In a country surrounded by three oceans and covering multiple timezones, it is essential to create an intervention system in case of emergency that work for each region. Emergency management in the USA is a shared responsibility. This means that everyone has an important role to play : individuals, communities, governments, private sectors and volunteer organizations.

Basic preparation to emergency situations starts on an individual scale. If a person isn’t capable of facing emergencies, the first responders in case of emergency like cops, firefighters and ambulance services will provide help. If the city need additional help or resources, they can call state emergency management organizations who will then ask help to the national government if the emergency goes beyond what they are capable of facing. Depending on the situation, the help from the government could include policing, national defense and border security, and environmental and health protection.

Public security manages help requests coming from state authorities with whom they maintain close operational links. Only few minutes are needed to make an intervention go from a local scale to a national scale while being sure of defining and putting in place the appropriate resources and expertise.