FEMA Recruits Regional Advisory Councils
Release Date: August 22, 2007
Release Number: R10-07-045
SEATTLE, Wash. -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Region 10 announces the creation of a Regional Advisory Council for the Pacific Northwest, to advise the regional administrator on all aspects of emergency management in an effort to ensure close coordination with all involved.
The council will be made up of elected officials, emergency managers, and emergency response providers from state, local and tribal governments from the four-state region which includes Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
"Our goal is to attract the most knowledgeable and dedicated people with practical experience in management and on the ground to make sure we can all work together more effectively when disaster strikes," said Regional Administrator Susan Reinertson.
Authorized under the Post-Katrina Emergency Reform Act of 2006, establishment of advisory councils in each of FEMA's ten regions is an extension of the National Advisory Council, which works with FEMA Administrator David Paulison.
Members of the regional council will be appointed by Reinertson from among nominees recommended by state homeland security advisors and adjutant generals, emergency managers, governors' offices and homeland security-related professional associations. The council is charged with reviewing preparedness, protection, response and mitigation programs and policies to identify weaknesses and recommend improvements.
A primary goal of the council will be to improve communication and understanding among the various organizations involved in emergency management and response. "We have to build our alliances before we need them," Reinertson said in a letter to state emergency managers. "We can't wait until a disaster strikes to start creating common understanding and shared sense of purpose."
FEMA coordinates the federal government's 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: Wednesday, 22-Aug-2007 09:26:49