Family Safety - How Emergency Response Works - Why You Are Your Own First Responder
As we launch our company Prepared Not Paranoid in conjunction with National Preparedness Month, many people may wonder, “Why should I worry? I’ll just dial 911.” Others might say, “I don’t want to be one of those bunker guys with canned food, guns, and ammo-I just want to live my life, and if I need help, it will show up.” The truth is, it’s a bit arrogant to assume nothing bad will ever happen to you or that someone will always be there the moment you need them most. Every year, natural disasters devastate communities: hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, and, just this past summer, a flash flood. This is why I started Prepared Not Paranoid, to give families the tools and knowledge to become their own first responders. If you’re still not convinced, consider the process that unfolds during an emergency and why it often takes days- or even weeks-for citizens to get the help and support they need.
Why You Can’t Rely on, EMS, The National Guard and even FEMA, in the First Hours of a Disaster
1. Who Shows Up First in a Disaster?
Neighbors and Locals: The true first responders. Most rescues, aid, and care in the first 24 hours are done by ordinary people.
Local Responders: Police, fire, EMS, and volunteer crews are next in line, but they can be overwhelmed quickly.
State Resources: When local agencies can’t handle it, the governor may activate the National Guard.
Federal Resources (FEMA): Only after a disaster declaration request from the governor does FEMA get involved.
👉 This tiered process explains why help feels delayed. By design, it moves from local → state → federal.
2. The EMS Reality: “Scene Safe, Then Care”
Rule #1 of EMS: “Don’t become the next victim.”
When you dial 911, multiple agencies may be dispatched, such as police, fire, EMS/paramedics, or specialty rescue teams like swift-water rescue. But none of them are going to charge blindly into danger. Each responder type has different responsibilities and limitations:
Police: Secure the scene from threats such as active shooters, violent suspects, or unstable environments. EMS and Fire will not enter until law enforcement gives the all-clear.
Fire Department / Fire Rescue: Handle fire suppression, hazardous materials, building collapse, and technical rescues. If a structure is unstable or full of toxic smoke, firefighters must wait until conditions allow safe entry.
Water Rescue Teams: During floods, flash flooding, or swift-water events, specialized teams are called in, but they often take extra time to mobilize and may wait for waters to recede before reaching survivors.
EMS / Medics: Provide lifesaving care, but only once the scene is safe. They may stage blocks away from the incident for hours until law enforcement or fire declares the area secure.
This isn’t hesitation- it’s survival. If first responders rush in without safety, they risk becoming casualties themselves, which only delays help further. On TV, first responders always arrive in seconds, storm the scene, and save the day. In reality, response follows strict safety protocols and often takes much longer than people imagine. Emergencies unfold in layers of response.
👉 For families, this means: Medical care may be delayed by hours-or even days-before trained rescuers can reach you. You may be the only medic available for yourself or loved ones until responders can safely enter. Basic first aid and trauma skills can truly be lifesaving in that gap.
Response Times in Context:
The average police response time nationwide is about 10 minutes. Urban areas may respond faster; rural areas often take much longer.
In Nashville, delays grew from 13 minutes in 2019 to 16 minutes in 2022 due to staffing shortages and call volume.
Rural and remote communities (like Northern Arizona) regularly experience response times of 20–30 minutes or more, depending on distance, weather, and availability of units.
Fire/EMS response is sometimes faster for strictly medical calls, but if the scene is unsafe (fire, gunfire, hazardous materials, unstable debris), they will stage outside and wait.
Why This Matters: During major disasters, whether, wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, or flash floods, emergency resources are quickly overwhelmed. Even if responders want to reach you, blocked roads, downed power lines, debris, or floodwaters can physically prevent them from getting in. Being aware of conditions and prepared to leave early can help you escape before the situation becomes life-threatening. In many cases, National Guard units or mutual-aid crews may not be mobilized for hours, or even days.
3. When and How the National Guard Is Activated
Governor’s Authority: The Governor of each state controls the National Guard, not FEMA or the President (unless “federalized” under Title 10 of the U.S. Code). Governors call them up to support overwhelmed local agencies, typically under state active duty or Title 32 status.
Used in Overwhelm Situations: The Guard is brought in when civilian law enforcement, EMS, and fire services are outnumbered or exhausted. Common triggers include:
Widespread flooding, wildfires, or blizzards
Large-scale looting or riots
Extended power outages and infrastructure collapse
Search and rescue operations after earthquakes, tornadoes, or flash floods
Mobilization Takes Time: The Guard is not a rapid-response team like local police or fire. Members are often at civilian jobs or home, and must first report to an armory, receive orders, and organize into units. Depending on the mission, it can take 24- 72 hours before their presence is fully felt in the community.
