Think globally, prepare locally

Think globally, prepare locally. A common Department of Homeland Security mantra
is "all disasters start locally." Communities and local governments need to plan for self-sufficiency, commonly for up to 72 hours before the Feds arrive. Projects like the CitizenCorps "Community Emergency Response Teams" (as developed by NORTHCOM, US Army) become ever more crucial to ensuring community-wide preparedness and response.

Here's the conclusion of a recent University of Tennesse study looking at our ever-worsening scale of distasters:

"Federal and state support must now be given to programs that enable local governments to work effectively with communities to prepare for and respond to all disasters."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071112073337.htm