FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY

The history of FEMA provides the foundation for the identity of all our emergency responders today. It is rooted in the story of a nation committed to finding strength in the face of unpredictable and devastating disasters. 

The Congressional Act of 1803 was the first official federal disaster relief in US history following a devastating fire in Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 1802. The United States Congress provided relief to the seaport town of Portsmouth by suspending merchant bond payments for several months. 

President Carter signed an Executive Order in 1979 establishing FEMA and gave the new a dual mission of emergency management and civil defense. The agencies authorities were further defined and expanded in 1988 which provided a clear direction for emergency management by establishing the current framework for disaster response through presidential declarations.

The terrorist attacks of 9/11 in 2001 changed the face of homeland security and emergency management by initiating major legislative and policy action to reorganize the federal government. In 2002, President Bush signed the Homeland Security Act into law which lead to creation of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This action united 21 Government organizations.