Integrated Emergency Management: The Roles of Federal, State, and Local Government with Implications for Homeland Security

摘要

Integrated Emergency Management is the framework which allows the various levels of government to work together to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies and disasters. These disasters can be natural or man-made, relatively small or very large. The events of September 11, 2001 brought new challenges to the Integrated Emergency Management system. For the first time terrorists struck within the borders of the United States and the threat of subsequent attacks using weapons of mass destruction is a real and present danger to every American. The ability to combat this new threat is a fundamental duty of government and will require increased coordination, cooperation, and integration to successfully accomplish this new mission. A working knowledge of this system is required for emergency managers and military professionals who may be tasked to prepare for or to perform disaster relief. This paper describes the framework of Integrated Emergency Management and the roles of the federal, state, and local government in that structure. The Department of Homeland Security and the Northern Command of the Department of Defense are briefly examined and their roles in the system are highlighted. The initial tasks of the Department of National Security are to integrate its subordinate organizations, eliminate redundant capability and overlapping jurisdictions, and develop streamlined procedures and processes for rapid analysis and response.