Local Emergency Management Organizations

Abstract

Two days after Hurricane Andrew struck the southeastern coast of Florida, the emergency manager of Dade County asked in desperation, “Where the hell is the cavalry on this one?” Pleas for help are common in most widespread disasters as municipal and county governments may not have sufficient material and human resources to deal with the devastation and disruption they leave behind. Mass emergencies and major calamities are therefore characterized by the need for outside assistance, and state and federal assets are sent to the affected area to assess damages, explain national relief programs, and provide financial assistance, among other things. For instance, when the World Trade Center towers collapsed after being struck by hijacked aircraft, hundreds of government agencies and departments converged in New York. Among these individuals and organizations from the public sector were search and rescue teams, law enforcement personnel, environmental enforcement officials, intelligence agents, congressional representatives, the National Guard, interstate mutual aid partners, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Emergent groups, religious organizations, businesses, and nonprofit agencies also arrived at the scene from distant locations to provide various kinds of disaster assistance. Nonetheless, the bulk of responsibility in disasters typically falls on local jurisdictions. The burden of dealing with a disaster is never felt more intensely than at the community level. For this reason, it is imperative to understand local emergency management organizations.