9/08/10 EMForum.org Background Page: FEMA Update

Federal Emergency Management Agency Update
with the Administrator

W. Craig Fugate
Administrator
Federal Emergency Management Agency

September 8, 2010

Contents:
Live Meeting Recording (WMV) This is a large file and requires Windows Media Player or Windows Media Components for QuickTime, or a similar product to view.
FEMA National Preparedness Month Video
Transcript (HTML)
Transcript (MS Word)
Ratings
Reviews

Related Websites:
FEMA Website
National Preparedness Month Announcement
National Preparedness Month Citizen Corps Webcast
National Dialogue on Preparedness

RATINGS
		46 Ratings Submitted
	13 (28%)	Academia 2 (4%)
	19 (41%)	Business 9 (20%)
	10 (22%)	Government 24 (52%)
	4 (9%)	Volunteers 3 (7%)
	0 (0%)	Other 8 (17%)

REVIEWS

"A big THANK YOU to Administrator Fugate for joining us. It's great to hear from the big dogs and to have them listen to our concerns."
Amy Lindsey
IN DHS

"Great to hear from Craig - a true EM in DC!!! "

"Very helpful. Thank you."
Tom DiTanna
SAIC

"Great job Amy and Avagene!!!"
Lloyd Bokman

"Appreciated the content and responses of Craig Fugate."

"Well done; thanks."

"Great to hear from the leader of our major guiding partner!"

"Appreciate Director Fugate taking time to be on this Webinar. Anytime he can come back would be great!"
Mariano Gonzalez
Arizona Division of Emergency Management

"Really enjoyed Craig's comments on the direction of FEMA in relation to integrating the private sector. It's great to have a FEMA Director that fully understands the need to make the private sector feel like a full member of the team."

"Craig, as always has great command of the subject and did an outstanding job. He is a credit to the profession."
Ellis Stanley
Dewberry

"Having this open to questions was perfect! Craig rocks! (That's coming from a Floridian too!)"

"Excellent aession! I have been very impressed with all of the meetings so far."
Marcelle Penn Mathis

"It is always informative when Craig Fugate speaks."
Ken Rudnicki

"There indeed are a lot of rumors in regard to HSEEP, NIMS, compliance in general, and exercises. It would be good for FEMA to be proactive and address these rumors and misconceptions. Certainly do not throw out the baby with the bath water. I would like to think this is a given, but local and State input is critical to the success of these programs. Contractors and those within the Beltway are not always in tune with local and State issues as a whole."
Darren Price
Ohio EMA

"Even though I am a retired EM, I wanted to hear what Director Fugate had to say about any process in citizen education and traiining as I am still teaching CERT."
Ken Knipper
NVFC

"Great opportunity to hear directly from Director Fugate. This degree of transparency and forthrightness is greatly appreciated. My interface with FEMA might not match with the Director's words or vision, but I appreciate this type of venue to have a discussion. I'd encorage EM Forum and FEMA to consider this type of update quarterly or at least twice-a-year?"
Peter Grandgeorge

"Thanks to EMFORUM to provide us the opportunity of listening to Mr. Craig Fugate entertain this Q & A Session. It is always refreshing to hear updates on current and future activities FEMA is working to improve emergency preparedness and response capability across all government boundaries."
Jose L. De La Torre

"Many topics were covered. As expected, some were more pertinent to my work than others. All responses helped me get a sense of Administrator Fugate's point of view. I appreciate that a transcript of the session will be made available."
Sandy Johnson
Thurston County

"While I appreciated his answer, it was surprising that Admin. Fugate didn't answer the 1st NLE11 question more fully, especially in light of the fact that he later claimed to want to these exercises to be more credible scenarios."

"Having access to FEMA senior leadership is priceless. I liked the open forum Q&A - sometimes more insightful than formal presentation. Thank you."
Kelly Discount
EMPOWER

"As expected from such a consummate professional as Mr. Fugate; he hit the ball out of the park on most of the questions, with some other extra-base hits as well! This must be one of EIIP's all-time best sessions."
Roger Fritzel
Defense Continuity & Crisis Mgmt

CRAIG FUGATE

W. Craig Fugate began serving in the position of Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in May 2009.

Prior to coming to FEMA, Mr. Fugate served as Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM). In that role since 2001, he managed 138 full-time staff and a budget of $745 million. His agency coordinated disaster response, recovery, preparedness and mitigation efforts with each of the state's 67 counties and local governments.

Mr. Fugate began his emergency management career as a volunteer firefighter, Emergency Paramedic, and finally as a Lieutenant with the Alachua County Fire Rescue. Eventually, he moved from exclusive fire rescue operations to serving as the Emergency Manager for Alachua County in Gainesville, Florida. He spent a decade in that role until May 1997 when he was appointed Bureau Chief for Preparedness and Response for FDEM.

In 2004, Mr. Fugate managed the largest federal disaster response in Florida history as four major hurricanes impacted the state in quick succession (Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne). In 2005, Florida was again impacted by major disasters when three more hurricanes made landfall in the state (Dennis, Katrina and Wilma). The impact from Hurricane Katrina was felt more strongly in the Gulf Coast states to the west but under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact or EMAC, Florida launched the largest mutual aid response in its history in support of those states.