FEMA To Open Alaska Area Office In Anchorage
Release Date: July 5, 2007
Release Number: R10-07-019
SEATTLE, Wash. -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is officially opening their Alaska Area Office in the Anchorage Federal Building Annex (222 W. 8th Avenue) on Monday, 9 July 2007. FEMA Administrator R. David Paulison announced that the new office will serve as a work station for agency pre-disaster preparedness initiatives, and as an initial operating facility for federally declared disasters.
"The New FEMA is committed to working with our partners on the ground and at every level of government," said Paulison. "Regional offices help us build strong relationships and open lines of communication before a disaster strikes. A permanent regional presence is an essential part of our effort to build the foundation for FEMAs future activities in Alaska."
Susan Reinertson, FEMA Regional Administrator for the states of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington agrees. "I am proud to announce Robert Forgit as our Alaska Area Office Manager, who assumes leadership of the new office in September," said Reinertson. "Robert has decades of experience in Alaska planning for and responding to disasters throughout his distinguished career with the U.S. Coast Guard, and is well respected throughout the anti-terror and all-hazards disaster response community."
The FEMA Alaska Area Office will also serve as a forward field office for pre-disaster preparedness and planning, as well as a staging and work area for Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) teams. FEMA staff will be joined by uniformed Defense Coordinating Element (DCE) personnel.
FEMA coordinates the federal governments role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.
Last Modified: Thursday, 05-Jul-2007 13:34:09