Hazard mitigation planning plays an important role in land use and the development of governmental interventions and jurisdictions. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) explains these strategies as a possibility to reduce or eliminate long-term risks to people or their properties as a result of natural hazards (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine et al., 2017). The federal government, the state, and local governments are responsible for the development of effective plans, and their roles will be briefly evaluated in this paper.
The evolution of FEMA and its impact on states and local governments prove the role of the federal government in mitigation and disaster assistance. When a disaster occurs, the federal government takes responsibility for three major things – the development of a joint preliminary damage assessment (PDA), the evaluation of requests for federal aid, and the organization of emergency support teams (Peterson, 2017).
The state works by the emergency management agency (EMA) standards. Its functions include the evaluation of local situations, the proclamation of the state of emergency in a region, and communication with the federal government in case assistance is required. The role of local governments cannot be ignored because it touches upon the essentials of hazard mitigation, including community sustainability, resilience, and growth management.
These representatives provide an essential emergency response, activate specialized centers, and coordinate people. Goal-oriented steps provide communities with confidence that certain solutions can be found soon. The evaluation of the impact of the disaster on land and public infrastructure is another task (Peterson, 2017). Activation of mutual aid for citizens promotes resilience for the state and the population.
There is a strong connection between the work of local governments, the state, and the federal government. One body can’t gather all the information and analyze the results within a large territory. Therefore, the categorization of responsibilities and hazard-mitigation strategies should be promoted in each state. Although the governments find answers and offer different aid, the role of people and their prudence must be considered.
References
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Division on Earth and Life Studies, Health and Medicine Division, Institute for Laboratory Animal Research, Board on Earth Sciences and Resources, Board on Health Sciences Policy, & Committee on Strengthening the Disaster Resilience of Academic Research Communities. (2017). Strengthening the disaster resilience of the academic biomedical research community: Protecting the nation’s investment. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
Peterson, M. (2017). What preliminary damage assessments really mean. Web.