To help people assess what threats might be in order to augment their emergency supplies or

improve their disaster response skills, FEMA has published a booklet called the "Threat and
Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment Guide."[34] (THIRA) This guide, which outlines the
THIRA process, emphasizes "whole community involvement," not just governmental agencies,
in preparedness efforts. In this guide, FEMA breaks down hazards into three categories: Natural,
technological and human caused and notes that each hazard should be assessed for both its
likelihood and its significance. According to FEMA, "Communities should consider only those
threats and hazards that could plausibly occur" and "Communities should consider only those
threats and hazards that would have a significant effect on them." To develop threat and hazard
context descriptions, communities should take into account the time, place, and conditions in
which threats or hazards might occur.
Not all preparedness efforts and discussions involve the government or established NGOs like
the Red Cross. Emergency preparation discussions are active on the internet, with many blogs
and websites dedicated to discussing various aspects of preparedness. On-line sales of items such
as survival food, medical supplies and heirloom seeds allow people to stock basements with
cases of food and drinks with 25 year