President Carter signed Executive Order 12127, effective April 1, 1979, establishing FEMA. Shortly after, in signing Executive Order 12148 on July 20, 1979, President Carter gave the agency the dual mission of emergency management and civil defense.
FEMA's history provides the foundation for our identity as leaders today. It is rooted in the story of a nation committed to finding strength in the face of unpredictable and devastating disasters.