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National Emergency Council (NEC)
President Franklin D. Roosevelt issues E.O. creating NEC consisting of the President, his Cabinet members, and the head of nearly every major Federal agency, commission, and board. Duties included coordination of emergency programs among all agencies involved in national preparedness. Source: NPTF, 2006, p. 5. -
WWII Begins
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Office of Civilian Defense (OCD)
Created in response to bombings of European cities during early years of WWII. Given a wide variety of responsibilities including morale maintenance, promotion of volunteer involvement, and nutrition and physical education. Began the development of concrete civil defense plans, including air raid drills, black outs, and sand bag stockpiling. Source: NPTF, 2006, pp. 5-6 -
US Enters WWII
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WWII Ends
OCD was disestablished in June prior to the end of the war. -
National Security Act of 1947
Best known for establishing the DoD and CIA, this act also created the National Security Resources Board (NSRB), which was initially responsible for mobilizing civilian and military support, as well as maintaining adequate reserves and effective resource use in the event of war. Source: NPTF, 2006, p. 6. -
Office of Civil Defense Planning (OCDP)
Established to recommend a course for the creation of a permanent civil defense agency. Released the Hopley Report which called for the creation of a Federal office of civil defense directly under the President or Secretary of Defense. Source: NPTF, 2006, p. 7. -
USSR Detonates A-Bomb
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Federal Civil Defense Administration (FCDA)
Established by the Federal Civil Defense Act of 1950 to formulate national policy to guide state efforts for civil defense planning. Source: NPTF, 2006, p. 7. -
"Duck and Cover" Released
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USSR Detonates H-Bomb
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ODM Re-Established
New ODM established and assumed functions of old ODM and NSRB. -
Office of Defense and Civilian Mobilization (ODCM)
Consolidated OCD and FCDA into the Executive Office of the President. Responsible for directing and coordinating the prepared- ness activities of the Federal departments and agencies and for providing unified nonmilitary defense guidance and assistance to State and local governments. Source: DCPA, 1975, p. 17. -
Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization (OCDM)
Congress changed the name of ODCM to OCDM to regain "civil defense" identity. Source: DCPA, 1975, p. 17. -
Executive Order 10952
Divided OCDM into Office of Emergency Planning (OEP) and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) under the Executive Office of the President and the DoD, respectively. Source: NPTF, 2006, p. 12. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
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Hurricane Camille
Killed 259, caused est. $1..44 billion in damage. Source: Lansford et. al., Fostering Community Resilience, p. 9. -
Disaster Relief Act of 1969
Created the Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO) to manage federal disaster relief at the site of the disaster. -
NSDM-184
Issued by President Nixon, it recommended the establishment of a “dual-use approach” to Federal citizen preparedness programs and the replacement of the OCD with the Defense Civil Preparedness Agency (DCPA). Source: NPTF, 2006, p. 14. -
SALT I
The First Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty was signed between the US and USSR. -
Hurricane Agnes
Killed 122, caused est. $1.2 billion in damage. Source: Lansford et. al., Fostering Community Resilience, p. 10. -
Executive Order 11725
Distributed preparedness tasks among three agencies. Housing and Urban Development, General Services Administration, and Treasury. -
Disaster Relief Act of 1974
Provided direct aid to families affected by disasters. -
Crisis Relocation Plan (CRP)
Begun by Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger, the CRP favored a strategy of evacuation rather than sheltering. Under CRP, urban residents would be relocated to rural host counties. Relied on a very long warning time. Source: NPTF, 2006, p. 17. -
Three-Mile Island Nuclear Disaster
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Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Created by E.O. 12148 as lead agency for coordinating federal disaster relief activities by absorbing the Federal Insurance Administration, the National Fire Prevention and Control Administration, the National Weather Service Community Preparedness Program, the Federal Preparedness Agency of the GSA, and the Federal Disaster Assistance Administration activities from HUD. Source: NPTF, 2006, p. 18. -
Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF)
FBI's first JTTF formed in NYC. -
Beirut Bombings
Terrorist attacked the US Embassy in April, killing 63. Then attacked the USMC barracks killing 241. Bombings were connected to the IRGC. -
1985: Misc. Terrorism
June: TWA Flight 847 from Athens to Rome hijacked by Hezbollah, US Navy diver was murdered by hijackers. October: Palestinian terrorists hijack cruise ship and kill one American. December: Rome and Vienna airport bombings -
National Security Decision Directive (NSDD) 179
Formed the Vice Presidential Task Force on Combating Terrorism to look at the threat of terrorism to the US. Source: Critical Path, p. 55. -
Stafford Act
Amendment of the Disaster Relief Act of 1974 that defined the process for disaster declaration and outlined federal authority for disaster assistance. Source: NPTF, 2006, p. 21. -
Pan Am 103, Lockerbie
Libyan connected terrorists blow up Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland killing all 259 passengers and 11 on the ground. -
1989 Disasters
Exxon Valdez oil spill, hurricane Hugo, Loma Prieta earthquake -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
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USSR Dissolved
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Hurricane Andrew
65 fatalities, est. $27.3 billion in damage. -
World Trade Center Bombing
Terrorist Ramzi Yousef built a bomb that detonated in the basement parking garage of the World Trade Center in hopes that it would collapse one of the twin towers into the other. The greater plot failed, but the bomb still killed 6 people and injured over 1000. -
FCDA Dissolved
Federal Civil Defense Act of 1950 was repealed and all remaining FCDA responsibilities were transferred to FEMA. Source: NPTF, 2006, p. 23. -
Oklahoma City Federal Building Bombing
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Presidential Decision Directive (PPD) 39
"The US Policy on Counterterrorism" assigned tasks and responsibilities to various agencies. -
Critical Infrastructure Working Group (CIWG) & E.O.13010
Report of the CIWG was released with its major recommendation a full Presidential commission devoted to looking at Critical Infrastructure. Recommendations became E.O. 13010 which created the Infrastructure Protection Task Force (IPTF) and the President's Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection (PCCIP). Source: Critical Path, p. 78 & 85. -
Khobar Towers Bombing
Bombing of a U.S. military facility in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia that killed 19 Americans. -
Hart-Rudman Commission Established
The U.S. Commission on National Security/21st Century (USCNS/21), was commissioned by the SECDEF to look at US security as the nation moved into the 21st century. -
PPDs 62 & 63
As a result of the PCCIP's work, President Clinton issued PPDs 62 and 63, "Protection Against Unconventional Threats to the Homeland And Americans Overseas." This document established the Office of the National Coordinator for Security, Infrastructure Protection, and Counter-Terrorism within the Executive Office of the President. PPD-63, "Protecting America's Critical Infrastructure," created the Critical Infrastructure Assurance Office (CIAO) in the Dept. of Commerce. -
Gilmore Commission Established
U.S. Congressional Advisory Panel to Assess Domestic Response Capabilities for Terrorism Involving Weapons of Mass Destruction was established to assess domestic response capabilities for terrorism involving WMDs. -
9/11 Attacks
2,996 people were killed when terrorists affiliated with al Qaeda flew passenger aircraft into each of the twin towers of the World Trade Center, and the Pentagon. A fourth plane with an unknown destination (possibly the White House or US Capitol) crashed outside of Shanksville, PA after the hijackers were thwarted by passengers. -
Global War on Terror Begins
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Office of Homeland Security (OHS)
Established by E.O. 13228, OHS was set up within the Executive Office of the President "to develop and coordinate the implementation of a comprehensive national strategy to secure the United States from terrorist threats or attacks." -
Homeland Security Advisory System (HSAS)
A threat-based color-coded system to communicate to the public about the current terrorist threat level. -
Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Established by the Homeland Security Act of 2002. -
Invasion of Iraq
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Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 8
Aimed to strengthen preparedness for prevention and response to threat of terror or disaster. -
Hurricane Katrina
1,353 directly related fatalities, 275,000 homes damaged/destroyed, est. $81.2 billion in damage. Source: NWC, 2006. -
Hurricanes Irma & Maria
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Border/Immigration Crisis