FEMA’s International Programs and Activities
See also in https://www.aofs.org/hs-bilateral-agreements-us/ the text of some HS bilateral agreements.
Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC): FEMA supports the Department of State and other U.S. departments and agencies’ engagement in APEC’s Emergency Preparedness Working Group (EPWG) by providing emergency management subject matter expertise and by participating in annual meetings of the EPWG’s Disaster Management Senior Official’s Forum.
Australia: A Memorandum of Understanding between the Australian Government’s Attorney-General’s Department and the Department of Homeland Security, signed in 2010, facilitates emergency management cooperation between Australia and the United States. FEMA also cooperates with Australia under the authority of a DHS Science and Technology agreement and a United States Forest Service Wildfire Arrangement between the U.S. and the Australian participating agencies.
Canada: A number of emergency preparedness agreements exist between the U.S. and Canada, the most recent being an Agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Canada on Emergency Management Cooperation, signed in 2008. FEMA’s engagements with Canada include Regional Emergency Management Advisory Committees (REMACs) (Regions I, II, V, VII, IX, X, and EA-IA); National Level Exercises; multilateral forums; bilateral training; and the secondment of a Public Safety Canada liaison at FEMA.
Chile: A Memorandum of Understanding between FEMA and the Chilean National Office of Emergencies was signed in March 2011. Fulfilling the promise of a Letter of Intent signed between the two agencies in April 2010, following the catastrophic earthquake that struck Chile in February 2010, the MOU establishes a framework for emergency management capacity building between the two countries.
Germany: FEMA cooperates with its German equivalent, the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance within the German Ministry of Interior through the DHS-BMI Security Cooperation Group. A Work Group on Emergency Management was recently established under the SCG.
Israel: FEMA cooperates with Israeli’s emergency management authorities under the authority of a DHS-Israel Memorandum of Understanding. FEMA is also the lead for the Emergency Management Work Stream Working Group under existing 2007 and 2008 DHS agreements with Israel.
Mexico: A number of emergency preparedness agreements exist between the U.S. and Mexico, the most recent being an Agreement between the Government of the United Mexican States and the Government of the United States of America on Emergency Management Cooperation in cases of Natural Disasters and Accidents (Bilateral), signed in 2008. FEMA’s cooperation with its Mexican counterpart, Protección Civil de México (PCM), includes participation in meetings of the U.S. – Mexico Border Governors Conference Emergency and Civil Protection Work Table, bilateral training and exercise initiatives, and the Mexico-United States Emergency Management Working Group.
NATO: In support of a 1988 Executive Order which assigned emergency preparedness responsibilities to various government agencies, FEMA serves as the U.S. lead for civil emergency planning at NATO and facilitates U.S. government participation on NATO’s civil emergency planning committees.
New Zealand: FEMA cooperates with its New Zealand counterpart, the Ministry of Civil Defense and Emergency Management (MCDEM) under the authority of a DHS Science and Technology Agreement signed in January 2010.
Russia: The Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the U.S. have a Memorandum of Understanding, initially signed in 1996, that calls for cooperation in natural and man-made technological emergency prevention and response. This agreement is renewed on a regular basis during yearly U.S.-Russia Joint Committee meetings. Since 2009, the U.S.-Russian Presidential Commission has facilitated further cooperation between FEMA and its Russian equivalent, EMERCOM.
United Kingdom: Ongoing commitments with the United Kingdom include the U.S.-UK Joint Contact Group (JCG) and an Agreement with DHS Science and Technology Agreement since 2004. Additionally, the U.S. Senior Representative to NATO collaborates closely with UK representatives to the NATO Senior Civil Emergency Planning Committee.
