Regional Emergency Coordinators

Regional Emergency Coordinators (RECs) are ASPR’s primary presence throughout the country at the regional level. They work closely with State, local, and tribal health officials to maintain high levels of preparedness throughout the country’s 10 disaster planning regions. During day-to-day operations, the RECs serve as the eyes and ears of ASPR. They monitor emerging public health concerns and relay information to the Secretary’s Operations Center. RECs spend much of their time coordinating with regional health officials and working to build strong relationships with individuals and organizations in their regions. They also train and lead the Secretary’s Incident Response Coordination Teams. These teams are first responders during emergencies and frequently deploy outside their home regions as necessary.

The REC program was established in 2005 with an initial cadre of 10 RECs, and has expanded considerably. Today, there are 34 RECs throughout the country. They come from a variety of public health backgrounds and represent a wealth of experience in emergency planning and response. For more information about the program, please contact Team Leader Erin Fowler (Erin.Fowler@hhs.gov) or Deputy Team Leader Melissa Sanders (Melissa.Sanders@hhs.gov).