Emergency Management Prepares For 2006 Hurricane Season: FEMA Acting Director Paulison Addresses Conference
Release Date: April 12, 2006
Release Number: HQ-06-058
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- With the latest predictions indicating another active hurricane season in 2006, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is preparing for it with a renewed sense of commitment, improvement and urgency. FEMA is working closely with state and local emergency management partners to ensure all levels of government and individuals are involved in preparing for the upcoming hurricane season.
FEMA is building on lessons learned from last year's hurricane season, years of emergency management experience, and coordination with federal, state and local partners to be ready. The 28th National Hurricane Conference, being held this week in Orlando, Fla., brings together 1,500 federal, state and local officials, emergency managers, voluntary agency representatives, engineers, planners, media, meteorologists and other response, recovery and hazard mitigation professionals. FEMA is participating in a number of training sessions designed to help communities respond and recover from disasters.
In his address at the opening general session, FEMA Acting Director R. David Paulison described the upcoming hurricane season as a defining moment in emergency management.
"Americans want to know if we are ready for future disasters and they are anxious and looking to us for reassurance - and that is reassurance we can give them," Paulison said. "This hurricane season presents us with a tremendous opportunity; an opportunity to reaffirm the core principals of the emergency management community."
Acting Director Paulison also outlined various preparations FEMA is taking along with goals of strengthening the federal-state partnership to expedite response and hasten recovery.
"We can all agree that disaster response starts at the local level. When the local government is overwhelmed, they ask the state for support and when the state is overwhelmed, you request support from FEMA and the federal government," said Paulison. "Effective emergency management requires a team approach. This partnership needs to include all levels of government and all disciplines of emergency management and response."
On the national level, Acting Director Paulison discussed various steps FEMA is taking to retool for the upcoming hurricane season including improving logistics tracking and commodity replenishment capacity; as well as improved coordination with other federal agencies including the Department of Defense. New technologies will improve field visibility and communication interoperability, and several mobile registration intake centers and improved debris removal practices are two of the ways FEMA is further prioritizing customer service in the coming hurricane season. [See FEMA: Ready for 2006 Hurricane Season fact sheet]
The agency is implementing new measures designed to strengthen essential functions, matching the skills and experience of FEMA employees with 21st Century tools and technology to maximize the agency's performance regardless of the disaster.
Above all, Acting Director Paulison emphasized, effective emergency management requires a team approach. "The first response belongs in the hands of those closest to the incident, those state and local officials who are putting together the evacuation plans and shelter locations and educating their residents on when to evacuate, where to go and what to do," he said.
It also means that individuals have the first responsibility in making their own preparations to protect their families, pets and property and should heed their local officials when evacuation orders are given. For information on disaster-planning, visit www.fema.gov or www.ready.gov.
FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Wednesday, 12-Apr-2006 14:20:51