligned capabilities. Tiered Response is where the in cidents are handled at the lowest jurisdiction/levels (such as local authorities), supported by any additional – higher entities when necessary or needed. The third principle covers the Scalable, Flexible, and Adaptable Operational Capabilities that are implemented as incidents change and evolve so that the responders are able to rapidly meet the challenges/changes to any situation. â€Å"National response protocols are structured to provide tiered levels of support when additional resources or capabilities are needed†. (NRF 2013, 6). The Unity of Effort through a Unified Command is the state of coordinating efforts among multiple organizations, which reduces duplication of effort and helps achieve the common objective. The Incident Command System (ICS) is a vital element in ensuring interoperability across ‘multi-jurisdictional or multi-agency’ incident management/leaders. The fifth and final key principle is Readiness to Act which is just that; individu als, local, state, and federal authorities being prepared to act upon and react to any type of disaster situation. An effective response is a balancing act of the understanding of the risks and hazards that the responders may encounter and the ability to act decisively. These principles mirror