Federal Emergency Management Agency

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FEMA was first established by the Presidential Reorganization in 1978, signed by President Jimmy Carter, and put into effect by two Executive Orders on April 1, 1979. FEMA is a department of the US Department of Homeland Security. The organization's primary goal is to plan and coordinate the reaction to a disaster that has struck the country and exhausted the capabilities of local and state authorities. The federal government and FEMA emergency declaration must respond to the crisis once the governor of the state where it occurred declares a state of emergency and formally requests the president. The state's gubernatorial declaration requirement is only exempt in cases when an emergency or disaster affects federal property or a federal agency.