FEMA And OES Partner With Local And County Governments To Find Solutions To Wildfire-Related Challenges
Release Date: November 26, 2003
Release Number: 1498-39
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PASADENA, Calif. -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) are partnering with more than twenty local, state and federal agencies to find solutions to ongoing issues related to the California Wildfires and the recovery effort. FEMA and OES facilitate the Multi-Agency Support Group (MASG) to identify inter-agency and multi-jurisdictional issues and to resolve them quickly and efficiently.
“This is a one-stop shop for local and county governments to address their needs and issues about the fire or about mitigation,” said Dallas Jones, OES director and state coordinating officer. “They can quickly solve and address problems, whether the solutions come from the local, state or federal level.”
The MASG’s mission is to foster communication about current fire-related problems, identify potential threats of further damage, and enhance cooperative action with current and planned projects to reduce or eliminate those threats.
“Keeping track of these projects helps prevent duplication and wasted effort,” said Jones. “It also makes it possible to meet the needs of local agencies more quickly.”
If a county identifies a need that has not been met, it can bring the issue to the MASG. The MASG then works to find a participating agency that can target and address the issues.
FEMA and OES have worked to ensure that the group includes:
- The emergency managers from the five fire-stricken counties (Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura);
- State agencies (California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, California Department of Water Resources, California Department of Transportation, California Department of Fish and Game, California Department of Parks and Recreation, California Geologic Survey, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and California Conservation Corps);
- Federal agencies (FEMA, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Geological Survey, Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Farm Services Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Weather Service, and Small Business Administration;
- Twenty-two Native American tribes and bands.
The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services coordinates overall state agency response to major disasters in support of local government. The office is responsible for ensuring California’s readiness to respond to and recover from natural, manmade and war-caused emergencies and for assisting local governments in their emergency preparedness, response, mitigation and recovery efforts.
On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA's continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 09-Dec-2003 12:24:28