| First to Arrive | Emergency Responders: Local police officers, fire crews, and emergency medical services (EMS) teams. |
| Local Government Authorities: Municipality officers and local disaster management teams. | |
| Last to Leave | Government Agencies: National, state, and local government agencies. |
| Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs): Humanitarian relief groups. |
The first people to respond after a disaster are emergency responders and local government authorities. Even though government agencies and NGOs arrive later at the disaster spot, often they are the last people to leave this crisis. The most important thing is to understand that all these different responders have different responsibilities. Whereas the job of emergency responders is to handle the immediate emergency situation, government agencies are responsible for providing long-term support and taking effective actions to prevent such disasters in the future.
Why Emergency Responders and Local Government are the First Responders?
When a disaster happens, usually, the first response comes from local police, emergency medical services, and fire departments under the same jurisdiction. Immediately, the local government authority becomes the initial emergency manager to handle the crisis by utilizing all the available facilities. Federal or state governments need time to travel to the disaster spot, whereas local government official live nearby the disaster spot. Local government evacuates residents, execute emergency plans, and provide first-aid and support.
Why Federal and State Governments Stay the Longest?
Federal and state governments are responsible for providing long-term recovery support. They must ensure shelter, food, and medical support for the dislocated people in the disaster as well as consider reconstructing the infrastructure. Federal and State government authorities can not leave the incident until all the objectives are achieved. Along with government agencies, NGOs often offer support for extensive periods. Therefore, Government agencies and NGOs stay the longest to accomplish the objectives.
