The states, the Department of Homeland Security, and Congressshould add a fourth, regional tier to the current emergency management process along with an implementing system such as aRegional Emergency Management Support System (REMSS). A regionaltier would enable states to respond to incidents beyond theirimmediate capacities without waiting for a response from thefederal government.
The Department of Homeland Security has received disparate and, attimes, contradictory direction from Congress, which has resulted ina plethora of unrealistic mandates. Congress's firstobjective should be to address the lack of effective congressionalleadership, and consolidate congressional oversight.