May 17, 2000 Forum Presentation

Janet K. Benini, CEM

Deputy Director
Office of Emergency Transportation
U. S. Department of Transportation

Federal Transportation Resources in Disasters
The Role of the RSPA Office of Emergency Transportation

SUMMARY

EIIP Virtual Forum Presentation
Wednesday - May 17, 2000 - 12:00 Noon EDT

Transportation Resources in Disasters
The Role of the Office of Emergency Transportation

Janet Benini
Deputy Director
US DOT Office of Emergency Transportation

Moderator: Avagene Moore
EIIP Coordinator

The May 17 Forum featured Janet Benini, Deputy Director of the Office of Emergency Transportation (OET) at the US Department of Transportation (DOT).

As stated by Ms. Benini, the OET manages the departmental emergency preparedness and response programs including national security and domestic crises. The office is also responsible for the integration of interagency programs within and outside DOT, and management of Emergency Support Function (ESF) #1: Transportation, for the Federal Response Plan.

DOT includes the FAA, US Coast Guard, Federal Highway Administration, rail, maritime, transit, and others, eleven different "modes." The OET with a staff of eight people coordinates all the disaster activities for DOT.

JANET K. BENINI
Deputy Director
Office of Emergency Transportation
U. S. Department of Transportation

Janet Benini has been the Deputy Director of the Office of Emergency Transportation (OET) at the US Department of Transportation since November, 1998. The OET manages the Departmental emergency preparedness and response programs including national security and domestic crises. The Office is also responsible for the integration of interagency programs both within and outside the DOT, and management of Emergency Support Function (ESF) #1: Transportation, for the Federal Response Plan.

She led the DOT effort on Y2K activation, for which she was granted the Eagle Award by Administrator Kelley Coyner. She also coordinated a multi-modal team, which assembled a package of relief programs for the countries devastated by Hurricane Mitch. This proposal was accepted by the US State Department, and the projects are under way.

She serves on advisory boards for the National Emergency Management Association and the Natural Hazards Research Center. She is a Certified Emergency Manager, and was on the Commission for the International Association of Emergency Managers.

Prior to joining DOT, Ms. Benini worked in emergency management for twenty-one years with the State of California. Serving as Chief of Program Development for the California Specialized Training Institute, she oversaw training programs and seminars for government and business professionals. She developed new programs, many of which were adopted nationally, on issues like conducting evacuations, the disabled in disasters, legal issues and liability, and biological hazards in emergency management.

Ms. Benini also worked in disaster response and recovery. She has been the Operations, Logistics, or Planning Chief for earthquakes, fires, floods, and a riot.

Her bachelor's degree is in Social Science from Colorado State University and her Masters in Public Administration is from the University of San Francisco.

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