Two government crisis agencies that have assisted during times of emergency in the past are FEMA and The Department Of Homeland Security.
FEMA is actively contacting California Wildfire survivors to determine their housing needs and working diligently to identify additional short-term and long-term housing options.
The Department of Homeland Security has a vital mission: to secure the nation from the many threats we face. This dedication includes jobs that range from aviation and border security to emergency response. Their duties are wide-ranging, and their goal is keeping America safe.
The importance of having a prepared crisis response is the fact that in most sudden impact disasters, there is no reason why recovery planning should not begin the day after the event. Having made that point, however, it is important to note that time is socially necessary in recovery. Consultation must take place, and alternative strategies must be investigated. The aim should not be to “bounce back,” but to “bounce forward” to a more resilient society that is able to face up to future disasters by a better combination of resistance and adaptation than that which existed before the current impact. Recovery from a major disaster can take decades, and during that time socio-economic conditions will change, and so probably will environmental and hazard conditions. A disaster characterized by death, injury, psychological impairment, destruction, damage, and loss of economic activities, assets, and employment will engender a complex aftermath. In this there is much potential for wrong decisions, unless objectives are carefully set, procedures are clearly identified, and there is a consensus about how the process should take place.
One such example for FEMA and The National Guard in the California Wildfires is the fact that when a Major Disaster Declaration was officially announced on November 12, 2018. The National Guard helped with evacuation procedures when local infrastructure was damaged and severely compromised, they worked with the host government of California to arrange chartered and/or non-commercial transportation for U.S. citizens seeking to depart. This included transportation by air, land and sea.
In the case of FEMA, the agency has approved more than $12.7 million in federal assistance for survivors affected by wildfires in three California counties, Butte, Los Angeles and Ventura. The funding includes grants for temporary housing and home repairs and low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses. FEMA has joined with California to set up a disaster recovery center, a one-stop shop where residents affected by the fires can file insurance claims, obtain grants for food and shelter, and register for other federal aid. The agency has so far received more than 16,000 applications for assistance. About 550 FEMA staff members are on the ground helping local officials.
We cannot overlook the fact that there have been situations where we hoped the efficiency of these agencies were better. For example FEMA took on a larger role in Puerto Rico after hurricane Maria. In the case of Puerto Rico last year, Hurricane Maria destroyed most of the island’s infrastructure and the local government was overwhelmed by the size of the destruction. That left the agency to assume more responsibility, like delivering supplies, a job typically left to the states. Having the agency take on a larger role than what is mandated by the law “is never a good situation,” Brock Long, the agency’s administrator, told the Senate Homeland Security Committee in October 2017. “When FEMA is the first and primary responder, and the only responder for many weeks, we are never going to move as fast as anybody would like.”
When a government tries to boost their military and National Security a budget proposal may suggest massive cuts across the federal government to include governmental aid agencies.
The argument for is the fact that approved public repair projects are paid through the state from funding provided by FEMA and other participating federal agencies. Funding for these agencies is a must in order to help them accomplish their mission which is to help people before, during, and after disasters.