The Federal Emergency Management Agency identified eight overarching trends related to emergency preparedness and response in its 2013 National Preparedness Report.
This second annual report describes progress on 31 core capabilities set out in the National Preparedness Goal. Here are eight key findings on national preparedness trends from the report:
1. The U.S. continued to improve in areas of strength identified in the 2012 NPR.
2. The U.S. made progress in the three national areas for improvement identified in the 2012 NPR: cybersecurity, recovery-focused core capabilities and integration of individuals with disabilities and access and functional needs.
3. New national areas for improvement include enhancing the resilience of infrastructure systems and the role of public-private partnerships.
4. While Hurricane Sandy showed the nation's ability to respond to and recover from disasters, the federal government faces challenges in meeting survivor needs when surging resources into the field during disaster response.
5. States and territories continue to report the highest capability levels in areas they cited as high priority. Most of the highest-rated capabilities were common capabilities, including operational coordination, planning, public information and warning, or were related to the response mission area. States rated low capability in recovery and cybersecurity.
6. More than half of states and territories expect the federal government to fill gaps in five capabilities: economic recovery, fatality management services, cybersecurity, forensics and attribution and housing.
7. Community partners continue to use federal preparedness assistance programs to maintain capability strengths and address gaps. Federal sponsors are looking for ways to improve the programs' effectiveness and efficiency.
8. Resilience initiatives help officials measure communities' ability to prepare for and adapt to changing conditions and withstand and recover rapidly from disruptions.
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This second annual report describes progress on 31 core capabilities set out in the National Preparedness Goal. Here are eight key findings on national preparedness trends from the report:
1. The U.S. continued to improve in areas of strength identified in the 2012 NPR.
2. The U.S. made progress in the three national areas for improvement identified in the 2012 NPR: cybersecurity, recovery-focused core capabilities and integration of individuals with disabilities and access and functional needs.
3. New national areas for improvement include enhancing the resilience of infrastructure systems and the role of public-private partnerships.
4. While Hurricane Sandy showed the nation's ability to respond to and recover from disasters, the federal government faces challenges in meeting survivor needs when surging resources into the field during disaster response.
5. States and territories continue to report the highest capability levels in areas they cited as high priority. Most of the highest-rated capabilities were common capabilities, including operational coordination, planning, public information and warning, or were related to the response mission area. States rated low capability in recovery and cybersecurity.
6. More than half of states and territories expect the federal government to fill gaps in five capabilities: economic recovery, fatality management services, cybersecurity, forensics and attribution and housing.
7. Community partners continue to use federal preparedness assistance programs to maintain capability strengths and address gaps. Federal sponsors are looking for ways to improve the programs' effectiveness and efficiency.
8. Resilience initiatives help officials measure communities' ability to prepare for and adapt to changing conditions and withstand and recover rapidly from disruptions.
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