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SOE are enacted to provide the government to expedite normal processes to address the needs of a rapid onset event. However, there is a political side show of politicians racing to the stage in their crested jackets to look in command, to demonstrate prowess under duress, to look like they're in control.
The reality is that all of this is not required, the powers can be embedded in policy, accessible by the appropriate minister when required and procedures established for the rapid access to funding and resources.
In essence, the SOE rules can be enacted in regular legislation.
But if we removed SOE, then we would miss the show.

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At its foundation, the collective modern human system includes four principle spheres: public (government), civil (population), not for profit (community) and private (corporations). Each are inter-dependent to some degree and all are necessary to sustain the human ecosystem. When considering any policy endeavour, good administration requires the inclusion of all spheres. The inter-connectedness means that whatever legislative, regulatory or administrative modification is considered will have an impact, to different degrees, across the spheres. An inclusive society requires the involvement of everyone, not just the ones you like or support.
Whole of society (WOS) is an important concept within EM, grounded in the notion of limitations on the capability and capacity of the public sector. We know that resources are limited in EM, that trends across the OECD are downward for public sector expenditures and that any future "investment" in EM will likely be token, singular and temporary. The WOS idea was drafted by many theorists from the 1980s onward, realizing that the resources necessary for a successful EM program resided not only within the public sector, but across society, in all spheres. The concept was initially delivered through the NFP and civil spheres as coordination with organizations like the Red Cross, Salvation Army, faith sector and residential groups. This provided a foundation for WOS, that led the delivery through to the early 2000s, where the expansive impacts of disasters exceeded the combined efforts of the civil, public and NFP spheres.
This is an ideological discussion, a decision to be inclusive of all members of society. The gap in resources of all types present in the EM system can be mitigated or completely addressed by embracing the involvement of the corporate sector. I've often said the most important relationship of a local emergency manager is the one with the head of the chamber of commerce. The entire needs assessment of EM could be met, but is there the will to break through the obstacle?

Time will tell.

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We've seen many recent calamities that called for a shelter in place plan, with the plethora of YouTube channels and information on sheltering, we offer evidence-based strategies to enable a successful event.
Researchers examine populations that experience disasters and seek the individual pockets of households that had better post event outcomes, suffered less and navigated the event with less disruption. We then seek to understand those variables that influenced those better results and translate those variables into preparedness education. Evidence, not opinion or belief.
We cover family considerations, communications in a crisis, your animalistic requirements of food, water, shelter, health, safety and security as well as incorporating your dependency on and exposure to sectors of critical infrastructure.
Non-apocalyptic evidence-based preparedness education, free of charge.

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We're going there, the quintessential preparedness foundation, the ubiquitous bug out bag that is the gold standard of idiocy in the prepper space. The kits are constructed principally for mental health, to provide a sense of security, the idea that you've taken steps to ready yourself and your family to navigate disruptions.
But you haven't.
Preparedness is about ensuring better post event outcomes & there is no evidence to support a correlation, let alone causation, between the construction and maintenance of an emergency kit / bug out bag and better outcomes.
There are some specific activities that may require the carrying of capabilities that don't exist at your destination, that is intelligent planning. If you're travelling more than a day's walk from your home, then you are responsible for the provision of animalistic requirements for you and those for whom you're responsible. Conduct that analysis and if there are shortfalls in availability at your destination, then you might need to consider carrying a piece of equipment.
For travel, that might simply be a whistle, flashlight and a water filter. Remember, these kits are cool, tactical even - but you have to carry it, potentially a long way. Think, plan and then execute - you likely need very little.

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What we have all seen in the southeastern USA over the past week has been heart wrenching, whether here in Canada where I could do little more that financially support the NGO conducting operations, to the individuals charging into the chaos to provide relief and rescue those in peril. Evidence is clear that humans do not panic, they rally to the cause, step up to the occasion and do not turn to crime. Acts of violence and theft dramatically fall in disaster zones, though any instance of opportunistic theft is labelled as looting and broadcast across all channels as a representative behaviour of the local population. Abhorrent.

Misinformation is the intentional spreading of information one believes to be true but is in fact false, while disinformation is the international spreading of information the individual knows to be false, but does so anyway. Disasters include a breakdown of communication, where normal and stable networks are disrupted, sources of facts are interrupted and a void of available information seeds conspiracy theory. Dependable sources of accurate information are difficult to find and follow, this is a significant problem we are watching in the aftermath of hurricane Helene.
Institutional trust in the government has been on a steady decline, amplified in the pandemic and has shown little indication that statistical trends are returning to a growing public confidence in the government. FEMA is a federal government entity and therefore is subject to a mandate from the Stafford Act as well as other regulatory and policy frameworks. I have written extensively about the importance of building trust with the served population in times of peace and calm, building relationships with the affected population in advance of any disaster, so that when the event occurs, FEMA is seen as a trusted and valued addition to the response.
If EM is trying to establish themselves as a trusted source after the crisis begins, little success is likely. That requires dedicated pre-event population engagement over time, with all sectors of society acting together. We call it the community response council, the gathering for all parties in the area to discuss how they expect a response operation to be conducted, to establish priorities and to discuss who can do what for whom. Cooperation, coordination - not command and control. The secret sauce is just that, create the council in your area, be the champion and bring together all sectors of society. Leverage what has happened in Helene as an example of why a successful response operation requires a whole of community effort. When the trust is established it won't matter what mis and disinformation is present, residents will turn to their trusted sources for guidance. That is how you win, not by authority or title, but through engagement across society.

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