With its roots starting during World War I the first civil defense program was established on August 29, 1916 named the Council of National Defense. Years later, in 1941, President Roosevelt responded to the increasing concern about defending the homeland during World War II by creating the Office of Civilian Defense (OCD).
Following the passing of the National Security Act of 1947, the National Security Resources Board (NSRB) was created. After subsequent studies and the reorganization of Department of Defense (DOD), the NSRB finally had its responsibilities transferred to the Office of Defense Mobilization in December of 1950.
During the start of the Cold War, the NSRB generated a new proposal in 1950 called the Blue Book, which outlined a set of civil defense functions and how they should be implemented at each level of government. In response, Congress enacted the Federal Civil Defense Act of 1950, which placed most of the civil defense burden on the States and created the Federal Civil Defense Administration (FCDA) to formulate national policy to guide the States' efforts. The civil defense symbol was created during the Cold War and used in public service campaigns to inspire people to become more involved in their own protection and preparedness.
Undergoing subsequent reorganization, President Kennedy issued Executive Order 10952 on July 20, 1961, which created the Office of Emergency Planning (OEP) and the Office of Civil Defense.
By the time President Nixon entered office in 1969, public and government interest in civil defense had fallen precipitously from its peak in the early 1960s. National Security Decision Memorandum (NSDM) 184 recommended the establishment of a "dual-use approach" to Federal citizen preparedness programs and the replacement of the Office of Civil Defense with the Defense Civil Preparedness Agency (DCPA).
In 1974 the Disaster Relief Act (Public Law 93-288), more popularly known as The Stafford Act, was signed into law. This Act constitutes the statutory authority for most Federal disaster response activities especially as they pertain to FEMA and FEMA programs.
Partially in response to the near nuclear Disaster Three Mile Island, near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on July 20, 1979 the Carter Administration issued Executive Order 12148, which established the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as the lead agency for coordinating Federal disaster relief efforts.
On November 25, 2002 the Bush Administration signed into law The Homeland Security Act of 2002 establishing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).