The Achieving Efficiency Through State and Local Preparedness Executive Order (EO) aims to streamline the coordination between federal, state, and local emergency preparedness and response efforts. The requirements in the EO push more responsibility to state and local agencies for investing in revised preparedness and response plans regarding cyberattacks, wildfires, hurricanes, and other disasters. This guidance supports the idea that "preparedness is most effectively owned and managed at the state, local, and even individual levels, supported by a competent, accessible, and efficient federal government."
Bolstering emergency preparedness has been a critical focus of states and localities even before the EO. As weather related events grow in frequency and intensity, communities across the nation have been working to mitigate the impact of disasters before, during, and after events.
The National Association of State Chief Information Officers' annual State CIO Survey, conducted in the fall of 2024, found that CIOs continue to see their role as focused on continuity of operations--as opposed to the provision of new or enhanced services--while states recover from a disaster or disruption in business services. In fact, 94% of state CIOs count maintaining a "robust, reliable and secure infrastructure" among their responsibilities. In the wake of disasters, just under 80% said they play a role in restoring communications services, and 77% said they are tasked with contracting solutions that can be stood up quickly to provide uninterrupted services.
States are implementing new processes and technologies to meet the needs of their community and the expectations of ownership from the federal government.
- State-wide collaboration - California requires each agency to identify its critical services, develop a regularly updated disaster recovery plan should those services be interrupted, and then test those plans. Experts from the state's Department of Technology visit agencies to evaluate their plans, provide feedback on what needs to be improved, and discuss how the state can support those efforts. This coordination has been termed, "Disaster Recovery as a Service."
- Legislation - The Texas House of Representatives has several bills focused on mitigating wildfire risks and improving the state's response to emergencies. House Bill 13 would create the Texas Interoperability Council, which would coordinate the implementation of a statewide plan for the use of emergency communication with a network that connects all first responders and state agencies. Another piece of legislation, House Bill 143, addresses one of the common causes for wildfires in the Texas Panhandle--unmaintained electrical lines. Power lines have caused roughly 60% of wildfires since 2006. The bill would require the Texas Railroad Commission and the Public Utility Commission to notify electric utilities when they identify electrical hazards during inspection. Finally, House Bill 2063 would create a database of firefighting equipment that is readily available for coordination of resources state-wide.
- Emerging Tech - Aiken, South Carolina, is utilizing drones for quicker, more accurate disaster assessments. Local governments can apply for federal funds to reimburse property damages from natural disasters, but that requires cities to be able to calculate the volume of damage from debris and its estimated cost. The drones can quickly collect photo and video data for documentation; the data are then fed into a program to produce models of the debris to calculate its volume. With this, cities can apply for and receive funds faster than ever before.
To learn more about disaster preparedness trends and activities nationwide, check out these resources from GovEvents and GovWhitePapers.
- Enhancing Logistics with Supply Chain Visibility (September 4, 2025; webcast) - Supply chain visibility, which connects logistics and supply chain activities to deliver operational support, involves providing real-time data flow, predictive analytics, and seamless communication among numerous stakeholders.
- Government Innovation Showcase Florida (October 28, 2025; Tallahassee, FL) - With cutting-edge technologies redefining public services, transportation, and disaster resilience, this event explores the strategies that will propel Florida to the forefront of digital innovation and economic growth.
- The City of New Orleans Transforms Their Emergency Response with Real-Time Visibility (case study) - The New Orleans Emergency Medical Services (NOEMS) relies on a large fleet of ambulances, sprint cars, bicycles, and other vehicles to respond to nearly 70,000 emergency calls every year, as well as provide services during high-profile events like Mardi Gras. However, a lack of real-time visibility into their vehicles and assets formerly made it difficult for NOEMS to coordinate emergency response as safely and effectively as possible.
- Disaster Assistance: Improving the Federal Approach (white paper) - Disasters are becoming deadlier, more frequent, and costlier--and the federal approach to helping communities recover is straining under the pressure. With over 600 open disaster declarations and billions in aid at stake, the Government Accountability Office is calling for big changes: streamline processes, reduce fragmentation across agencies, and build a more resilient FEMA workforce.
- Four Technologies Aiming to Tame Wildfires (white paper) - Artificial intelligence, along with other technology advancements, is proving to be a valuable tool in battling natural disasters and proving useful in prediction as well as detection.
For more information on state and local disaster response, search for additional events and resources on GovEvents and GovWhitePapers.
