National Journal on Friday obtained a copy of President Obama's strategy for emergency preparedness, which the homeland security community has eagerly awaited and is unrelated to the possible government shutdown. The Presidential Policy Directive, Obama's eighth, is only six pages long, but its effects will ripple.
The directive instructs federal agencies involved in disaster management to place more emphasis on determining what capabilities they have, and demands the development of emergency plans that mitigate the potential for future disasters. PPD-8 also formalizes government cooperation within the private sector.
Agencies must submit reports about how well they're prepared to handle disasters that fall under their purview. The National Security Council will review them and draw up the government's Homeland Security budget based in part on what these reviews say.
The six-page directive (2 MB PDF) can be viewed here.
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