The partnership between the Economic Development Agency (EDA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was born in recognition of the connection between disaster prevention and economic development, with the conviction that disaster-resistant communities not only prevents for economic damage but also generates and stimulates economic opportunities.   A Memorandum of Understanding outlines the initiative of advancing mutual objectives through FEMA's Project Impact and the Department of Commerce's 

Natural Disaster Reduction Initiative. 
     Under this union, FEMA and EDA commit to improving policy coordination and the coordination of mitigation activities and initiatives; providing state and local planning support and technical assistance; and improving resource management.
In addition to the efforts toward building disaster-resistant communities and the assembling of local and regional economic development recovery and disaster-prevention plans, FEMA and EDA work together providing training courses for economic development and emergency management officials on how economic development planning activities can better incorporate issues associated with natural hazard risk and mitigation.  The training, primarily conducted at FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute facilities in Emmitsburg, Maryland under a train-the-trainer format, incorporates the role of all sectors in the community and levels of government, recognizing special and differential local, regional and national needs.

For further information on up coming training courses and description refer to the FEMA training web page at http://www.fema.gov/emi/train.htm