The National Emergency Management Agency was established through a Cabinet Minute on May 19, 1988 and staff appointed on May 1, 1989. The agency‘s predecessor, the National Emergency Relief Organisation (NERO) focused predominantly on relief.
Planning and coordination services for times of emergencies/disasters:- facilitating the preparation of response and recovery plans and hazard mitigation programmes by agencies having principal responsibility in those areas. This includes consultancy services which provide specialist insight on the development, review and testing of disaster plans and mitigation initiatives to the public.
The role and functions of the NEMA are enunciated in Cabinet Minute No.1060 dated May 19, 1988 and staff appointed May 1, 1989. The primary functions of the NEMA are planning and coordination. NEMA is not expected to be a line agency rather its role is "to facilitate the preparation of response and recovery plans and hazard mitigation programmes by agencies having principal responsibility in those areas". The primary functions are summarized as follows: