Incident Management
Incident management is the system for organizing a response to an emergency so that many agencies can work together under clear command. It sets common terms, roles, and reporting lines so that local, state, federal, and military responders can cooperate. It applies to disasters, attacks, and other major events that strain one organization's ability to respond.
People usually ask who is in charge during a crisis, how agencies share information and resources, and where the military fits when it supports civilian authorities. They also ask how the government prepares for emergencies in advance and how coordination works across levels of government.
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All Articles on Incident Management
What FEMA Does When There’s No Disaster
When the Federal Emergency Management Agency appears in the national consciousness, it is almost always framed by disaster: officials in windbreakers surveying hurricane wreckage,…
When Disaster Strikes: How America’s Government Agencies Unite in Crisis
When Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast, when COVID-19 swept across the nation, when wildfires raged through California—the American people witnessed something remarkable:…
Understanding the Defense Department’s Role in Homeland Defense and Civil Support
The U.S. military is built to fight enemies abroad, not police streets at home. This principle runs deep in American history—so deep that when…