Community Resources

Local agencies and non-profit groups play a crucial role in maintaining the health, safety, and well-being of the community’s residents. In Florida, people living along the coast rely on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The Federal Emergency Management Agency was formed under President Jimmy Carter in 1979 and became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003 (FEMA, 2021a). While people often associate FEMA with national disaster response, its assistance is crucial for hurricane-affected areas, such as Florida’s coast, where it collaborates with others to implement safety measures, emergency relief, and recovery steps to protect both lives and property.

Mission and Vision of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

FEMA supports the public before, during, and after disasters by employing over 20,000 employees nationwide. They team up to assist communities after emergencies such as hurricanes, floods, wildfires, earthquakes, and health problems. The primary objective of FEMA is to protect people and enhance safety during disasters, whether they are natural or human-caused. By working together, governments aim to mitigate damage, alleviate suffering, and secure property in affected areas (FEMA, 2023).

A good example of FEMA’s mission in action is its response to Hurricane Ian in 2022, which greatly affected Florida communities. FEMA sent emergency teams, assisted people in leaving dangerous areas, and provided displaced residents with housing and financial support. The agency also helped repair roads and bridges, distributed necessary supplies, and cooperated with other agencies to ensure a complete recovery. This demonstrates that FEMA is committed to assisting communities to become more resilient and recover quickly, which aligns with its mission to protect against major disasters (FEMA, 2023).

Provision of Equal Opportunity and Improved Quality of Life  

Social, Cultural, Economic, and Physical Barriers

How well FEMA addresses the social, cultural, economic, and physical barriers in coastal Florida is key to promoting equal opportunities and improving the lives of people there, who are often victims of hurricanes and flooding. Such barriers are poverty, poor schooling, little access to healthcare, unstable homes, discrimination, and not enough transportation. Such obstacles may cause vulnerable people in coastal Florida to leave their homes late, have trouble reaching emergency shelters and medical help, and take longer to recover (FEMA, 2022).

Even though FEMA’s main purpose is to protect all people in disasters, it has not always been successful in reaching underserved areas. FEMA introduced the Equity Action Plan as part of the federal equity initiative, aiming to address unequal outcomes by incorporating equity into disaster management. It is not limited to statements—it includes steps such as including everyone, sharing resources fairly, and partnering with local groups to address the unique needs of the community (FEMA, 2022). It is evident from the results that FEMA has made progress, but it still faces obstacles. In the recent Florida hurricanes, FEMA established mobile registration centers and employed multilingual methods to ensure that marginalized individuals could access assistance (Davis et al., 2021). However, certain delays in logistics, a lack of local infrastructure, and ongoing doubts about federal assistance prevent some people from receiving timely help.

Impact of Funding Sources, Policy, and Legislation

The way FEMA delivers services in disaster-prone areas, such as coastal Florida, depends significantly on the funding it receives, the policies it follows, and the laws it must operate under. The budget for FEMA comes from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and this affects the amount of assistance the agency can provide during emergencies. With this funding, the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and Public Assistance Grant Program (PAG) provide financial assistance and support for repairing infrastructure after disasters (Congressional Budget Office, 2022). If funding is insufficient or takes too long, FEMA’s ability to respond quickly can be affected, which delays help for families and entire communities after hurricanes, floods, and similar disasters.

The work of FEMA is influenced by federal guidelines, such as the State, Local, and Tribal Mitigation Planning Policies, which require communities to conduct their assessments and create plans for hazard mitigation. The policies aim to help places become more resilient by requiring them to study local risks and suggest ways to lessen the effects of disasters. For people living in coastal Florida, these policies support flood zone mapping, better evacuation plans, and stronger housing, which helps lower long-term risks (Augusto, 2023).

The work of FEMA is guided by legislation, including the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, the Homeland Security Act, and the National Flood Insurance Act, which are codified in the Code of Federal Regulations (44 CFR Part 201). These laws empower federal agencies to provide assistance and ensure that aid is delivered promptly and tailored to the community’s specific needs. Still, the rules for getting help can be challenging for some low-income families or individuals who do not speak the language well (Stovall, 2021).

Impact of FEMA on Community Health and Safety

The primary task of FEMA is to restore safety and improve the lives of those affected by disasters, which is closely tied to collaboration with healthcare providers and systems. Because hurricanes and floods are common in coastal Florida, FEMA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have collaborated to utilize the Health and Social Services Recovery Support Function (HSSRSF). Working together, they help restore public health and community support after disasters. For example, during Hurricane Irma, FEMA collaborated with HHS to ensure medical care, inspect food safety, manage medications, and ensure responders remained healthy for an extended period. Both parties work on assessing the needs of the healthcare system, repairing damaged healthcare buildings, and ensuring that local healthcare systems are strong and sustainable (FEMA, 2021b).

FEMA relies on nurses greatly in responding to disasters in coastal Florida. They offer quick medical assistance, including first aid, CPR, and triage, and assist those survivors who are distressed or traumatized. Because disasters can impact mental health in both children and adults, nurses participate in setting up temporary centers for recovery and rehabilitation (Flaubert et al., 2021). They provide psychological support, emotional counseling, and long-term medical supervision, which helps restore health to those affected and supports the return to normal life for the community.

Conclusion

To conclude, FEMA is crucial for the health, safety, and well-being of coastal Florida communities because it responds to disasters, mitigates future risks, and facilitates recovery by collaborating with healthcare systems, sharing resources fairly, and enforcing well-thought-out policies. Despite problems with funding and access, FEMA’s actions—mitigation grants, new laws, and partnerships with HHS—prove that community resilience is a high priority. Providing inclusive policies, accessible services, and integrating healthcare will be essential to helping all individuals, regardless of their background, recover and thrive after disasters.

References

Augusto, C. (2023). Flooded with possibilities: Analyzing flood insurance as a catalyst for development in Southeast Florida. Mit.edu. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/153049  

Congressional Budget Office. (2022, November). FEMA’s disaster relief fund: Budgetary history and projections | Congressional Budget Office. https://www.cbo.gov/publication/58420

Capella FPX 4055 Assessment 2

Davis, C., Berke, P., Holloman, E., Griffard, M., Haynes, S., Johnson, E., Warraich, Z., Crisostomo-Morales, L., Golda, D., Benissan, G., Gillespy, C., Butterfield, W., & Rakes, E. (2021). Support strategies for socially marginalized neighborhoods likely impacted by natural hazards coastal resilience center. https://naturalhazardsresiliencecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Support-Strategies-for-Socially-Marginalized-Neighborhoods-1.pdf 

FEMA. (2021a, January). History of FEMA. https://www.fema.gov/about/history#:~:text=Creation%20of%20FEMA 

FEMA. (2021b, March 18). Health and social services recovery support function. https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20210318/health-and-social-services-recovery-support-function 

FEMA. (2022, October). Equity. https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/national-preparedness/equity 

FEMA. (2023, March 8). Hurricane ian – response and recovery | fema.gov. Www.fema.gov. https://www.fema.gov/fact-sheet/hurricane-ian-response-and-recovery

Flaubert, J. L., Menestrel, S. L., Williams, D. R., & Wakefield, M. K. (2021). Nurses in disaster preparedness and public health emergency response. In www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. National Academies Press (US). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK573904/ 

Stovall, S. (2021). Emergency management laws and mandates: What drives emergency management planning and policy. 91–105. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315118345-6