Limitations on Supplies: The Guard can provide manpower, vehicles, and logistical support- but they do not carry enough supplies for every citizen. Their role is to stabilize and assist, not to replace local aid organizations. After Hurricane Sandy, for example, Guard units were deployed with electric heaters, but thousands of homes remained without power for weeks.
👉 Key Point for Families: Don’t expect to see the National Guard immediately after disaster strikes. They are backup support, not front-line first responders. You may be on your own for days before they arrive in force.
4. Why FEMA Feels Late
Legal Delays: FEMA cannot self-deploy. By law, they must wait for a formal disaster declaration requested by the Governor and approved by the President. This process often takes 24–72 hours after the event begins. Until then, FEMA has no legal authority to move resources into an affected area.
Logistical Role: FEMA is not a front-line rescue force. Their mission is to coordinate housing, food, infrastructure restoration, and financial assistance. They move massive amounts of aid - billions of dollars annually - but they are not the ones pulling people from floodwaters or burning buildings.
Infrastructure Challenges: Even once authorized, FEMA cannot move faster than the roads, airports, and supply lines allow. If highways are blocked, bridges down, airports closed, or communications cut, FEMA trucks and teams simply can’t get through.
Priorities in Recovery: When they do arrive, FEMA prioritizes critical infrastructure:
Restoring hospitals and medical services
Re-establishing utilities (power, water, communications)
Clearing and reopening transportation corridors for supply delivery
Only after these lifelines are stabilized does large-scale aid reach neighborhoods and individuals.
👉 Key Point: FEMA is not a rescue team. They are a recovery machine. If you need immediate help, it will come from local responders, neighbors, or yourself.
5. Preparedness Is Survival
Because EMS, the National Guard and even FEMA may be delayed- sometimes for days or weeks- families must be ready to sustain themselves. Disasters consistently show that those who fare best are the ones who prepare in advance, not those who wait for outside help.
Neighborhood Network- Your First Line of Defense:
👉 The single most overlooked preparedness step is building a local plan with your neighbors. When disaster strikes, it’s the people living next door- not FEMA- who will reach you first. In fact, after nearly every major disaster in the U.S., studies show that the vast majority of rescues are performed by neighbors, not professional responders.
Exchange phone numbers and radio channels ahead of time.
Identify who has special skills (nurses, EMTs, veterans, tradespeople) and who has vulnerabilities (elderly, disabled, families with infants).
Establish a simple check-in system: after an event, each household checks on the house to their left and right.
Plan shared resources like generators, chainsaws, or water filtration that can support multiple households.
6. Extend Your Self-Reliance Supply: Why Two Weeks or More Matters
Federal agencies consistently advise that 72 hours is the absolute minimum, but in many circumstances, especially in remote or disaster-prone areas, you should prepare for two weeks or more of self-sufficiency.
What the CDC Recommends
The CDC’s official emergency kit guidance encourages including two weeks’ worth of food, water, a manual can opener, and other essential supplies in your kit.
On their water supply page, the CDC notes that while the standard is 1 gallon per person per day for at least 3 days, it advises aiming higher-ideally for two weeks, particularly in hot climates, for pregnant individuals, or those with special needs.
Other Authoritative Sources
Recommendations from agencies like FEMA and the University of Georgia Extension similarly acknowledge that although a 3-day kit is the baseline, a two-week supply is strongly advised-especially in situations where supplies may be inaccessible for a prolonged period.
Ready.gov also contributes general guidance to store several days' worth of water and non-perishable food, aligning with the principle that longer-term planning is safer.
Why Two Weeks or More is Critical in Local Context
Living in rural areas means emergency response can be delayed significantly due to road closures, power outages, wildfires, or flash floods. Even self-contained utilities can fail for days.
During past events- like wildfires or flood responses-families have experienced extended difficulty receiving aid or accessing resources for many days, sometimes up to two weeks or more.
Planning for only 72 hours puts you dangerously close to the edge. Two weeks gives you a buffer to weather the worst while help mobilizes.
Understanding how response really works shows why preparedness is not optional, it’s essential. In those first critical hours (and sometimes days), you may be the only help available. That’s why we built Prepared University-to give you the knowledge and tools to protect your family. Be Prepared, Not Paranoid.
