Presidential Policy Directive 8: National Preparedness (PPD-8) describes the Nation’s approach to preparing for the threats and hazards that pose the greatest risk to the security of the United States. National preparedness is the shared responsibility of our whole community. Every member contributes, including individuals, communities, the private and nonprofit sectors, faith-based organizations, and Federal, state, and local governments. This book examines the goals and assessments of the U.S. national preparedness challenge with a focus on the core capabilities contained in the National Preparedness Goal report which are the distinct critical elements necessary for our success. These capabilities are highly interdependent and will require use to use existing preparedness networks and activities, improve training and exercise programs, promote innovation, and ensure that the administrative, finance, and logistics systems are in place to support these goals.