FEMA To Respond At A Moments Notice

FEMA has a new policy of getting ready to respond even before the president and a governor declare an emergency. The agency is pre-staging people and supplies so it can leap into action on a moment's notice, GovExec reports. FEMA had pre-staged teams on the East Coast last summer, waiting to see what would happen with Hurricane Irene. Administrator Craig Fugate told lawmakers the 2006 FEMA reform law gives the agency that level of flexibility. But he said FEMA will only go so far in responding early since, by law, state officials are the very first responders. (GovExec)