Introduction
ONEMI or Oficina Nacional de Emergencia del Ministerio del Interior (National Office of Emergency of the Interior Ministry) is a Chilean government agency dedicated to the prevention, organization, coordination and information relative to natural disasters. After the 1960 Valdivia earthquake a committee was formed to solve problems caused by the earthquake. However, this committee was not dissolved afterwards and in 1974, it acquired by law independent status as governmental office. Other state funded agencies and services that cooperate with ONEMI are CONAF in terms related to forests and wildlife and OVDAS in monitoring volcanoes.
