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FEMA Policies & Guidance Resources

This page provides the emergency management team—federal, state, local and tribal officials, the faith-based and non-profit communities, the private sector and, most importantly, the public—with centralized access to FEMA policy and guidance documents. FEMA policies are external, authoritative statements that articulate FEMA’s intent and direction to guide decision-making and achieve rational outcomes for agency activities. This page includes current significant and economically significant guidance documents, as required by the Office of Management and Budget’s Final Bulletin for Agency Good Guidance Practices. The documents are sorted by topic areas as the described below.

Environmental & Historic Preservation

FEMA’s Environmental and Historic Preservation effort integrates the stewardship of environmental, historic, and cultural resources into FEMA's activities and ensures that agency actions and programs comply with federal environmental and historic preservation (EHP) laws and executive orders.

Insurance & Mitigation

The Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration (FIMA) manages the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and a range of mitigation programs designed to reduce future losses from natural disasters.

Protection & Preparedness

Protection and National Preparedness (PNP) coordinates preparedness and protection related activities throughout FEMA, including grants, planning, training, exercises, individual and community preparedness, assessments, lessons learned, continuity, and national capital region coordination.

Response & Recovery

Response coordinates federal operational and logistical disaster response capability needed to save and sustain lives, minimize suffering, and protect property in a timely and effective manner in communities that become overwhelmed by disasters.

Recovery supports individuals and communities affected by disasters in their efforts to recover. Individual and Public Assistance programs as well as Long Term Community Recovery efforts assist individuals and communities in FEMA’s collective effort to prepare for, respond to, and recover from all hazards.

U.S. Fire Administration

The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) provides national leadership for our fire and emergency services stakeholders by providing training programs for managing the national fire data center; and conducting research efforts in fire detection, prevention, suppression, and first responder health, safety and effectiveness.

Submitting Comments on Significant Guidance 

You may submit comments on FEMA’s significant and economically significant guidance documents using www.regulations.gov. All comments submitted are publicly available. You may wish to read the Privacy Notice available bottom navigation bar of www.regulations.gov. All comments received and any supplementary information including FEMA’s response to comments for economically significant guidance documents is available on that site under the document’s assigned Docket ID.

At any time, if you would like to request that FEMA issue, reconsider, modify, reclassify, or rescind a significant guidance document please submit the request to FEMA-POLICY@dhs.gov. You may use the same e-mail address to file complaints that FEMA is not following the procedures in or complying with Office of Management and Budget’s Final Bulletin for Agency Good Guidance Practices in developing its guidance documents or is treating guidance as a binding requirement. Include the title and, if appropriate, the Docket ID of the document on which you are providing comment.

Last Modified: Thursday, 14-Jul-2011 09:05:42 EDT