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Pub 1 and Core Values

Publication One (Pub 1) is our capstone doctrine. It helps us as Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) employees understand our role in the emergency management community and provides direction for how we conduct ourselves and make decisions each day. The intent of our Pub 1 is to promote innovation, flexibility, and performance in achieving our mission. It promotes unity of purpose, guides professional judgment, and enables each of us to fulfill our responsibilities. It explains:

Who We Are: An understanding of our identity and foundational beliefs

Why We Are Here: A story of pivotal moments in history that have built and shaped our Agency

What We Face: How we manage unpredictable and ever-evolving threats and hazards

What We Do: An explanation of how we help people before, during, and after disasters

How We Do It: An understanding of the principles that guide the work we do

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Order a Hard Copy

FEMA Publications Warehouse
FEMAPubs@gpo.gov
1.800.480.2520 (M-F, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET)

Core Values

Our Core Values are highlighted in Pub 1. These values form the foundation of who we are, what we believe, and who we want to be. We are committed to these core values, which apply to our interactions with everyone – survivors, colleagues, partners – every single day.

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Illustration of a person pushing another person on a bike up a hill

Compassion is the expression of our care for others. We are understanding, empathetic, and inclusive as we support fellow employees, partner organizations, individuals, and communities.

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Illustration of 5 people of mixed races, ages & sexes (from left to right child, two adults, adult in wheelchair, elderly person) standing on a balance beam balanced.

Fairness is treating everyone impartially, offering unbiased and consistent assistance, and ensuring equal access to resources and tools.

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Illustration of a woman with her hand across her chest looking in the mirror

Integrity encompasses our responsibility as stewards of Federal resources, services, and programs, and our conduct as trusted professionals. We earn trust by being accountable, present, honest, and dependable.is the practice of acknowledging the value of the people we work with and serve. We are committed to active listening and welcoming diversity of thought, opinion, and background.

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Illustration of a woman and man shaking hands

Respect is the practice of acknowledging the value of the people we work with and serve. We are committed to active listening and welcoming diversity of thought, opinion, and background.

Archive

FEMA first published Pub 1 in 2010 and updated it in 2016. The intent of this new 2019 version is to reinvigorate FEMA employees by reaffirming who we are as federal leaders in emergency management, instill a renewed sense of pride in the Agency, and explain what we do to help people before, during, and after disasters.