August 2025 marked the inaugural National Emergency Management Awareness Month, launched by the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM). The goal of this month-long observance is to shine a spotlight on the essential role emergency managers play in safeguarding our communities every day.  

The celebration of emergency managers resonates deeply with Disaster Tech. Our PRATUS™ team is made up of individuals who have dedicated their careers to public service, including military, government, and private sector emergency management. Their lived experience drives our mission. 

To wrap up the month, we’re reflecting on the history of emergency management in the U.S. and exploring how technologies like PRATUS™ are modernizing the field.  

Why Awareness Matters 

Emergency managers play an important role in communities. When communities understand the risks they face, from natural disasters to technological hazards, they're better equipped to prepare, respond, and recover. August served as a reminder that preparedness isn't just the responsibility of emergency professionals; it's a shared commitment. 

The Evolution of Emergency Management  

When most people think of emergency management, they picture:  

• Flashing lights  
• Rescue Crews
• Sandbags

But, behind every effective response is an entire field that’s evolved drastically over the last century. Keep reading to take a closer look at how far emergency management has come and where it's headed: 

• The Early Days: An Ad Hoc Approach
• Centralizing Emergency Management: The Birth of FEMA 
• The 21st Century: All-Hazard Preparedness 
• The New Age of Emergency Management: Data and AI
• What’s Next for Emergency Management? 

The Early Days: An Ad Hoc Approach  

In the U.S., disaster management dates back to the late 18th and early 19th centuries, when Congress enacted laws to address emergencies on a case-by-case basis. In 1802, a major fire dismantled Portsmouth, New Hampshire. To support the community, the Congressional Act of 1803 suspended bond payments for affected merchants—marking the first legislative act of federal disaster relief 

Over the next hundred years, disaster response slowly advanced. During World War II, Civil Defense programs shifted the focus from ad hoc response to organized emergency preparation. Air raid shelters and public safety campaigns became central to national readiness. 

Yet, disaster management was still fragmented between state and federal agencies.  

Key Characteristics: response-driven, hazard-specific, and siloed 

Centralizing Emergency Management: The Birth of FEMA 

On April 1, 1979, emergency management reached a critical turning point with the establishment of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). President Carter signed Executive Order 12127, establishing FEMA as a centralized agency dedicated to coordinating disaster response across jurisdictions. Just months later, on July 20, 1979, President Carter gave the agency a dual mission: emergency management and civil defense.  

Key Characteristics: doctrine-driven and standardized 

The 21st Century: All Hazards Preparedness  

The early aughts brought about change in emergency management; a shift towards all-hazards preparedness. Following the September 11 attacks, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was founded in 2002, integrating emergency management into a broader national security framework. 

Preparedness and resilience planning became just as critical as response. Emergency managers expanded their scope to include: 

• Terrorism 
• Continuity Planning 
• Infrastructure Security
• Pandemics 
• Technological Hazards 

Key Characteristics: all-hazards, prevention-focused, nationally coordinated, and multi-disciplinary 

The New Age of Emergency Management: Data and AI  

Just two decades ago, emergency management operated in a vastly different landscape. Today, the field has evolved in response to global health crises, climate-driven threats, and increasingly interdependent infrastructure systems. Data now drives decisions, and emergency managers have access to vast amounts of incident-relevant information in seconds, enabling faster, more informed action. 

With the power of PRATUS™ AI solutions, such as DisasterGPT™, emergency managers can instantly generate situation reports, synthesize real-time data, and receive actionable insights tailored to the incident at hand. This empowers teams to respond with precision, speed, and confidence. 

• AI-Powered Decision Support: DisasterGPT uses predictive analytics and leverages integrated real-time data to provide actionable insights, enabling better resource allocation and more effective crisis management and training exercises. 
• Unify Efforts: Leverage the Microsoft 365 integration, including Teams and Copilot, to facilitate cross-organizational coordination.  
• AI Hurricane Tracking: Silurian AI’s Atlantic Hurricane Forecast API, integrated into PRATUS, improves tropical cyclone track accuracy by ~20% and runs alongside NHC.  
• Energy Reliability Index (ERI): Predict power grid impacts from extreme weather hazards to better prepare in advance of an event. 
• Incident Management Workspace: Conduct incident action planning, resource management, and team coordination within one platform. 
• Exercise Management Workspace: Plan, train, and execute training exercises. 

Key Characteristics: technology-enabled, predictive, data-driven, and cross-organizational coordination  

What’s Next for Emergency Management? 

The future of emergency management will rely on smarter data and faster coordination. As the IAEM notes, this Awareness Month isn’t just about looking back; it’s about recognizing how far the profession has come and how innovation will share the years ahead.  

At Disaster Tech, we’re proud to support the future of emergency management, by equipping managers with tools that move the field from reaction to readiness.  

PRATUS is the only all-hazards emergency management solution fully integrated within the Microsoft ecosystem: Teams, Microsoft 365, and Copilot. As a Microsoft Premier Partner, Disaster Tech empowers emergency managers with AI-driven tools to address today’s crises. 

Want to see how PRATUS can modernize your emergency response?