On October 16, 2026, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released the findings of a study it commissioned to better understand the emergency management landscape across the nation. The report summarizes quantitative and qualitative data from survey responses and interviews across 1,689 local jurisdictions, 37 states, 59 tribal nations and four territories.  The study was funded by FEMA and conducted by Argonne National Laboratory. Big City Emergency Managers (BCEM), the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM-USA) and the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) also collaborated on the study.

FEMA partnered with the Argonne National Laboratory to launch the National Emergency Management Data Explorer (NEMDEX) tool to help review and analyze the summary information gathered from the local survey component of the study.  Community leaders can use the tool to review and identify the study findings to make informed strategic decisions on investment and capacity building efforts.

Here is the link to the Argonne National Laboratory website where you can access the report and the NEMDEX Argonne National Laboratory website