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Whole Community

The purpose of this page is to describe the concept of whole community. The intended audience for this page is individuals, families, communities, the private and nonprofit sectors, faith-based organizations, and local, state, tribal, territorial, insular area, and Federal governments.

If you have any questions, please contact the National Integration Center at FEMA-NIC@fema.dhs.gov.

Shared Responsibility

Preparedness is a shared responsibility; it calls for the involvement of everyone—not just the government—in preparedness efforts. By working together, everyone can keep the nation safe from harm and resilient when struck by hazards, such as natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and pandemics.

Whole Community includes:

  • Individuals and families, including those with access and functional needs
  • Businesses
  • Faith-based and community organizations
  • Nonprofit groups
  • Schools and academia
  • Media outlets
  • All levels of government, including state, local, tribal, territorial, and federal partners

The phrase “whole community” appears a lot in preparedness materials, as it is one of the guiding principles. It means two things:

  1. Involving people in the development of the national preparedness documents.
  2. Ensuring their roles and responsibilities are reflected in the content of the materials.

Learn More

To learn more about getting involved, visit the Get Involved page on this website.

Last Updated: 
01/23/2017 - 10:18