FEMA 101

  • Our Mission and History  

FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during and after disasters. Our core values—compassion, fairness, integrity and respect—help us achieve this mission.

FEMA was created in 1979, the first step in unifying Federal emergency management actions. In 2003, FEMA became an agency under the newly formed Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

FEMA is organized into ten regions. FEMA Region 3 includes Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. FEMA Region 3’s primary office is in Philadelphia with a Disaster Transition Office and FEMA Integration Team (FIT) based in Harrisburg. Our FEMA Integration Team works alongside our partners at the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA).

  • Our Role in Disaster Recovery

Just as we serve the whole community, we also rely on the whole community as our partners in emergency management. Local communities best understand their needs, opportunities and risk. Emergency management is most effective when locally executed, state managed, and federally supported.

In Pennsylvania, FEMA supports disaster response and recovery at the request of the Commonwealth.

After Tropical Storm Debby on August 9-10, FEMA Region 3 and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency conducted joint Preliminary Damage Assessments to verify damages.

Based on the information received from the Preliminary Damage Assessments, the governor submitted a declaration request for Individual Assistance to the president. On Sept. 11, 2024, the White House approved the request, which made federal assistance available to residents affected by Tropical Storm Debby in Lycoming, Potter, Tioga and Union counties.

  1. Individual Assistance

Individual Assistance (IA) is a FEMA program for disaster survivors and is intended to meet basic needs for uninsured or underinsured survivors. It allows individuals and households to apply directly to FEMA for assistance.

Under Individual Assistance, impacted residents of the disaster-designated counties can apply for Housing Assistance and Other Needs Assistance. This includes rental assistance, lodging reimbursement, funding for immediate needs such as water and fuel as well as funds to repair or replace home structures, appliances, personal or family computers, and items required for work and school. More information about Individual Assistance, including additional types of assistance, can be found at fema.gov/ia.  

There are four ways to apply for disaster assistance:

  • Visit DisasterAssistance.gov.
  • Download the FEMA App.
  • Visit a Disaster Recovery Center.
  • Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362.
  • *Calls are accepted from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern Time. Help is available in most languages; if you use a relay service such as video relay service (VRS) or captioned telephone service, please provide FEMA your number for that service.*

Local leaders best understand your unique needs and know your communities best. As members of the communities you serve, you are trusted messengers of important information. County and local government officials can work with PEMA and FEMA to share key messages and identify community needs.

If you have any questions, please reach out to our Intergovernmental Affairs specialist, Amparo Santana Garcia, by email at amparo.santanagarcia@fema.dhs.gov and by phone at 202.615.4845. For any state-related questions, please contact PEMA Legislative and Policy Director Wes Majors at wemajors@pa.gov or (717) 651-2728.