What Did The Carter Administration Contribute To Emergency Management

1a) The Carter Administration's most significant contribution to emergency management was the creation of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in 1979. Before FEMA, disaster responsibilities were fragmented across different agencies, including the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Defense. This disjointed approach led to inefficiencies and slow responses to disasters. FEMA was designed to devise an all-hazards approach to disasters, addressing natural and man-made threats. President Jimmy Carter unified these efforts under FEMA by issuing Executive Order 12148, which centralized authority for disaster coordination. FEMA coordinated federal disaster response, preparedness, and recovery efforts, making emergency management more
It became clear that the government needed a more streamlined and organized system for managing natural and technological disasters. In response to these issues, Executive Order 12148 was issued on July 20, 1979, establishing FEMA as the primary organization responsible for coordinating federal disaster relief efforts. The Three Mile Island event, along with other disasters such as Hurricane Agnes in 1972, demonstrated the need for improved disaster preparedness, prompting the Carter Administration to create a unified emergency management system. 1c) FEMA improved federal-level disaster response by integrating many previously disconnected agencies under one organization, creating a more structured and efficient system. FEMA coordinated preparedness, response, and recovery activities, ensuring that federal resources could be mobilized more quickly and effectively in times of crisis. Before FEMA, disaster management was often decentralized, with different agencies handling separate aspects of emergencies, leading to delays and