Balancing Liberty and Security Activity
Scenario
A winter storm that was supposed to turn to the east into the Atlantic suddenly turned west and made landfall in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, and coincided with an unusually high tide. Multiple communities have sustained massive flooding. Thousands of citizens have been displaced by the sudden storm. Shelters and evacuation routes are overwhelmed. Significant snowfall is predicted for the coming week. The mayors and town councils of multiple municipalities along the Rhode Island coast have asked the governor for help. The governor is new to her job. She has met with her staff and determined that the state must request federal assistance. The governor intends to activate local National Guard units and will request the president to activate some local Army Reserve units.
Instructions
You are the Rhode Island governor’s Homeland Security Assistant, and she has asked for your advice.
What law allows the president to use federal government resources to help the state of Rhode Island respond to the crisis?
Explain to the governor the process she must use to request federal assistance from the president.
How will you advise the governor to utilize the Rhode Island National Guard and other military services that come to help?
