FUNDING:  THE COFFERS MAY BE EMPTY

The Budgeting of Emergency and Disaster Response is getting extremely difficult.

Get ready for the obvious. The radical changes in the federal, state or local government’s budgets and subsequent funding for emergency response and recovery operations will greatly impact how we react in future events.   Cuts in government spending are placing responding agencies in a dire situation.  Responders are responding, with less than optimal tools and assets.

Only is a region or community is prepared, will the response and recovery be effective.  Only if the phases of mitigation and preparedness are properly funded, would the affect of response and recovery prove effective.

“People and their governments, have short collective memories for “bad things” and the prevailing attitude is, everything is OK right now nothing is happening.  Why do I need such funding eating up my budget today?”  With few citizen groups lobbying government leaders and insisting that they adequately prepare for a future unnamed or unidentified disaster, this fight will be all up-hill.

Ref: After Disaster, Ed Minyard, Pg 22-23

With economic structures in chaos, we are amidst the battle for limited resources.  The emergency management services under the umbrella of Homeland Security, including, FEMA, etc, will be fighting over table scraps for some time to come.

Note:  Please refer to the Annex on Budgets