Navigation
Search
Languages
Blog
Editor's Note: This was originally posted on the White House blog, September 3, 2013. Todd Park is Assistant to the President and US Chief Technology Officer. Rich Serino is the Deputy Administrator of FEMA. Last week, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) jointly challenged a group of over 80 top innovators from around the country to come up with ways to improve disaster response and recovery efforts. This diverse group of stakeholders, consisting of representatives from Zappos, Airbnb, Marriott International...
Posted On: September 6, 2013 At FEMA and across the federal government, we recognize that in order to successfully support disaster survivors and meet the needs of the community, the whole community must work together as a team. A month ago, I wrote about some of the successes of bringing together government and non-government partners to solve challenges we faced in responding to Hurricane Sandy. Recognizing our community partners is critical to the efforts to rebuild and recover. The White House is hosting a Champions of Change event to recognize individuals and organizations that provided truly remarkable and...
Posted On: February 25, 2013 When people think of innovation, they usually think that it is something for the tech or design world—they don’t associate it with government or bureaucracy. But, FEMA sees the role of innovation differently. We recognize the value of innovation—that through innovation we can develop new and creative solutions—and deliver these solutions to those that need them the most- survivors. We have been working on a number of fronts to incorporate innovation into our program and process. And during our ongoing response and recovery efforts in Hurricane Sandy, we...
Posted On: January 15, 2013 Today, our Nation pays tribute to the millions of military veterans who have served the United States as members of our Armed Forces. We honor the courage, sacrifice, and dedication you exhibited in protecting our country.To veterans here at FEMA, although many of you are no longer wearing a military uniform, you have elected to continue to serve your country by joining the FEMA team – and we thank you for bringing your skills, talents, and experiences to contribute to the success of our mission year round, and especially during our current response to Hurricane Sandy. And as part...
Posted On: November 11, 2012 Today, we welcomed 231 energetic members into the first ever FEMA Corps class. The members just finished off their first month of training with our partners at the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and are one step closer to working in the field on disaster response and recovery. They will now head to FEMA’s Center for Domestic Preparedness to spend the next two weeks training in their FEMA position-specific roles. Once they complete both the CNCS and FEMA training, these 231 dedicated FEMA Corps members will be qualified to work in one of a variety of...
Posted On: September 13, 2012 While I was in Colorado Springs for the Building Resilience through Public-Private Partnerships conference last week, I also had the honor of meeting with some of the impressive first responders from the state and local level who fought the Waldo Canyon Fire.The firefighters faced an intense challenge. Sixty-five mile-per-hour winds fanned the flames and pushed the fire up and down mountainsides surrounding the town. More than 32,000 residents were forced to evacuate and the fire consumed more than 18,000 acres.FEMA worked as part of a team of federal, state and local agencies, supporting the...
Posted On: July 30, 2012 This week, U.S. Northern Command hosted the Building Resilience through Public Private Partnerships Conference. We held our latest FEMA Think Tank call on the second day of the conference and had a great conversation on how the emergency management community can develop and sustain relationships with the private sector and build these partnerships for the future. There were about 150 participants in the room and over 220 participants on the phone. Building and Sustaining Public-Private Relationships through Best PracticesKicking off the call, we discussed best practices and...
Posted On: July 27, 2012 A little over one year ago, on May 22, 2011, an EF-5 tornado tore through the city of Joplin, MO and surrounding areas. This tornado caused significant damage and tragic loss of 161 lives. I was on the ground less than 15 hours after the event and saw firsthand the inspiration leadership displayed by community leaders. I drew inspiration from the people of Joplin-how the leaders gave hope to the residents of Joplin and hope to the country. And that is why I chose Joplin as the location for the May Think Tank Conference Call. It was an opportunity to return almost a year later and listen to...
Posted On: June 1, 2012 Earlier today, I spoke at the Alameda County Emergency Medical Services Conference in California in recognition of National EMS Week. It was great event, and it underscored the important role that EMS professionals play in our communities.In my speech today, I noted how the EMS field is a critical part of the larger emergency management team, operating at the intersection of public health and public safety. As someone who served in the EMS community for more than 35 years, I have watched how technology and new innovations have changed the profession. And while the tools that we use have...
Posted On: May 23, 2012 The next FEMA Think Tank call will take place on Tuesday, May 15 from Joplin, Mo. The call will focus on recovery and how we can better prepare for a more rapid, cost effective, sustainable and resilient recovery in our communities.Between December 2011 and March 2012, 10 stakeholder forums were held to discuss the National Disaster Recovery Framework. During these forums federal, state, local, tribal and territorial governments, voluntary and non-governmental organizations, and the private sector discussed challenges and opportunities regarding preparing for, and recovering from, a disaster....
Posted On: April 27, 2012