Private Sector Collaboration with FEMA

The private sector is a vital part of the emergency management team. We see the nation's vast network of business, industry, academia, trade associations, and other non-governmental organizations as equal - and equally responsible - partners in every phase from preparedness to response and recovery to mitigation.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has worked steadily to increase the level of private sector collaboration at all levels. The agency has broken new ground in areas that will have profound and long-term benefits to the nation, such as the Private Sector Representative position, online training, and downloadable exercises.

More importantly, FEMA continues to learn from the efforts of our private sector, state, local, tribal, and territorial partners who are handling emergencies every day. They are the ones who can offer the most relevant lessons and good practices. We build on what works in the field, and help amplify the reach of the most promising efforts by sharing them nationally.

While the opportunities for working together are virtually unlimited, we know that there are practical considerations. Through public-private collaboration, government and the private sector can:

• Enhance situational awareness
• Improve decision-making
• Access more resources and capabilities
• Expand reach and access for disaster preparedness and relief communications
• Improve coordination
• Increase the effectiveness of emergency management efforts
• Maintain strong relationships, built on mutual understanding
• Create more resilient communities and increase jurisdictional capacity to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from major incidents.

Whatever your preference, there are a variety of ways to plug into FEMA's effort, depending on your organization's interests and capabilities.

For more information, please visit the About Us section of our website.