The Stafford Act details the programs and processes by which the Federal Government provides disaster and emergency assistance to local, state, tribal, territorial, and insular area governments, eligible private nonprofit organizations, and individuals affected by a presidentially-declared disaster or emergency. The Stafford Act is the principal source from which the Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator (FDRC) obtains his/her authority.
This directive is aimed at strengthening the resilience and security of the United States through systematic preparation for threats that pose the greatest risk to the security of the Nation, including major natural disasters, terrorism, cyber attacks, and pandemics. Whilst this directive serves to stimulate Federal Government action, it is also aimed at facilitating an integrated, all-of-Nation, capabilities-based approach to preparedness.
The National Preparedness Goal defines the core capabilities necessary to prepare for the specific types of incidents that pose the greatest risks to the security of the Nation, and emphasizes actions aimed at achieving an integrated and all-of-Nation preparedness approach that optimizes the use of available resources.
The National Preparedness System is the instrument the Nation will employ to build, sustain, and deliver the core capabilities defined in the National Preparedness Goal in order to achieve a secure and resilient Nation. Each component of the National Preparedness system is supported by programs and processes that enable a collaborative, whole-community approach to national preparedness that engages individuals, families, communities, private and nonprofit sectors, and all levels of government.
The National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF) enables effective recovery support to disaster-impacted local communities, states, tribes, territories, and insular area governments. It provides a flexible structure that enables disaster recovery efforts to be executed in a unified and collaborative manner. The NDRF focuses on how best to restore, redevelop, and revitalize the health, social, economic, natural, and environmental fabric of the community whilst simultaneously seeking to build a more resilient Nation.
This act amended the Homeland Security Act and modified the Stafford Act with respect to the organizational structure, authorities, and responsibilities of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Following this Act, FEMA now leads the coordination of and supports the Nation in a risk-based, comprehensive emergency management system of preparedness, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery.
The Sandy Recovery Improvement Act of 2013 (SRIA) authorizes multiple changes to the way in which the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) may deliver disaster assistance under a multitude of programs. Currently, FEMA is developing specific implementation procedures for all new authorities, which will detail the applicability of each provision, provide further guidance as to how the authority will be implemented, and may include metrics and other such assessment tools and procedures.