On January 15, 2021, FEMA released its Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Initial Assessment Report which assesses the agency’s initial response to the global pandemic. The report covers FEMA’s response from mid-March through Sept. 30, 2020 and provides 32 key findings and 57 recommendations in five areas.
While coordinating the federal COVID-19 response, FEMA also responded to multiple disasters. 2020 was the most active Atlantic hurricane season in history, with 25 named Atlantic Ocean storms, three of which were declared major disasters across seven states.
FEMA’s COVID-19 operations led to innovations for coordination with government and non-government partners on implementing national distribution networks and innovative solutions to data management and analysis and manufacturing and procuring scarce resources. The agency’s adaptive workforce enabled it to facilitate an effective operational response to the pandemic.
The report findings and recommendations will be used to inform FEMA and the emergency management community and improve existing and future responses to pandemics. The Initial Assessment Reportrepresents part of FEMA’s continuous improvement process, helping the agency learn faster and to communicate to the emergency management community where there are opportunities to build greater capacity.
To read the full report go to: https://www.fema.gov/disasters/coronavirus
