Tom Gionis Explains the Work of FEMA And the Lives It Saves

The Role FEMA Plays and What They Are Doing to Save Lives

Imagine the horror of watching a massive tornado making its way towards your neighborhood, a merciless flood overtaking the roadways, or a wall of fire closing in on your home. These aren't farfetched – in fact, the number of devastating natural disasters are on the rise and millions of people face them every year.

If you're lucky enough to survive one of these catastrophic events, you may be left completely without any shelter, food, money – or hope. That's where the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) comes in: the agency is designed to help local governments be prepared for the worst, work with law enforcement during an event, and also provide assistance to those affected by the damage, says Tom Gionis, who is a certified FEMA member and has recently earned an Excellence Award for his work with FEMA.

Coordinated Relief Efforts

When disaster strikes, first responders help mitigate the immediate fallout and transport. The agency also offers training programs for emergency planners and first responders to increase preparedness for disasters. (Tom Gionis recently received an Excellence Award for completion of the Emergency Response Team Training.)

FEMA becomes an important component in working with the federal government to distribute needed supplies, as well as providing tarps for homes that have been damaged. Members also assist people that have been affected to find temporary shelter in the meantime.

FEMA was established in 1979, building on existing emergency preparedness efforts. It has assisted with numerous disaster declaration situations since that time across the country. The agency saw one of its biggest years in 2017, when various natural disasters affected more than 25 million Americans. As a result, FEMA and its partners doled out more than 138 million meals, as well as distributing water, fuel, generators, and financial relief. In fact, FEMA committed more than $7 billion in disaster assistance to individuals affected by disasters that year alone, explains Tom Gionis. The organization said by the end of that year, it had saved or assisted almost 9,000 people through deploying its task forces to find those in danger.

Getting Ahead of a Disaster

FEMA's role is more than jumping into action to provide immediate relief to families when disaster strikes. It aims to save lives and property by encouraging people to have a plan in place ahead of time while waiting for disaster relief teams, notes Tom Gionis.

FEMA also helps get people to safety before a disaster, which can be instrumental in saving lives. As a recent example, FEMA helped get more than 6 million people to safety through evacuations when Hurricane Irma was bearing down on Florida in 2017, thanks to its part in issuing Wireless Emergency Alerts of the incoming threat.

Not all dangers to public safety are in the form of natural disasters. The current concern is coronavirus, which nears 100,000 cases worldwide and is bearing down on the U.S. where it has claimed six lives as of early March 2020. FEMA is waiting for the green light from the president to start distributing disaster aid to local and state governments to deal with an outbreak.

Planning for The Future

The agency has a strategic plan to "build a culture of preparedness" for future disasters, while also simplifying the process of administering aid. In the meantime, it advises people about what to have on hand at all times to survive destruction: including a supply of non-perishable food, a battery-powered radio, first-aid kit, and emergency funds. It also encourages families to have a plan in place if disaster strikes and practice it. 

FEMA also previously launched the Strategic Foresight Initiative (SFI) to evaluate needs and possible challenges heading into the future. One of the areas of concern it covers is protecting at-risk populations – specifically the elderly and those who are isolated or limited by technology, notes Tom Gionis.

FEMA anticipates that the public at large and private institutions will need to play a bigger role in emergency management in the future due to changing circumstances and increased disasters. These are all reasons for families to be more prepared now, concludes Tom Gionis.