ABSTRACT
The national emergency management team that responded to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, was not the product of unilateral federal action; rather, it evolved from the bottom up, demonstrating that emergency management is primarily a local responsibility. As discussed in the previous chapter, the federal legislation that created the organizations and systems in place on 9/11 recognized that the federal government was responsible for supporting state and local governments in a coordinated, effective manner in order to minimize human suffering and economic loss and enhance sustainable recovery.
